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!