Southern Charms

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.

A portable spinner. Spinning and waltzing across Texas.

Hi Houston! Bye Houston!

Off the freeway, cross a bay, enter Louisiana, and "laissez les bon temps rouler"!

Impacts from recent, and not so recent, hurricanes

OK, no problem.

Roseate spoonbills glowing in the late afternoon light.

Louisiana sunset *** gasp***

The Nature Conservancy's Cypress Island Preserve

The details in this mural at the Cypress Island Preserve visitor center begged for good long looks and quiet reflection. Amazing artwork.

Camellias, Avery Island Botanical Garden

t

The mighty Mississippi, River Road, Louisiana

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

One of many, many historic images laying bare the reality of
slave life here and elsewhere

Reconstructed slave quarters, with graphic displays throughout

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.

What stories could these old oaks tell???

Such incredible beauty on land that holds blood, sweat, and tears.
An unforgettable experience.

The first rest stop on I-10 on the west side of Mississippi welcomed us...

...as did Elvis!

Quiet roads along the panhandle coastline of Florida

American Avocets probing for lunch

A Long-billed Curlew high-stepping on the shore

Apalachicola National Forest, where red-cockaded woodpecker nest trees
are marked in white paint and protected

Saw palmetto, a major understory species in these long-leaf pine forests

Success in finding the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker!

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.

Three Sisters Springs in Clear River, Florida
Home to blue water and manatees

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.

Ah, they're not potatoes, look at that tail!

And that front flipper and that cute face!

Reaching Naples, we explored the Everglades

Shark Valley tram ride, Everglades. Touristy, but worth it.

End of the tram tracks; an observation tower overlooks the expanse of the Everglades.

View from the top

A keystone species; the glades would not be the same if these guys didn't live here.

Whoever invented the zoom lens, thank you!

A Great Egret reflecting upon the meaning of fish

Anhinga drying out wings in the sun

Yellow-crowned Night-heron; noise-makers but hard to find in the thick brush

Wood Stork populations on the increase

Little Blue Heron willing a fish to appear

Black Vulture

The pop of red on a bromeliad depending on the kindness of a cypress tree

Great Blue Heron in Big Cypress; always on the lookout

Baby alligator teeth!

The clear water belies what is contained within.
Side of the road, Big Cypress

Boat ride into the Ten Thousand Islands section of Everglades National Park.
Dophins, mangrove islands, and so much more.

Mom and kid

Low tide brings out marooned raccoons clamming it up alongside wading birds

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.

A beach full of White Pelicans in the morning light

Osprey giving us the eye

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)

After, a visit to the Pascagoula River Audubon Nature Center was a very worthwhile stop
Wonderful visitor center and great boardwalk trails

White Ibis in a tree, a great image on this cloudy, foggy morning

After nearly two weeks of perfect sun, this foggy morning
was actually quite nice along the Pascagoula River

Even spiders like this place!

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.

Upon closer look, I saw a brown-headed nuthatch on the top
of one of the sculptures

Seemed to be at odds with the carved heron,!
Hmmm....wonder why????

Ah, of course! The little bird is building a nest cavity!

Heading home, our one rainy day going through Texas Hill Country.
We'll be back!

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!

Last evening's sunset, near Fort Stockton, Texas. Almost home.