Tag Archive for ‘alligator’

Roadside Attractions

Leaving Little Lady Liberty I purposely stayed off the interstate, opting to follow blue highways* instead. I had all day to reach my destination so I decided I would stop at random points of interest along the way.

First up was the replica of Fort Christmas. This short-lived US Army outpost was one of a dozen constructed during the Seminole Wars. Built in 1837, the fort’s name came from the day they broke ground. As was customary at the time, the small town that sprang up nearby adopted the fort’s name (ie, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers). Though in this case, the US Postal Service removed “fort” from the official town name since there were already too many fort somethings in the state.

The property also protects other historic buildings from the area’s past, including a picnic pavilion built by the WPA in the 1930s. I was impressed not only by the number of structures but by how well-appointed and maintained they all were. No mean feat considering Florida’s often temperamental weather and the amount of nature that wants to move in.

Speaking of nature, my next stop, Orlando Wetlands Preserve, was literally just around the corner. Originally constructed as part of the metropolitan water management system, it didn’t take long for nature to take advantage of it. Fortunately, people are allowed to wander property to watch all the wildlife.

After parking, I noted the heavy-looking gray clouds and grabbed my rain jacket before heading out on the boardwalk. I was about halfway through my walk when the skies opened up. Furthest point from my car – who says Mother Nature doesn’t have a sense of humor? From this drenching experience, I learned two things, alligators all head for the water during a downpour and, I need a new raincoat. Sigh…

Thankfully the storm was short-lived and by the time I finished the trails I was no longer dripping wet (though not dry by any means, yay humidity). Good thing I always have a beach towel in the car!

My next stop required driving a few miles extra to find a turnaround spot. But when you whiz past a sign for the World’s Largest Alligator, you do what you have to do. Measuring one inch over 200′, Swampy was built in 1989 as the entrance to Jungle Adventure. A bit rundown, this roadside attraction is still open, but you can no longer walk through the gator’s mouth to enter – thanks to a lawsuit from nearby Gatorland (the Mouse isn’t the only one fighting over tourist dollars).

Before getting back on the road, I scanned the map for any other interesting locations and found that the Windover Archaeological Site was on my route. There isn’t much to see, only a small sign that does little to convey the magnitude of the discoveries made there.

In 1982, a planned development came to a halt when bodies were found in a pond. After law enforcement determined that they were ancient remains, archaeologists spent the next several years unearthing over 168 carefully interred bodies. They were so well-preserved in the anaerobic water that there was still brain matter in over half of the skulls!

Though the site is now on private property in the middle of a housing development, the unearthed artifacts are still being researched, providing astonishing insight into the people that lived there roughly 8,000 years ago. I encourage you to look it up on the internet (this video provides a decent overview).

Florida is far more than just beaches and a big Mouse, the interior of the state has a so many fascinating stories to tell!

*For those not familiar with paper maps, interstates and state highways were once denoted by different colors. The latter, on some maps were blue, hence the term blue highways. It’s also the title of a great roadtrip book by William Least Heat-Moon (reminiscent of Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley). If you haven’t read either of them, I highly recommend you do.

3 weeks ago 0

Along Alligator Alley

In Florida, if I say Alligator Alley most people think of the stretch of I-75 that cuts through the Everglades. However, I much prefer another Alligator Alley, a lakeside trail at Circle B Bar Reserve. Last week I was fortunate to attend a special tour of the roughly 1,300 acre former cattle ranch.

I left home before dawn for two reasons, I was hoping to avoid the worst of I-4 traffic and I wanted to walk the loop before joining the tour. Since my last visit two years ago, not much has changed (which is a rare thing here in Florida).

The trail was fairly busy, with quite a few photographers in the mix. As I passed by two young men pointing into the water, I overheard their excitement at seeing their first alligator. They certainly came to the right place, Circle B is loaded with them!

I enjoyed the tram tour, not only was it informative but it took me into an area I had not yet explored (plus we spotted a Barred Owlet).

After the tour I decided to hit the loop one more time before heading home. And I’m so glad I did! Since it was closer to midday, there was hardly anyone else on the trail. I went the opposite way and was rewarded with wonderful wildlife moments: an absolutely massive gator (roughly 15′ long), a raccoon looking for food, a turtle laying eggs, and a squirrel feasting on vegetation.

So thankful that areas like this have been protected!

Florida Softshell, Laying Eggs

Squirrel, Eating Greenery

April 23, 2026 0

Alachua Savannah

After leaving Palatka I drove west toward the broad Alachua Savannah, south of Gainesville. I stopped and explored at two connected sites; Sweetwater Preserve and Sweetwater Wetlands. Both are roughly the same size at 125 acres but they are owned by different government entities, protect different kinds of habitats, and are therefore, managed differently.

The Preserve encompasses a stretch of Sweetwater Branch (a small creek) with narrow, dirt trails that wander through an upland forest. In contrast, the adjacent Wetlands are a series of highly engineered water retention basins that serve as a natural filtration system to improve water quality before it flows into Paynes Prairie and the Floridan Aquifer.

I weathered the hottest part of the afternoon next to the quiet creek in the shady Preserve before venturing over to the wide open Wetlands. As is usual with man-made waters- if you build it, wildlife will come. The tall berms between basins afforded not only great views of wildlife but of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to the south as well.

I spotted dozens of species of birds and quite a few alligators as I strolled the along. It was difficult to tear myself away but I still had a 2.5 hour drive. It turned out to be a good thing that I left when I did as my route home from the Wetlands paralleled Paynes Prairie State Park and there was enough light left to spot a herd of horses from the roadside lookout.

It was my first time seeing some of the wild-roaming Florida Cracker horses and I enjoyed watching the interaction of the band. The mares, and last year’s young (which was still trying to nurse), were carefully watched from the side by their stallion (there was another small band in the distance that he kept a wary eye on). I had surmised he was a stallion by his stance and thick neck but then he relieved himself, letting it all hang out which erased any doubt (see photo above).

Even though much has changed in the Alachua Savannah during the past 250 plus years, William Bartram’s description of the area from 1774 still holds true: it is a vast, fertile savanna surrounded by forests, teeming with cattle, horses, and wildlife.

April 14, 2026 0

A Walk in the Park

The weather down here has been incredible lately, with daytime temperatures in the upper 70s and plenty of sunshine. On Sunday I drove down to Myakka River State Park. It was the first state park I visited in Florida when I moved here back in 2019, right about this time of year. While I’ve returned to wander a few times since, I don’t think I’ve had quite such an amazing experience before.

Northern Cardinal – Male (*Cardinalis cardinalis*)

As the afternoon heated up, I headed into the forested hammock. The thing about winter in Florida, I go through a lot of clothes! When I left my house it was 59° so I wore jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. By the time I parked at the trailhead, it was mid-70s and sunny so I switched into shorts and a tshirt. I started the day on an open trail but by mid-afternoon, the sun chased me onto a much shadier trail. We may not get showy Fall colors down here but as you can see, the foliage was definitely festive!

For the last part of my day, I trekked south along the much-diminished Myakka River. Though our dry season has just started, most of Florida is already in a Stage 1 drought. As a result, I was able to reach sections of the river that would typically be completely under water.

I perched on one of the trees downed by last year’s hurricanes and waited, knowing that low water levels elsewhere in the park would bring wildlife here. I didn’t have to wait long, as a steady stream of birds and even a raccoon soon stopped by.

Black-necked Stilt (*Himantopus mexicanus*)

As for alligators, you know what they say, if there’s water in Florida it’s a safe bet that there’s gators! I admire them from a distance because although they mostly laze about, they are surprisingly quick and agile. The momma gator in the video below swam over to warn me to stay away from her not-so-little babies.