Month: November 2018

Hike #29: Little Big Econ State Forest (Kolokee Loop)

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Rivers, Florida Wildlife, Uncategorized , , , ,


Hike #29, 52 Hike Challenge: Little Big Econ State Forest (Kolokee Loop). The Kolokee Loop at Little Big Econ State Forest lives up to its reputation as one of the most scenic hiking trails in Central Florida! Just about a mile or so into your hike, you will be able to catch some amazing views high above the Econlockhatchee River. Keep an eye out for alligators (I didn’t see any this time out). During about half of your hike on the Kolokee Loop, you will actually be on the Florida National Scenic Trail. Highly recommended! Distance: 5.2 miles.

 

Hike #28: Ferndale Preserve

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Wildlife, Uncategorized , ,

 

 


Hike #28, 52 Hike Challenge: Ferndale Preserve, Ferndale. Nestled on the western shore of Lake Apopka, Ferndale Preserve lies along the Green Mountain Scenic Byway just north of Montverde. I arrived early on Thanksgiving morning, so I had the preserve to myself. The hiking trail at Ferndale Preserve is unique since there is a significant elevation change (significant for Florida that is!) with a high point of 162 feet above sea level. I saw a lot of birds, most of which I could not identify. Once I got near Lake Apopka, I heard a lot of commotion in the brush (including a loud thumping noise). Thinking of the presence of gators of course, I picked up my speed significantly. When I headed back to the car, I noticed this warning on the trail map: “TRAIL CLOSED – NESTING GATORS – DANGER!” Since I believe that gator nesting season is in the summer, maybe this was just an old warning that hadn’t been taken down. But still, it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Distance: 2.1 miles.

 

Hike #27: Myakka River State Park

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Parks, Florida Rivers, Florida State Parks, Florida Wildlife, Uncategorized , , , , ,


Hike #27, 52 Hike Challenge: Myakka River State Park, Sarasota. Since we had to drive all the way back to Pine Island (we left a cooler full of supplies behind during our Cayo Costa State Park excursion last week), we decided to stop by to briefly sample Myakka River State Park. It was truly amazing! We strolled along the William S. Boylston Nature Trail, took the Canopy Walk, climbed the Observation Tower and wandered around a little bit near Upper Myakka Lake. In addition, we saw wading birds, black vultures and a red shouldered hawk clutching a squirrel. We will definitely be back soon to explore Myakka River State Park further. By the way, the Myakka River, is Florida’s first state-designated Wild and Scenic River. To reach Myakka River State Park, take I-75 to Exit 205 and travel 9 miles east on State Road 72. The park entrance will be on your left. Distance: 1.2 miles.

 

 

Hike #26: Spring Hammock Preserve

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Hiking Trails, Uncategorized , , , , , ,


Hike #26, 52 Hike Challenge: Spring Hammock Preserve, Longwood. Spring Hammock Preserve is a great place to hike around – if you can find it! In fact, I got totally lost on the way to the preserve and when I finally found the entrance, the gate was closed. It turns out that the Environmental Studies Center is closed on weekends, but the trail is still open. So I parked across the street at Soldier’s Creek Park and then took the Cross Seminole Trail until I came upon the trailhead for Spring Hammock Preserve, which is described as “a unique assemblage of floodplain forest, hydric hammock, upland mixed hardwoods and pine flatwoods.” It was definitely one of the coolest hikes I’ve been on in Central Florida so far! Several smaller trails branch off from the main trail. Don’t miss a photo op at colorful Question Pond. Unfortunately, the boardwalk leading to Lake Jesup was closed off (looks like it suffered some severe storm damage). If you want a nice little escape into nature (especially as we enter our brief phase of cooler weather), I definitely recommend Spring Hammock Preserve! Distance: 3 miles.

 

 

Central Florida Hiking Trails

reweidman50 Florida Hiking Trails, Uncategorized , ,

lakelotus

As the cold weather finally arrives, it’s the ideal time to get outdoors and hit some of the hiking trails throughout Central Florida. Note: This is by no means an exhaustive list of Central Florida hiking trails, but just a representative sample of trails that I either have hiked recently (highlighted in red) or plan to hike in the near future. For more information about Florida hiking trails, visit the definitive online Florida hiking guide at Florida Hikes!

Bear Creek Nature Trail (Winter Springs)
0.9 miles 0.3 miles

Big Tree Park (Longwood)
0.3 miles

Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake (Orlando)
2.4 miles

Black Bear Wilderness Area (Sanford)
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail – 7.1 miles

Black Hammock Wilderness Area (Oviedo)
4.5 miles

Blue Spring State Park (Orange City)
Boardwalk – 1.3 miles
Pine Island Trail – 7.3 miles

Bluffton Nature Trail (Lake George State Forest)
1.2 miles

Circle B Bar Reserve (Lakeland)
3.5 miles

Crooked River Preserve (Clermont)
1.7 miles

De Leon Springs State Park (De Leon Springs)
Wild Persimmon Trail (4.5 miles)

Disney Wilderness Preserve (Poinciana)
White Trail – 0.5 miles
Red Trail – 2.5 miles
Yellow Trail – 3.6 miles

Econ River Wilderness Area (Oviedo)
3.2 miles

Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area (Orlando)
3.2 miles

Ferndale Preserve (Ferndale)
2.1 miles

Flat Island Preserve (Leesburg)
3.7 miles

Gemini Springs Park (DeBary)
2.2 miles

Geneva Wilderness Area (Geneva)
1.8 miles

Green Springs Park (Deltona)
1.2 miles

Hal Scott Preserve (Orlando)
White Trail Loop – 4.3 miles
Red Trail Loop – 6.1 miles
Yellow Trail Loop  – 6.3 miles

Hickory Bluff Preserve (Osteen)
1.5 miles

Hickory Point Recreational Park (Tavares)
1 mile

Hidden Waters Preserve (Eustis)
Lake Alfred Trail – 0.6 miles
Hammock Trail – 0.2 miles
Ravine Trail – 0.4 miles
Gopher Tortoise Trail – 0.2 miles
Prickly Pear Trail – 0.3 miles
Longleaf Pine Trail – 1.5 miles

Hontoon Island State Park (DeLand)
Indian Mound Nature Trail (3.3 miles)

Isle of Pine Preserve (Orlando)
1.8 miles

Kelly Park (Apopka)
Kelly Park Loop Trail – 2.4 miles

Lake Griffin State Park (Fruitland Park)
2 miles

Lake Harney Wilderness Area (Geneva)
2.4 miles

Lake Jesup Wilderness Area (Sanford)
2.7 miles

Lake Lotus Park (Altamonte Springs)
1.7 miles

Lake Louisa State Park (Clermont)
4.1 miles

Lake May Reserve (Eustis)
2.4 miles

Lake Mills Park (Chuluota)
0.8 miles

Lake Monroe Conservation Area (Osteen)
White Trail Loop – 1.4 miles
Yellow Trail Loop – 5.6 miles
Red Trail Loop – 1.9 miles

Lake Proctor Wilderness Area (Geneva)
4 miles

Little Big Econ State Forest (Geneva)
Kolokee Loop – 4.7 miles

Lyonia Preserve (Deltona)
2.1 miles

Oakland Nature Preserve (Oakland)
2.1 miles

Orlando Wetlands Park (Christmas)
5 miles

Palm Island Park (Mount Dora)
1 mile

Pine Lily Preserve (Orlando)
4.3 miles

Ponce Preserve (Ponce Inlet)
1.6 miles

Rock Springs Run State Reserve (Sorrento)
17 miles of trails

Sara Maude Mason Nature Preserve (Howey-in-the-Hills)
0.6 miles

Savage Christmas Creek Preserve (Christmas)
4.8 miles

Shingle Creek Regional Park (Kissimmee)
Steffee Homestead – 1.3 miles
Historic Babb Landing – 1.8 miles

Smyrna Dunes Park (New Smyrna Beach)
2.4 miles

Split Oak Forest (Orlando)
6.4 miles

Spring Hammock Preserve (Sanford)
3 miles

Tibet-Butler Preserve (Orlando)
Fallen Log Crossing – 0.54 miles
Osprey Overlook – 0.13 miles
Pine Circle – 0.86 miles
Screech Owl Trail – 0.11 miles
Tarflower Loop Trail – 0.49 miles

Trimble Park (Mount Dora)
1.3 miles

Trout Lake Nature Center (Eustis)
1.4 miles

Twin Oaks Conservation Area (Kissimmee)
1.9 miles

Wekiwa Springs State Park (Apopka)
10.2 miles

Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)

reweidman50 Film Recommendations, Offbeat Documentaries, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

lostsoul
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau: “In 1995, visionary writer/director Richard Stanley (HARDWARE, DUST DEVIL) got the green light for his dream project: An epic adaptation of H.G. Wells’ ‘The Island Of Doctor Moreau’ starring Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer. But only days into production, an unprecedented storm of natural disasters, monstrous egos and disturbing imagery – along with chaos, insanity and witchcraft – would trigger perhaps the most infamous behind-the-scenes catastrophe in modern movie history.”

Bert’s Bar & Grill

reweidman50 Florida Bars, Florida Restaurants, Uncategorized , , , , ,


If you are passing through the small community of Matlacha, you MUST stop at Bert’s Bar & Grill and sample the delicious food or at least grab an ice-cold beer while you enjoy the scenic waterfront view. According to the official website, “Bert’s Bar is composed of two buildings. The original building was the bar near the road. It was built in the 30’s as a ‘sweet shop.’ Then in 1941 the hotel building was built. It consisted of eight sleeping rooms. During WWII, army bases were set up at Page Field and many of the soldiers would come out for a weekend to Matlacha to go fishing off the ‘fishingest bridge in Florida’ at Matlacha Pass. They became regular customers of the hotel and bar. The hotel had the reputation of ‘ill repute’ and ladies of the night. Imagine that!” The menu at Bert’s features something for everyone! We tried the Fish Dip, Peel & Eat Shrimp, Hamburger, Shrimp Caesar Salad and Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. It was simply amazing! Bert’s also features live entertainment nightly. Check it out!

Matlacha

reweidman50 Florida Towns, Uncategorized , ,


On the way to Jug Creek Marina in Bokeelia the other day we stopped by the funky little fishing community of Matlacha (population: 735) and walked around. It’s a cool spot to stretch you legs and stroll through the colorful art galleries and gift shops, as well as grab a bite to eat at one of the handful of seafood restaurants. Believe it or not, Matlacha is pronounced Mat-La-Shay!

 

Cayo Costa State Park

reweidman50 Florida Beaches, Florida Islands, Florida Parks, Florida State Parks, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,


We spent an adventurous weekend exploring one of the most remote state parks in Florida: Cayo Costa State Park, which is located four nautical miles west of Pine Island. In fact, the only way to reach Cayo Costa Island is via Tropic Star ferry or private boat. We had a pleasant ride aboard the Tropic Star and enjoyed talking with Captain Bruce. It took about 55 minutes to reach the island, where we checked in and purchased some firewood and bags of ice. Then a tram (which runs on the top of the hour between 9 AM and 4 PM) took us about a mile across the island to the campground. We camped at campsite #6, which was spacious and a short distance away from the beach access and restrooms. Note that there is no electricity on the island, but potable water and cold showers can be found at the restrooms. So logistically speaking, you must plan out your meals and bring plenty of supplies, since the gift shop on the other side of the island only stocks snacks, sodas and water bottles (along with Klondike bars!). After pitching our tent, we strolled to the amazing, practically deserted white-sand beach and caught a beautiful sunset. At night, we sat around the campfire and then headed along the Cemetery Trail with just our flashlights to guide us to the Pioneer Cemetery. Real creepy and very cool! There are just a handful of graves here and one of the most notable is that of Captain Peter Nelson, who died on September 7, 1919, at the age of 80 years and whose inscription reads, “After life’s fitful fever/he sleeps well.” The next morning we woke up before sunrise and strolled down the deserted beach for a little shell collecting (we also came across the gulf calico crab pictured above). Then I explored some of the miles of hiking trails in the center of the island. Oh yeah, as we set about cleaning up our campsite, we noticed a four-foot snake with a black head slithering out from underneath our tent! The park ranger later told us we had witnessed a rather harmless eastern coachwhip snake. Good times! Bottom line: Cayo Costa State Park is a great campground, one of the best we’ve experienced during our Florida travels, but make sure you are totally prepared for this rustic adventure!

 

Hike #25: Cayo Costa State Park

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Parks, Florida State Parks, Uncategorized , , , , , ,


Hike #25, 52 Hike Challenge: Cayo Costa State Park. One of the great things about camping on remote Cayo Costa State Park (you need to take a ferry from Pine Island to get to Cayo Costa Island) is the incredible diversity of hiking trails on the island. Due to time constraints, I only had the opportunity to take a beach walk and sample about half of the trails (Cemetery Trail, Scrub Trail, Quarantine Trail and Pine Wood Trail), but I was truly impressed! Distance: 3.5 miles.