It's January. It's cold. Let's get out of town. ROAD TRIP!
Point A: Home, Lakeside, Arizona
Point B: Brother Jeff's townhome, Naples, Florida
Route: Interstate highway through Texas, back roads to Naples. On drive home, hit a few spots missed the first time through.
Strategy: Eat whatever is served, seek whatever can be found, stop when curious, talk to strangers, enjoy the moments, gasp at sunsets, marvel at alligators, and let the good times roll.
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| A portable spinner. Spinning and waltzing across Texas. |
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| Hi Houston! Bye Houston! |
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| Off the freeway, cross a bay, enter Louisiana, and "laissez les bon temps rouler"! |
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| Impacts from recent, and not so recent, hurricanes |
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| OK, no problem. |
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| Roseate spoonbills glowing in the late afternoon light. |
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| Louisiana sunset *** gasp*** |
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| The Nature Conservancy's Cypress Island Preserve |
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| The details in this mural at the Cypress Island Preserve visitor center begged for good long looks and quiet reflection. Amazing artwork. |
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| Camellias, Avery Island Botanical Garden |
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| The mighty Mississippi, River Road, Louisiana |
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Right across the river is Oak Alley Plantation, Louisiana
Focused on all aspects of its past, including very well-done
education on its slave history |
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One of many, many historic images laying bare the reality of
slave life here and elsewhere |
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| Reconstructed slave quarters, with graphic displays throughout |
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Making slave history personal; names of individual human beings that were only recorded
as property in plantation records. All names unearthed by post-war plantation owner combing through
old documents for years to ensure these people are not forgotten. |
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| What stories could these old oaks tell??? |
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Such incredible beauty on land that holds blood, sweat, and tears.
An unforgettable experience. |
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| The first rest stop on I-10 on the west side of Mississippi welcomed us... |
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| ...as did Elvis! |
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| Quiet roads along the panhandle coastline of Florida |
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| American Avocets probing for lunch |
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| A Long-billed Curlew high-stepping on the shore |
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Apalachicola National Forest, where red-cockaded woodpecker nest trees
are marked in white paint and protected |
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| Saw palmetto, a major understory species in these long-leaf pine forests |
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| Success in finding the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker! |
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Historic town of Apalachicola almost got two new permanent residents.
Happiness is a beautiful Florida town with a store that sells both books and yarn. |
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Three Sisters Springs in Clear River, Florida
Home to blue water and manatees |
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Looking like potatoes in a soup pot, the humble, quiet manatees hang out in warm water.
Now an economic driver, manatee viewing is big business, and their conservation is embraced. |
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| Ah, they're not potatoes, look at that tail! |
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| And that front flipper and that cute face! |
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| Reaching Naples, we explored the Everglades |
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| Shark Valley tram ride, Everglades. Touristy, but worth it. |
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| End of the tram tracks; an observation tower overlooks the expanse of the Everglades. |
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| View from the top |
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| A keystone species; the glades would not be the same if these guys didn't live here. |
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| Whoever invented the zoom lens, thank you! |
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| A Great Egret reflecting upon the meaning of fish |
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| Anhinga drying out wings in the sun |
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| Yellow-crowned Night-heron; noise-makers but hard to find in the thick brush |
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| Wood Stork populations on the increase |
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| Little Blue Heron willing a fish to appear |
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| Black Vulture |
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| The pop of red on a bromeliad depending on the kindness of a cypress tree |
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| Great Blue Heron in Big Cypress; always on the lookout |
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| Baby alligator teeth! |
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The clear water belies what is contained within.
Side of the road, Big Cypress |
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Boat ride into the Ten Thousand Islands section of Everglades National Park.
Dophins, mangrove islands, and so much more. |
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| Mom and kid |
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| Low tide brings out marooned raccoons clamming it up alongside wading birds |
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Raccoons can live a long time when there's very little to harass or harm them.
This old dude has lost his mask due to going gray. |
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| A beach full of White Pelicans in the morning light |
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| Osprey giving us the eye |
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Visiting the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge
Established for a small non-migratory, and now protected, sub-population of sandhills
Just off I-10 (upon which this construction prompted land acquisition for these birds) |
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After, a visit to the Pascagoula River Audubon Nature Center was a very worthwhile stop
Wonderful visitor center and great boardwalk trails |
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| White Ibis in a tree, a great image on this cloudy, foggy morning |
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After nearly two weeks of perfect sun, this foggy morning
was actually quite nice along the Pascagoula River |
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| Even spiders like this place! |
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Interstate 10 Mississippi Welcome Center on the east side, were graced with
Hurricane Katrina-killed oak trees sculpted by artist Marlin Miller.
There's a designated marked route taking you to other sculptures up and down
the path of the hurricane(s). A great way to beautify storm-killed trees. |
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Upon closer look, I saw a brown-headed nuthatch on the top
of one of the sculptures |
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Seemed to be at odds with the carved heron,!
Hmmm....wonder why???? |
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| Ah, of course! The little bird is building a nest cavity! |
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Heading home, our one rainy day going through Texas Hill Country.
We'll be back! |
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Rainy days are great for stopping at wineries though.
Here, you can buy a glass for a future visitor who meets any selected criteria
you wish. Kinda cool! |
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| Last evening's sunset, near Fort Stockton, Texas. Almost home. |
