Being the atypical gal that I am, all I wanted for Valentine’s Day was to visit Myakka State Park. For years I had heard of this uniquely beautiful park and the river that gives it its name. At last I got my wish and wasn’t disappointed. In fact I was surprised at the seemingly pre-historic beauty of the park and the abundance of wildlife found there.
Located off Highway 72 east of Sarasota, the Myakka River winds through 58 square miles of prairie, wetlands, pineland and hammock. The diversity of habitat attracts a broad variety of wildlife. During our visit I had opportunity to photograph birds, wild boar, alligators and even an armadillo (to my husband’s chagrin).
With 39 miles of trails configured in loops the options for a weekend backpacking trip to any of the six backcountry sites are many. This is my plan for our next visit. During this visit we were warned that recent rains have made the hiking trails extremely wet. Having hiked the swamped trails in Wekiva State Park recently, I respect the warning and plan to time my return to avoid a swampy trek. It’s either that or I bring waders! Before planning to hike here call to check trail conditions.
Look for future posts featuring this dramatic Southwest Florida State Park.
The Optimus Nova Plus Fits in the Palm of Your Hand (Click for Details)
This is a good article on backpack cooking. I enjoy creating new meals for the trail from what I find and my local supermarket or health food store. The possibilities are endless now that so many instant products are available.
Like many of you, I have more than one job. I do some corporate flying as a “second job.” Last week we had an assignment to fly to the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Soon, we found that this place is a lot of fun. Occasionally this job has some great fringe benefits!
View of Shady Gators from our room.
For those of you not familiar with this lake, it was formed when the Osage River was dammed in 1931. This formed a lake that winds for more than 90 miles and has numerous coves. It is sometimes referred to as the “Dragon Lake” for its unusual appearance from the air. The surrounding area offers several State Parks with hiking, camping and backpacking opportunities. There are even several caves to explore, another favorite hobby of mine.
If a little party action is more your speed, check out Shady Gators or the Horney Toad. Both offer live music, a lake view and very lively crowds! Sadly our flight schedule did not allow us to take in any of the festivities – this trip…
Instead we hit the lake in a boat and headed to the Four Seasons for breakfast. Cool ride. This lake is packed with every kind of water craft you can imagine. In fact we are told that on weekends this lake belongs to the “big boys.” Because of the steep shoreline, wakes reverberate creating a rough ride for a small boat by lunchtime.
We also noticed some VERY nice real estate along the shoreline. One cliff-top home sports two man-made waterfalls spilling over into the lake. Awesome!
It looks like this will be a regular trip for us from now on. Look for pictures, trip reports and more in the future. If your travels take you near The Lake of the Ozarks, take the time to visit. It will be worth your time.
As the spring flowers bloom it is time to get out and do some backpacking. This bag by Ledge Sports, is warm enough to keep you comfortable during the still cool nights. Where would you like to hike to this spring? Let us know!
Both Ron (my husband) and I love to hike.Our favorite destinations include Brevard, North Carolina and Estes Park Colorado.But these are destinations for when we go on vacation.Closer to home we have been making an effort to find the gems in our own backyard.
To begin we started with a favorite haunt of mine for the past decade, Wekiwa Springs State Park.Starting at the parking area near the springs you find the beginning of a 13 mile trail system that leads through forest, past a lake, through low pine scrub and along the river for while.From there it’s back into the scrum and pine.It is great place to hike or trail run.Hike as much or as little of the trail as you like and take a picnic to enjoy next to the lake.
Two weekends ago we poured through 50 Hikes in Central Florida, by Sandra Friend for a new destination.We headed to Eustis to hike in the Hidden Waters Preserve.This trail descends from the parking area into a huge 105 foot deep sink hole with a stream running through the bottom.It is a GREAT place to build endurance thanks to its inclines.If a workout is what you are after you may want to hike it twice using a different trail option the second time around.At only a mile, it left me wanting for more.I do plan to return and run this trail.It is so wide and clear its perfect!
The following day we headed to the Seminole Forest.We were pointed there by a park ranger who we met while checking out Rock Springs Run State Reserve.Parking is next to a large lake where we saw several people hanging poles hoping to catch some fish.I stayed away as I have learned that fish run from me!The trail system is extensive, spanning from the highway 46 entrance to Highway 44.The Florida Trail passes through the park.Along the trail there a couple of shelters built in the style of those you would find on the Appalachian Trail.Three sides and raised off of the ground.Nearby sits a fire ring.The whole setup has us planning a backpacking trip there in the near future.There are so many options I suspect we will be exploring this park for awhile.
So far, Ron and I are very pleased with the results of our quest.We will be busy exploring each of these areas whenever we have some spare time.To see some trip reports please visit my page on EveryTrail.com.This once again reinforces that Central Florida is a great place to live!
