Mistaking manatees for mailboxes, and other m things

Feb 07, 2009 13:06

This entry is for felisdemens, who will understand why, in a recent quest to see manatees, I ended up at a post office museum ( Read more... )

state parks, florida, manatees

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Comments 8

queerbychoice February 7 2009, 18:56:13 UTC
You should post photographs more often. Florida wilderness is gorgeous! I mean, everybody always says it is, but I had only ever seen icky suburban, landscaped, fake-looking Florida. Or beaches, which I'm not much into. This, though - this I like.

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mariness February 7 2009, 19:57:26 UTC
I usually forget to bring a camera.

But you raise a point that has always annoyed me -- in order to see the beauty of Florida, you have to get off the road. And most people don't. I've lost track of the people who have only seen the Everglades from Alligator Alley (a four laned highway) which is the absolute worst way to see it -- or the people that do make it to Tamiami Trail, but just drive it, and never get off, say, at Loop Road. (I'm still annoyed at the New York Times for saying Loop Road wasn't worth it -- when Loop Road takes you to the deepest and most jungly parts of the Everglades, and one spot lined with herons and alligators year round.)

Central Florida is full of spots like this -- dark rivers surrounded by trees. I'll try to remember to bring a camera -- and I'll be taking some shots of the nearby West Orange Trail, and Lake Apopka, and trying to post them here. Preferably WITHOUT the incorrect date stamps!

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applebright February 7 2009, 19:21:53 UTC
This is a great story. :)

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mariness February 7 2009, 19:57:38 UTC
Thanks :)

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chattycatsmeow February 7 2009, 20:03:08 UTC
Love journey of exploration and discovery - even if you didn't initially discover the manatees you were seeking. I need to kidnap you one weekend and take you to Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park with its resident manatees.

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mariness February 7 2009, 20:06:23 UTC
Oooh, yes.

Next weekend is terrible, but afterwards I should have some flexibility.

My mother and I are also going to try to get out to the bird refuge near Cape Canavaral and to DeLeon Springs State Park.

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felisdemens February 8 2009, 22:57:28 UTC
Everyone gets manatees but me! That looks amazing - I'll have to head up that way sometime.

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mariness February 9 2009, 00:42:27 UTC
The manatees swim up from the St. John's River on the coldest days, so they might not always be around -- but when they are around, as Friday, there are over 100 of them. The park offers snorkeling and cave diving in the summer, when the manatees aren't around -- this isn't a swim with manatee place. But they also have boat rides and several more miles of trail that I didn't go on.

The overlook trail that I did go on was amazing enough.

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