Urban Texas Adventures

View of the other ferry heading
back the other way

After miraculously surviving my night in Sea Rim State Park without a gun, I headed towards Galveston.  The highway runs out at the edge of the water.  To bridge the gap between Bolivar and Galveston there is a free ferry that is part of the highway!  You have to wait in a line, but then you drive your car onto the ferry and after the boat leaves the dock, you can get out and wander around!  It was an enjoyable and scenic trip.  It was fun to see the other ferry headed back the other way.  After getting back on solid ground I headed to Houston to meet up with my uncle who was there on business.  After meeting up and having a totally delicious Vietnamese meal, I followed him home to Euless, which is between Dallas and Ft. Worth.  After enjoying the company of his two delightful cats, and playing with his most impressive train layout that runs near the ceiling throughout his house (it’s seriously cool!), we went to dinner and ate the most delicious steak I have ever eaten!  Then we strolled around for a bit soaking up the decidedly western feel of the area.  I very much enjoyed getting to see the quite impressive dancing at one of the bars!

The next day, Uncle Jimmy was my personal tour guide of the Ft. Worth Area.  First, we drove past the stadiums which are totally gigantic!  Then we went to the water garden.  First you walk past a calm pool of aqua water with some gently dripping water around the edges.  Then you go to a fountain that has lots of spouts shooting water up into the air.  Both of these were nice, but nothing too earth shattering.  Then you walk to this other fountain (that word doesn’t do it justice, but I’m not sure what other word to use).  There is water cascading everywhere!  As if the concept of a huge waterfall like structure in the middle of an urban setting wasn’t cool enough, there are stairs that let you walk down into it!  So, you get to be right in the middle with water crashing down all around you!  It’s totally magnificent!

The front

The back

Then we went to the train station.  We could only peek in the lobby part because they were setting up for a fancy event.  We were able to walk around the back and see the trains though.  I must say my favorite part was the huge fan in the bar area that was made by the Big Ass Fan company!  Then we went to the Amon Carter Art Museum.  It happened to be the day of their fiftieth anniversary party.  They had a contest to see who could decorate the best cake celebrating the event.  While all the cakes were quite well done, there was one that stood out.  It was a replica of the building complete with plants and the sculpture out front.  After looking at the cakes, I wandered through the museum and inspected the art.  When the guards started shooing me out so they could close and get ready for the party, my uncle pointed out the true brilliance of the cake that stood out.  He told me to walk around the back of the table.  Well, walking around the back revealed that the cake was not just a replica of the outside of the building!  It was also a replica of the inside!  It had the paintings on the walls, the sculptures on pedestals, the stairs, and even lighting!  It was the most amazing thing!  It was even more amazing when I remembered it was all made out of cake!!!      

The mustangs 

After the museum, we went to my uncle’s friend’s house.  I got to meet her crew of pets.  They had a cat, a large dog, and a ferret.  I was concerned about the ferret when I saw him walking because by his gait it seemed like he may have been missing a leg, but I guess when your body is so long and skinny, you have no choice but to have a strange gait.  After leaving, the scenic tour continued.  Then we went to Grapevine.  We went to see the lake then went downtown to eat.  After enjoying dinner, we waited for the band to start.  While we waited, we had a good view of a man that his shirt open so you could see his gunshot wound.  While it seemed a little strange and unnecessary at first, upon further consideration, I feel that if I had gotten shot and lived to show off the scar, I would as well (. . .perhaps not if it meant not being able to be fully dressed in public, but who can tell. . .). 

Uncle Jimmy in the balloons

The next day we went to Dallas.  Our first stop was at a statue of mustangs that appeared to be galloping through some water.  I must say, they were shockingly realistic looking!  Then we went to the Nasher Sculpture Center.  We strolled around upstairs, then the garden area, then we headed downstairs.  While everything looked nice and new, I was a little concerned about the structural integrity of the building when we started walking down the stairs.  Each stair seemed to move a bit when I stepped on it.  When we got the bottom of the stairs, we realized that the stairs were moving a bit because each step played a note when it was stepped on and the music we had heard at various intervals was coming from the stairs!  When we got down the musical stairs, we saw a huge room with a glass wall and door facing us, filled with orange balloons.  The concept of just seeing a room full of balloons from floor to ceiling was amusing alone.  Then the guards by the door asked if I wanted to go in.  You got to go into this balloon room and walk around!  It was quite the experience!  It was rather loud due to all the balloons having to rub against each other to allow enough room for a person to move through them.  It was kind of fun to be in the middle of the room and be so completely surrounded by balloons that you couldn’t see anything but balloons! 

The Book Depository

After the balloon adventure, we saw a huge stature of cowboys wrangling cattle.  Then we headed to more serious setting.  We went to where Kennedy was shot.  We went to the museum in the book depository.  They give you head phones and talk you through what happened.  It was very interesting and powerful!  It was also interesting to be able to see the exact places and vantage points that were being discussed.        

After washing my car and getting me set up with great directions and tips of other things to see in Texas, Uncle Jimmy sent me off the next morning.  It was so nice to have such a wonderful and kind tour guide!  It was also wonderful to have someone else make a majority of the decisions for a while (although I think I drove him crazy with that)!  It was also nice to get to his house, cats, trains, stereo, and neighbors/friends, not to mention him! 

My Introduction to Texas

After leaving Louisiana, I headed to Sea Rim State Park in Texas.  When I got to the park, I found a sign explaining that it was an unstaffed park and there was only primitive beach camping available.  When I found my way to the beach, I discovered a most beautifully rugged shoreline!  I retrieved my stuff and strolled along the beach until I found the perfect spot for my tent.  I set up, then ambled along the waterline, taking in the wild beauty of it all.  This section of the Gulf Coast was unlike any other section I had seen.  For some reason, the ocean seemed the most vast at this point.  It was really the first time it hit me just how large and impressive the ocean is.  The park also had an atmosphere of wildness and impending adventure that I hadn’t found in most other parks.  I think it may have had to do with the fact that there was less human intervention in this environment than I had experienced in most other state parks.        

When I got back from my walk, I spread out my towel a little ways away from my tent and just gazed at the beauty before me.  Then, a large pickup truck drove right up to me (apparently in Texas, when you see a beach, you drive on it).  Two men from the Sherriff’s department, inquired if I was okay.  I assured them I was and I was very much enjoying the park.  They drove off, and I went back to enjoying the scenery.  At least for a few minutes until the truck came back again.  They again inquired if I was sure I was okay.  Again, I told them I was way better than okay.  They then said, “How’d you get your stuff down here.”  I informed them that I walked.  Then then confirmed that the tent ten feet away was where I was planning on spending the night and the only car in the parking lot was mine (since I’m from Illinois and feel that beaches are for walking on not driving on).  Then they drove away.    Yet, they were back in about fifteen minutes.  This time they informed me that they really didn’t feel like it was a good idea for me to camp there alone. I assured them I had been traveling alone for an extended period time, and I would be fine.  They tried to convince me to leave for several minutes, then after realizing that they weren’t getting anywhere, they asked, “Do you at least have a gun?”  I informed them that no, I didn’t have a gun and would still be fine.  They finally gave up and just wished me luck.  I proceeded to have an enormously peacefully and enjoyable night alone on the beach enjoying the refection of the nearly full moon on the water.  The worst thing that happened was a thin layer of sand getting blown on to everything in my tent (and somehow I don’t think a gun would have stopped that). 

A Foreign Land

Not a great picture of
the jambalaya, but so worth
documenting!

After leaving Mississippi, I headed to New Orleans.  I had gotten a tip to take part in a cooking demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking.  I got there in time to get a spot for the lunch demonstration.  Am I ever glad I did!  It was the most incredible experience!  It was like watching a cooking show on TV, but you’re in the   same room and you get to ask questions and you get to EAT THE FOOD!!!!  The chef was an older lady who had lived in New Orleans her entire life.  She explained how to make the recipes, why certain ingredients were used, what events and groups of people had influences over the types of food they eat, shared an overview of the history of the city and region, and even gave several restaurant reviews!  It was so interesting to hear her talk and even more fascinating to see her make so many incredibly delicious dishes so naturally!  Cooking really is an art and it was incredible to see the food go from separate ingredients to mouthwatering plates of food!  She made gumbo, jambalaya, bread pudding with a whiskey sauce, and pralines (and we got bonus biscuits too!).  It was all totally outstanding, but I must say, the chicken and Andouille gumbo was the best thing I have ever eaten! 

After a most enjoyable morning at the New Orleans Cooking School, I headed out to walk around the French Quarter.  I enjoyed seeing the various building and sites.  It certainly had a decidedly European feel to it.  It also had a rather dilapidated and disorderly feel to it.  After a while, I got rather uncomfortable walking around by myself, and while I really wanted to keep eating, I was still stuffed, so I decided to move on to a new part of Louisiana.

Grand Isle Sate Park

I drove down to Grand Isle State Park.  I got there about six seconds after the ranger station closed, so I headed to the campground host’s site.  After struggling through some communication issues, he gave me a site.  I quickly found my way to the beach.  It was incredible to be on the beach in the Gulf of Mexico right so close to where the Mississippi delta is!  While I was on the beach it was raining over the water and I was able to see a rainbow.  I also got to see a lot of pelicans and some oil rigs.

Restored school house in
Lafayette, LA

In the morning, I went to the ranger station to pay for my site.  The lady was very crabby and made it clear that she felt I should not have gotten that site.  Then she very angrily told me that I could stay in the park all day if I wanted.  Instead, I headed to Lafayette.  I made it there in time of some more gumbo for lunch.  It wasn’t quite as good as the day before, but it was still quite enjoyable.  Then I went to a reconstructed Cajun settlement that the AAA book claimed would explain the history of the region.  Again, I got a less than warm reception from the lady that took my admission money.  It was as if she was a little angry that I was interested in learning more about her state and culture.  I took my bilingual guide and wandered around.  It was interesting to see the structures and artifacts (and fun to get to use my very rusty French), but there wasn’t a great deal of explanation about how things got to be the way there were depicted or how things are today.  I kind of got the feeling that they didn’t really want to share that information.  I also got the feeling that they wished they were their own country.  I will say though, the food made up for the crabby people!

Pelicans at Grand Isle State Park

       

                    

One Horrifying Revelation and Two More States

This past spring, the paraprofessional in my classroom kept telling me I looked like I was seventeen.  I would always tell her she was crazy.  I look young, but no that young!  Tragically, I found out that she was in fact correct.  Apparently, I do look like I am seventeen.  How did I come to this realization and why am I bringing it up now when I am supposed to be telling you about my adventures?   Well, let me tell you the whole, horrifying story. 

My view from my site at
Gulf Sate Park in Alabama

It started off innocently enough.  I went to get some laundry done in the astonishingly well-equipped and rather state of the art laundry room at Gulf State Park in Alabama.  I got set up, and then got my computer, so I could record my adventures while waiting for my clothes.  As soon as I got set up to write, a boy (who had seemed to be volunteering at the park with his dad) came in.  He started chatting with me and it quickly became apparent that there was some type of disability at play (I do not have to seek out special ed. . .it finds me).  After talking to him for a while (and making a mental list of the social skills that he needed to work on. . .I just can’t turn off that special ed part of my brain!), it became clear that he was rather interested in me.  After assuring him I was not available, I asked him how old he was.  Seventeen.  Then I told him how old I am.  He was quite taken back and announced.  “Oh, you don’t look that old!  You look seventeen.”  Tragic! 

Another view of the lake at
Gulf Sate Park in Alabama

The rest of my stay at Gulf Shore State Park was very relaxing and much less awkward!  It was quite a pleasant introduction to Alabama!  That particular section of Alabama was experiencing the world’s most perfect weather!  It was sunny, slightly windy, and the perfect amount of warm.  The sun was shining so brightly that it was impossible not to feel happiness slowly soaking into your soul.  I got a great campsite on the lake and had a vague view of the gulf coast.  It was a most serene setting.  I spent the afternoon just soaking up the sun and the peacefulness of the whole situation.  I also enjoyed seeing one of my fellow campers, who looked very much like Hulk Hogan, walking the smallest, daintiest dog ever!  It was quite a sight!      

My little nook in the woods
in Big Biloxi Campground
in Desoto National Forest
in Mississippi

The next morning, after running some errands (yes. . .you still have to run errands when you’re a vagabond), I headed to the beach.  That is, until I saw the large storm clouds overhead.  I took it as a sign to keep moving.  I looked into a campground near Mobile, but after assessing the situation, I took the creepiness of that park as a sign to keep moving.  I made my way to a state park on the coast of Mississippi, but after realizing that I didn’t have the right amount of cash to pay for the site and a lack of any human able to make change, I took it as yet another sign to keep moving.  I ended up in Big Biloxi campground in Desoto National Forest.  It was a very nice campground in the woods.  It was really nice to be in the woods for a while . . . quite a nice change of pace.  It was also full of privacy because the campground host and I were the only people there.  He was very a nice guy (as was his dog).  We had a pleasant chat.  He turned out to be a kindred spirit in that he’s been living out his RV and traveling around the country for the past four years!  

Alarmingly Beautiful Beaches

Sanibel Island. . .we'll get there soon!

Ok. . .I know I left off at the point when I was getting chased out of Collier Seminole State Park by the mosquitoes, but I need to back up for a moment.  So, after watching the storm at the boat ramp, I headed back to my tent and settled in for the night.  Well, I thought I was settled for the night anyway.  As I was starting to doze off to sleep, suddenly, I was jarred wide awake by my car alarm.  I scrambled to get my keys and attempted to use the remote to turn it off.  (This was especially odd since I was the only person in the entire tent camping area.)  The remote didn’t work at first, but then the terribly loud honking finally ceased.  For a moment, then it stated again and I had to start my car to get it to turn off.  Again, I settled into my tent, this time actually falling asleep, until, again, my car started alarming me.  This happened two to three more times throughout the night (luckily, I was the only person in the tent camping area).  It happened several more times while I was taking down my tent and packing up my stuff in the morning.  It even happened while I was in the ranger station checking out in the morning (really. . .I apologized and the guy just said, “Oh.  It sounds like you have a kid in there or something.”).  While driving away, I was concerned about how long I would be allowed to continue camping if my car insisted on alarming everyone every few hours.  Fortunately, my drive was long enough to allow me to keep thinking, and I realized that the key fob may have gotten too wet during the course of my travels.  I confirmed my suspicions after changing the battery and solving the problem.  I am pleased to report that my car has not gotten worked up to the point of being alarmed since!

Shells on Sanibel Island

After solving my very loud problem, I drove to Sanibel Island.  It turns out that it is one of the best places to collect seashells in the world!  The beach is completely covered with them!  Even parts that you think are gravel, is actually made of shells!  It was also my introduction to the Gulf of Mexico.  I must say, I am quite a fan!  The water was a lovely light blue and blissfully warm!  I just sat in the water, letting the slight waves crash over me for over an hour!  Then, (at first out of sense of obligation really), I started to walk along the beach and look at the shells.  Well, the sense of obligation quickly evaporated as each shell I picked up was more intricate and unexpectedly beautiful than the last!  I gathered a handful of shells by the end of my stroll.  I was able to eliminate them down to two that I kept as souvenirs. 

My favorite finds on Sanibel Island

Prehistoric looking
bird at Lake Kissimmee
State Park

After putting my shells safely with the shark teeth I found on Cumberland Island, I started heading north (and slightly east).  I got a site at Kissimmee Lake State Park.  As is my custom after setting up camp, I headed for the nearest body of water.  I sat by the lake and saw many, quite strange and prehistoric looking birds fly by.  As is my other custom, I also watched the sun set.  It never fails to amaze me how beautiful that event is! 

Beautiful sunset at Lake Kissimmee State Park

St. George Island
State Park 

In the morning, I decided to spend most of the day driving, so I could get into the panhandle portion of Florida.  I ended up on St. George Island.  The state park takes up most of the east end of the island.  It was lovely to be on a wild, island beach in the Gulf of Mexico.  Well, it was until it started raining rather hard and I realized I hadn’t put the fly on my tent.  After putting the fly on, waiting for the rain to stop, and mopping up the puddles in my tent, I headed back to the beach.  I walked along the shore and watched the sun set over the island.  There really is nothing quite as calming and relaxing as being alone with your thoughts amongst breathtakingly beautiful nature!              

Sunset on St. George Island

A Strange and Dangerous Land

An alligator sited
on the Anhinga trail

After leaving the keys, I headed to the Everglades.  I stopped at the Ernest F. Coe visitor center and asked the ranger what she would do given a limited time to explore the Everglades.  She recommended a few hikes and heading down to Flamingo.  My first hike was on the Anhinga trail.  I got a great view of an alligator swimming across the water and another great view of another one sunning himself next to the boardwalk!  I also saw a turtle swimming around.  I continued following the road that winds through the park towards Flamingo.  There were several boardwalks along the road to stop and explore.  It is amazing how diverse the Everglades are and how even just a one foot change in elevation can drastically change what type of vegetation can thrive there.   Between the super dangerous animals (and trees . . . there’s even a tree that will kill you!) and the trees that walk out (really. . .they drop down roots from their branches and slowly walk out towards the water), it’s a wonder that anyone survived exploring this area (or found their way out)!

Beautiful Florida Bay

When I made it to Flamingo, I signed up for a boat tour in the backcountry of the Everglades.  I had some time before the boat left, so I sat by Florida Bay and gazed out at the gorgeous aqua water and peeked through the telescope type contraptions at the visitor center to see the topical birds on the sand bar (I’m not quite sure what variety of tropical birds they were, but they certainly had very long legs).  I also wandered over to the marina and saw a manatee! 

Trees walking out
into the water!

Then, I boarded the boat and headed into the backcountry.  I saw crocodiles and alligators (the only place in the words you can see both)!  We wound our way through to Coot Bay and then to Whitewater Bay.  It was amazing to get to go into the middle of the park like that!  It was also quite nice to be in the safety of a fairly sturdy boat with two guides who were aware of the dangers.  It really gave me an appreciation for people who are able to navigate and survive wilderness adventures in the Everglades! 

River of Grass

After the boat tour, I headed back out of the park on the same little, windy, road (seeing as it is the only road that leads to Flamingo, I had little choice).  Then I headed west through Big Cypress National Preserve.  I spent the night at Collier Seminole State Park.  It started raining rather hard as soon as I set up my tent, so I dove down to the boat ramp to watch the storm over the water.  In the morning, the mosquitos made sure I quickly got motivated to hit the road again.   

Seriously. . .how did anyone make it into the Everglades to explore?!?!

             

A Reflection

Well, the eight of August has arrived.  I knew it would.  I am amazed by how different I am this August eighth.  I am certainly not the same person I was last year at this time.  I will always treasure that day, the many memorable moments that occurred, the amazing feelings of joy, love, and excitement that were oozing out of my every pore, and the overwhelming support and joy shared by those I love the most.  However, things changed.  Things did not go as planned.       While my heart is still quite broken, and I am still profoundly confused about the whole situation, and my heart aches for whom/what I lost, I am a better human for having had to deal with the challenges of the past several months.  In some ways I am at peace with the pain, sadness, and general heaviness of my heart over this situation because it means that it was very real and important.  In a sense, my sadness and tears honor the person/relationship that is no longer a part of my life as well as my ability and willingness to truly love and take a huge risk and leap of faith for that person and relationship.  I have derived a great deal of strength, emotional growth, a willingness to take risks, and a lot of faith from the turmoil of the past few months.  I have also gained an even deeper appreciation for my amazingly supportive and encouraging friends and family!  I am so blessed to have each and every one of them and can’t imagine what I would do without their completely unconditional love!        

I have loved and lost, but I have also gained much!  I have gained a level of boldness and bravery that allowed me to quit my job and commit to having no firm plan for the future be my plan.  I have gained the flexibility that allowed me to turn what started out as a one week trip into a several week journey. I have gained the ability to live without structure and recognize and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.  I have gained an inner peace that has allowed me to slow down and be still and calm enough to truly appreciate the beauty that is all around me.  I have gained the knowledge that it truly is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all!    

Tropical Loveliness

Lake Okeechobee

After leaving Jonathan Dickinson State Park, I drove a little out of my way to go see and drive by Lake Okeechobee.  While I was able to see the lake at a boat ramp, for the most part I drove next to a large mound of earth that separated the road from the lake.  I must say, the road was not as pretty as the map claimed it was. . .Rand McNally and I may need to have a talk about those green dots!  Then I headed south.  I very much enjoyed driving through the Florida Keys!  Who knew you could drive out into the ocean so far! I savored each glance at the new, topical land I was entering!  I ended up getting one of the last two sites at Bahia Honda State Park! 

View of the old
railroad bridge at
Bahia State Park

After quickly setting up my tent, I headed for the beach!  I thoroughly enjoyed floating in the most wonderfully warm and beautifully aqua water of Florida Bay!  After a while, I got adventurous, and checked out the beaches on the Atlantic side of the island.  Then, I strolled to the top of the old railroad bridge that Henry Flagler had built between 1905 and 1912.  It was so nice to get a bird’s eye view of the island.  It was also amazing to be able to see both the Atlantic and Florida Bay at the same time!  After a little more time at the beach (and in the most heavenly water), I headed back to the bridge at sunset, which was quite a peaceful and amazingly beautiful experience!         

Sunset at Bahia State Park

In the morning, I headed to the other end of the island to swim and soak up the sun at the beach on the Atlantic side.  After claiming a small section of the beach, I headed in the totally clear, yet aqua water.  It was so warm and clam and refreshing!  It was really like the water was an extension of the sand part of the beach.  In my experience with beaches, the sand is the calm, relaxing, warm part and the water is the much cooler, refreshing part that requires a fair amount of energy to enjoy (swimming, splashing, jumping on waves, keeping your head about water, etc.).  However, the beaches in the Keys weren’t that way at all.  The water was almost perfectly calm, the water was so warm that you could stay in it for hours, and the salt made it so easy to float, that it was almost as if I was still on my towel on the sand!  I must say, I’m quite a fan of this new type of beach I have discovered! 

Beach on the Atlantic side
of Bahia Sate Park

After a lovely morning at the beach, I drove down to Key West.  While it seemed like it would be a fun place to go when being fairly active and social was your goal, it was not the right moment for me to experience Key West.  I was ready for more calm tranquility in nature, not being in a crowed city, so after driving around a bit, I headed north with the idea of making back to the mainland.  Well, by the time I got close to leaving the Keys, I decided I needed just a little more time in this tropical paradise!

John Pennekamp State Park

I got a site at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo (which made me think of a favorite student. . .which made it all that much better).  I quickly took up residence at the beach and went back to my routine of soaking up even more sun and floating in more wonderfully perfect water. However, this time, I was a little less relaxed in the water because everyone else was snorkeling and they kept yelling out what kind of fish they were seeing to their friends.  This, of course, made me a little concerned, but I was able to float very near the surface and pretend not to worry about all the potentially dangerous sea creatures I was sharing the water with.  I kept hanging around the beach until after dusk.  It got more and more serene as it got less and less crowded!

View from the trail at
John Pennekamp State Park

The next morning I got up and enjoyed the mangrove trail (well at least the 80% of it that wasn’t under construction).  I also got to enjoy the (somewhat early) morning sun reflecting on the water at the beach before all the beach goers got there!  It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the Keys.  However, I feel I will need to make a return trip at some point!  I feel this tropical land warrants some more investigation!              

Sunset from the campground at Bahia State Park

Frustration and Terror

The bed in the hotel room. . .
it was a little strange sleeping inside!

Well, it turns out vagabonding isn’t all rainbows and sunshine.  My first full day back on the mainland after my Cumberland Island adventure was also my first frustrating day on the road.  The plan was to head down around the bottom of Okefenokee and head in through the west entrance after finding a coffee shop to take a break and write in for a while.  I decided to trust Cecelia (my gps) to get me there and find me a good place to stop along the way.  Bad move on my part!  Cecelia decided to take me on crazy country roads through the middle of nowhere!  By the time I got reasonably close to the swamp, hungry was beating my need for adventure, so I ended up having to drive way out of my way  to procure some food, and the best I could do was McDonalds.  After a very loud and less than relaxing afternoon of writing in the busiest McDonalds I have ever seen and learning that the fires in Okefenokee had destroyed most everything in the west entrance of the swamp, I got back on the road towards the east entrance.  By the time I got close to the east entrance, it was late and extremely hot, and I was frustrated that I had driven so far to end up not very far from where I started, so I gave up and got a hotel room.  I must say, even though I was cranky, it was nice to have a cool room and a bed!   

Okefenoke Swamp in GA

The next day, I woke up in a much better mood.  After taking a shower in the delightfully luxurious bathroom, I headed to the east entrance for Okefenokee.  I went to the welcome center and asked the ranger what he would do if he only had one day to see the swamp.  He recommended renting a boat and pointed out some trails.  I went on one of the short trails along the water while I contemplated the concept of taking a boat out in the swamp alone.  Now, this may not be a big decision for some people, but I happen to have a pretty huge and somewhat irrational fear of scary creatures in deep or murky water biting off one of my limbs or generally doing great harm when I am least expecting it.  While this fear is somewhat ridiculous in some bodies of water or situations, in Okefenokee, it seemed like a much more realistic possibility.  After getting to the end of the short trail, and not being able to go on any boardwalks due to the fires, I sat on a bench and looked out at the swamp.  I had not yet seen any alligators and had only gone about a quarter of mile into the swamp.  I read my handout about the other trails, and confirmed that there was not going to be a good chance of really seeing what the swamp had to offer on solid ground.  I also figured, what’s the point in adventuring if you’re not going to push the boundaries of your comfort zone, so I boldly walked into the boat rental place and inquired about renting a kayak.  I was a little concerned when all three women involved in getting the paperwork done seemed like it was an odd choice to make.  I asked all of them about the likelihood of my being eaten by a dangerous swamp creature, and they all assured me there was absolutely no chance of that.  (It turned out that the reason for their skepticism was the extremely low water levels in the swamp.) 

Kayaking in Okefenokee!

Okefenokee. . .swamps are
creepy and beautiful at
the same time!

After getting my gear, I headed over to the boat ramp and the very friendly boat rental man pushed me out into the swamp.  After gaining enough confidence to confirm that I could handle the boat fairly easily and realizing that the water extremely shallow (at least I wouldn’t be drowning while the swamp creatures came after me), I was able to really look around and appreciate the prehistoric beauty that was around me.  It was as if I had been transported back millions of years!  I was lost in the loveliness of the moss dangling so delicately from the tress and the reflection of the partially submerged trees in the water when I saw it.  I saw an ominous eye and a bit of forehead of an alligator peeking at me over the murky water.  We looked at each other for a few moments, then, gracefully and silently the eye and forehead slowly sank below the surface of the water.  I was both thrilled and totally terrified!  While it was completely amazing to get to see an alligator in its own, natural habitat, it also meant that there was an alligator mere feet from my very easily tipped boat.  I, very cautiously, continued paddling.  I was able to relax enough to get swept away by the magnificent otherworldliness of the swamp again (even when I heard huge splashes that clearly were yet more alligators plopping back into the water).  Then, it started raining.  At first, I didn’t think much of it.  Really, it just made my adventure feel even more wild.  However, the rain continued to build in intensity, and when it got to the point that I could barely see anymore, I thought about turning back.  When I heard the first clap of thunder, that sealed the deal.  I was no longer on a leisurely (yet adventurous) sightseeing paddle through the swamp; I was now in a race with the storm.  I paddled surprisingly well and quickly back to the dock and the glorious security of solid ground!  I did see three more alligator friends along my journey, but by the end of my expedition, we had come to an understanding (or at least I had convinced myself we had) that we were both wary and curious about the other, but neither of us wanted any trouble, so those sightings skewed more towards awe-inspiring and enjoyable than petrifying. 

The Dunes at Anastasia State Park

After pulling the boat up on shore, and letting the boat people know I was back and finished for the day, I ran through the pouring rain, full of excitement and endorphins from my swamp adventure, hopped in my car and headed for the next destination.  The next stop turned out to be Anastasia Island State Park in Florida.    I got a shockingly private campsite (considering how many sites there were), set up, and headed for the beach.  The beach goes on for quite a while, so I was able to walk a ways and claim my own, semi-private, piece of it.  I enjoyed an eclectic dinner of various snacks while gazing at the sky and ocean.  After a while of marveling at the ever deepening blue of sky above the dunes, I got motivated to head back to my campsite to deal with the obvious consequences of the intensely deep, dark, blue (impending rain).   I even got the fly put on my tent just moments before the first drops! 

A friend I met on my
 walk on the beach

The next morning I packed up my breakfast, book, and towel and headed for the beach.  I had a most luxurious and relaxing morning, reading, eating, and soaking up the sun.  After a while, I took a stroll down the beach.  I walked along the shoreline enjoying the cool water, the many birds, and beautiful dunes.  After my walk I gathered my things and hit the road.

Board walk to an outlook at
Johnathan Dickinson State Park

My next stop was Jonathan Dickinson State Park.  I had a wonderful chat with a most enthusiastic ranger when I registered for my campsite.  She was clearly quite proud of what the park had to offer and shared many interesting facts, many pamphlets, and some ideas for good hikes.  It’s so nice to be around people who clearly enjoy and are good at what they do! And, she was right, the trail she recommended was wonderful and I even saw two tortoises on the trail!