Just about every time I get to Mount Dora, I make sure to stop by Palm Island Park for a quick stroll on the scenic boardwalk. I always manage to view something different that makes the stroll worthwhile. Yesterday, I saw a bunch of black vultures just hanging out on a fallen tree. If you’ve never been to Palm Island Park, I urge you to make the trip when you get a chance. Highly recommended!
A series of renovations are taking place at Kelly Park in Apopka, so we could not go anywhere near Rock Springs (which is closed to swimmers and tubers due to the pandemic), but we still enjoyed a scenic hike along the Kelly Loop Trail (1.5 miles). No wildlife sightings this time out, but a nice time nonetheless and we pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves!
“The Lincolns eclipses earlier accounts with riveting new information that makes husband and wife, president and first lady, come alive in all their proud accomplishments and earthy humanity. Award-winning biographer and poet Daniel Mark Epstein gives a fresh close-up view of the couple’s life in Springfield, Illinois … and dramatizes with stunning immediacy how the Lincolns’ ascent to the White House brought both dazzling power and the slow, secret unraveling of the couple’s unique bond.”
It was just under a year ago when we first visited Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, which lies off I-75 in Tampa and just minutes from the University of South Florida campus. So we jumped at the chance to visit again on Sunday and we were not disappointed! One of the most visited parks in Hillsborough County, Lettuce Lake Park “lies in the natural floodplain of the Hillsborough River” and features a hardwood swamp forest that can be experienced via a 3,500-foot boardwalk and observation tower. During this outing, we saw two Florida alligators, a baby turtle and several bird species, including the white ibis. Entrance fee is $2 (cash only). Don’t miss it!
Believe it or not, Ocoee does not have any nature preserves (yet), so there are only about two options available for anyone seeking out wildlife in the city: hit the West Orange Trail or visit 200-acre Starke Lake, which features an impressive variety of bird species, as well as a boat ramp and fishing pier. Check it out!
Built by Harcourt Brace Jovanovich (HBJ) on the site of what was formerly Circus World at the corner of Interstate 4 and U.S. 27 in Haines City, Boardwalk and Baseball opened on Valentine’s Day 1987 as a Florida theme park that rather unsuccessfully attempted to combine the vibe of an early 19th-century seaside boardwalk such as Atlantic City or Coney Island with an adjacent baseball stadium (“Baseball City Stadium”) that served as the Spring Training home of the Kansas City Royals until 2002. Notable attractions at 135-acre Boardwalk and Baseball included the Florida Hurricane roller coaster, Grand Rapids Flume Ride, Royal Lippizaner Horse Show, Great Moments in Baseball film and IMAX theater. In addition, ESPN taped a game show here called Boardwalk and Baseball’s Super Bowl of Sports Trivia featuring Chris Berman as host. According to a March 5, 1988, New York Times article (“Baseball by the Boardwalk”), “Neither the stadium nor the amusement park was overflowing with people today. The 7,000-seat stadium, one of the finest in Florida, had only 3,281 fans, and many drifted back and forth between the game and the rides … The Boardwalk label for the amusement park is somewhat mystifying because boardwalks are usually associated with water, and the only water in the park fills various lakes and the log flume ride.” In 1989, HBJ sold Boardwalk and Baseball to Busch Entertainment Corporation, but dismal crowds led to the closing of the theme park on January 17, 1990. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times announcing the closure, “Boardwalk and Baseball, a switch-hitting Central Florida amusement park that tried to combine home runs and roller coasters, has struck out. Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., which has owned the park since November, closed it without warning Wednesday afternoon. The corporation said the amusement … was losing money faster and faster with no prospects for improvement.” The former Boardwalk and Baseball site is now occupied by the immense Posner Park shopping complex.
“Only by going alone in silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.” – John Muir
“I thought of the wilderness we had left behind us … joyous in its plentitude and simplicity, perfect yet vulnerable, unaware of what is coming, defended by nothing, guarded by no one.” – Edward Abbey
“Failing to fetch me at first keep encouraged, missing me one place search another, I stop somewhere waiting for you.” – Walt Whitman
On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves in Kissimmee and decided to explore Brownie Wise Park, a charming natural oasis located within the Tupperware Island Conservation Area and overlooking Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho to locals), which is part of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Although there isn’t much of a hiking trail, Brownie Wise Park features picnic areas, pavilion rentals, and a canoe and kayak launch. At this point, you may be asking, “Who the hell is Brownie Wise?” She was a Tupperware business pioneer, who “lived on the shores of the lake until she died in 1992 at the age of 79 and owned land in the area,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.
“Focusing on the years 1934 to 1961 – from Hemingway’s pinnacle as the reigning monarch of American letters until his suicide – Paul Hendrickson traces the writer’s exultations and despair around the one constant in his life during this time: his beloved boat, Pilar. Drawing on previously unpublished material, Hendrickson shows that for all the writer’s boorishness, depression, and alcoholism, and despite his choleric anger, he was capable of remarkable generosity. Hemingway’s Boat is both stunningly original and deeply gripping, an invaluable contribution to our understanding of this great American writer.”
For my first hike of 2021, I headed out yesterday morning at about 7:30 AM to one of my old favorites – 240-acre Econ River Wilderness Area in Oviedo. Since it was New Year’s Day, the Seminole County nature preserve actually seemed somewhat crowded (and when I say “crowded” I counted about 10 other hearty souls who braved their New Year’s Eve hangovers for the opportunity to start 2021 right in the Great Outdoors!). I headed through the sandhill habitats and scenic pine flatwoods toward the amazing Econlockhatchee River, where for the first time I actually spotted a river otter playfully swimming along. Other wildlife that call Econ River Wilderness Area home include gopher tortoises and Sherman’s fox squirrels. If you knock out both the red and yellow trails, you can expect a nice 3-mile hike here. Unfortunately, spectacular natural preserves like Econ River Wilderness Area are continually under threat from greedy developers. Seminole County boasts some of the most amazing natural areas left in Central Florida, so we must remain vigilant and ensure that these few remaining treasures are preserved for future generations to enjoy. Econ River Wilderness Area is located at 3795 Old Lockwood Road. Check it out!
Wandering Florida 