Rocky Bayou State Park FL

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park is named in honor of the U. S. Air Force Colonel who was instrumental in preserving this site with a large stand of old growth longleaf pine trees.  Rocky Bayou is the central feature of this park and is a small branch of the much larger Choctawhatchee Bay situated just north of Destin, Florida.  Eglin Air Force Base is also nearby the park as is the small town of Niceville.

Our parking spot, above, was just a few yards from Rocky Bayou nestled among pines, magnolias and native palms.  And below, you can see our front window view.

We had to hunker down for most of our stay here as we were inundated by heavy rains for several days. More about that in the post about Falling Water State Park.  Below is a Red-bellied Woodpecker who was a frequent visitor to "our" pine trees!

Falling Waters State Park FL - 2013

This very small park and campground (24 total sites)  is situated on and around the highest point in Florida at 323 feet above sea level.  We were both fortunate and unfortunate to have been here when we were!  We left Rocky Bayou in a relative break in an ongoing rainstorm that had been with us for more than two days and when we got to Falling Waters the storm caught up to us.  Until it ended early this morning (2-26-2013) the region had experienced from 10 to 21-inches of rain in a little over 4 days.  Local schools were closed today due to road flooding.

The good news is that there was a good flow over the falls and we were able to see it at its best.  It is located in an area marked with many sinkholes formed when underlying rock collapsed. Falling Waters Sink is a 100-foot deep, 20-feet wide cylindrical pit into which flows a small stream that drops 73 feet to the bottom of the sink.

Left above is the top of the falls and on the right is looking down into the sink.  Below is a view from a little farther away.

Native Americans utilized the nearby sink holes as a hideout by warriors fighting against Andrew Jackson during the Seminole War. The waterfall was harnessed to operate a grist mill to grind grain and in 1891 a distillery was established on the site to serve the needs of railroad construction crews.  In the 1920s the first oil well in Florida was drilled here based on information in a 400-year old diary to a depth of 4,912 feet, but proved to be a dry hole.

Spring seems to be underway as some decorative trees are in bloom. 

If you in the northeast think you have stinkbugs, they look like babies compared to this one.

Above is a native azalea which grows in the woods in wet areas.

The park is comprised nearly completely of long-needle pine trees which are also native to the region.  The park staff conduct controlled burns of areas of the park to discourage invasive hardwood species such as oak and others.  The pines are unaffected by the fires which are set about every 2 to 3 years.

Above is another native of the southeast, the Red-cockaded Woodpecker seen here on a tree by our bedroom window.  One curious behavior of these birds is to peck holes in the pine trees adjacent to their nests causing the pine gum or resin to ooze from the holes.  We have seen them in Florida on other occasions but this is the first photo for us.

On our drive from Falling Waters to our next stop we saw this sign on a little-used highway through the Appalachicola National Forest.

We got a kick out of the "Rooter to the Tooter" line but a quick look on the internet suggests it is commonly used in the BBQ community. 

Way Down Upon the Suwannee River...

On our final stop of our trip across the Florida Panhandle we tried a different campground than we had used before and we are glad we did!  The name of the place is somewhat off-putting, Yellow-Jacket Campground, but it is a piece of old Florida situated adjacent to the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Preserve and the Suwannee River.  The river rises in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia and flows south west into Florida being joined by other drainages along the way.  In summer months the river is visited by Manatees, but at this time they are usually in one of the fresh water springs which also feed the river.  Temperatures in the springs range from 70 to 74 degrees year round and that attracts them in winter. So we did not see manatees this time.

However we were lucky enough to see some beautiful birds rather up close from our vantage point at river's edge.  I'll mention each below with the photos I took. 

First is the view of the River looking downstream from our site.

And from the boat dock in front of us, here is our parking spot.

On the chilly morning as were getting ready to leave this Blue Heron was huddled on the dock trying to keep warm.

And he eventually flew to the edge of the water exactly in front of our windshield.

 This turtle sunned itself every day on this same log.

I had walked out to the dock one morning and was treated to quite a show, first by a Blue Heron and later by a Great Egret.

 The following sequence of 3 pictures shows the arrival of the Egret to a quiet place along the river bank.

Adjusting the flaps for deceleration...

and braking hard for touchdown.

I had seen this on TV about jumping fish on some southern rivers.  This warning sign is at the public boat launch site on the campground.

Another camper saw me taking pictures and told me he had seen a Pine Warbler and that would be a new sighting for us so I was on the lookout and finally saw it working in the Spanish Moss hanging in the trees.  When I went outside the Pine Warbler was nowhere to be seen. But this Yellow-Rumped  Warbler was flitting around the bases of the cypress trees.  It was getting toward evening and the light was failing so his record is a bit dark.

While I was watching the warbler I saw a large bird flash to my right and eventually I spotted the Pileated Woodpecker you see below.

And once again, as at Falling Waters State Park, the Red Cockaded Woodpecker was a regular afternoon visitor the to trees in front of our rig.  The red topper appears almost brown in reality as in the photo.

Greetings From Lower Alabama

As we are getting prepared to move East to Florida I thought I should post some pictures from our relatively uneventful, but restful, beginning of winter, 2012-13.  Since we have been here a few times before, we  have just about seen all the touristy attractions in the area and reported on them previously.

On Friday the 15th of February we will drive to Rocky Bayou State Park near Eglin Air Force Base between Pensacola and Panama City Beach.  We will stay there for a week.  Our stop after that will be at Falling Waters State Park where the highest water falls in Florida is located.  It is a whopping 73 feet high and falls into a sinkhole.  There is Seminole Indian and Civil War history from the region and we will explore that for a subsequent report.  We will be there 5 days before heading to Ho Hum Campground literally on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico near Apalachicola.

So enough with the travel schedule, here are some pictures.  When we are here we always get absolutely the freshest Gulf Shrimp right off the boat at Billy's Seafood in Bon Secour.  The harbor there is just off of Mobile Bay and is a safe harbor for shrimpers.

We have not seen any new birds this trip, but some of our old favorites appeared again.  In a couple of cases the picture is taken through the window since they are very skittish and apparently camera shy! 

Below is the Yellow-rumped Warbler who show the yellow splash at the base of the tail and on the sides usually in winter.  They are busy and seem to find sustenance in the live oak trees lining the rows of RV parking spaces here at the Rainbow Plantation.

Blue birds were frequent visitors this winter too and could be seen diving from the trees to the grassy areas catching bugs.

The American Kestrel was normally perched on utility lines along fields of sod which are a common crop in this area.  On trips to town or for propane, we would always see them and frequently did not have the camera along!  I went prepared one day and wasn't disappointed, but it was impossible to even get out of the car to photograph them as they would fly off as soon as the door opened.  So, this the best effort, was taken through the windshield. 

And finally some recent pictures of Dixie, who gets a lot of sleep, day and night!  Looks like she is ready to nod off right here!

She is so good at sleeping, she can even do it in strange positions as here...

or here.

And occasionally she is actually awake and especially if there is food around.  Here she is in her favorite spot on the dashboard where she can keep track of all of her friends as they pass by outside on their daily rounds.

That is it for now.  I will have more, original photos in the coming weeks as we make our way to Orlando for an Easter meeting with Kendalyn and her Mom and Uncle Randy.

Christmas Greetings for 2012

Warm Wishes and Happy Holidays from Cathy & Larry

As this is prepared we are comfortably settled in LA enjoying warm days and pleasant evenings.  Oh, not that LA!  LA here refers to Lower Alabama, or that little chunk that sticks down into the Gulf of Mexico.  And the photo I have selected for this, our first eChristmas letter is from 2005 in New Braunfels TX. 

Our travels for the past year were somewhat limited by design but we had a good winter in FL shuttling between Escapees Parks and Thousand Trails Preserves all somewhat near the Orlando area.  Our journey northward included a sobering stop at the Civil War Prisoner Camp at Andersonville GA.

We had planned to stay for the summer at the Thousand Trails Preserve near Hershey and it was a good decision that we did.  Cathy missed a step leaving the RV with Dixie for a walk and landed hard on the ground suffering a concussion, 2 broken ribs and 8 cracked ribs.  We were just 8 miles from the Hershey Medical Center and a quick ambulance ride got her to the Emergency Room for treatment.  After spending the night in the hospital, she spent the next few weeks recuperating.  

Also while in the Hershey area we had several weekends with Laura and Kendalyn visiting before Kendalyn went to be with her father in Illinois and again after her return.  We also had the opportunity to visit some old friends in the area and to take a long weekend visiting Larry’s brother’s family in Leechburg PA.

Our drive to Lower Alabama was generally along the “Great River Road” which parallels the Mississippi River.  We camped several times right at the river’s edge and enjoyed watching the tugboats and their loads of barges moving up and down river.  We got our history fix taken care of with a stop in Vicksburg, scene of major Civil War activity and also in Natchez where enormous fortunes were built from cotton, lumber and river trade, before the Civil War. We got to see some of the mansions and to visit a great museum in Vicksburg.  Never have we seen in one place so many mini-balls and other munitions from the Civil War than in the Old Courthouse Museum. But there we also saw wonderful displays of such genteel items as cups and saucers, period clothing and river memorabilia.  It was a nice afternoon.

Our final stop on the way East to Alabama was near Pascagoula MS at a small state park with very simple accommodations and a lot of quiet woods along the Mississippi Sound.  We learned that a Sound is a relatively narrow passage of water between the mainland and an island and is generally deeper than a bay.  By contrast a Bay is usually protected on one or more sides.  End of geography lesson!

In closing we are generally healthy and likely to be liabilities of Medicare for several more years to come.  We hope each of you is enjoying good health as well.  And Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all.

If you want to look again at the details of our trips and stays from 2012, look to the right at the Blog Archive and click on 2012 to get a list of all posts for the year. 

Natchez MS "On the Mighty Mississippi"

That is the motto of this pretty, small town that was established in 1716 and is one of the oldest and most important European settlements along the lower Mississippi River.  Strategically situated on high bluffs above the river it became a hub of commerce driven by the movement of goods on the river and its position would prove advantageous against any invading force wanting to assume control.  It is the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace, once a walking path established by Native Americans and used by river boat pilots and crews to return to their northern homes in the Ohio River Valley.

The town is noted for its many pre-Civil War homes in the Greek-Revival style as well as later-built Victorian homes.  It became the home of a collection of extremely wealthy Southern planters, who owned vast tracts of land in the surrounding lowlands of Mississippi and Louisiana where they grew large crops of cotton and sugar cane using slave labor.  

We got an orientation by taking a carriage tour one afternoon with a knowledgeable and loquacious guide who showed us some of the sights in the old downtown.

But before I get to that, here is a view from our front window as we are again riverside on the Mississippi.  Same river, different spot - this time we are actually in Vidalia, Louisiana, just across from Natchez.  Except we saw this tour boat on its way upriver to Natchez.  We saw it docked there later in the day.

Getting back to the carriage tour, here we are getting ready to begin. We were the only passengers on this trip so we got the full treatment!

I took a lot of photos of a lot of old buildings, but I don't think I'll burden you with looking at them all.  Rather I will select a couple of standouts or ones with a little off the normal story line to share.

The first of these is a rather modest home dating from 1796.  It has two sets of steps leading to the front porch and door.  One side was for ladies and one for gentlemen! The reason was for the sake of modesty for a woman must never allow her bare ankle to be seen while ascending a stairs.  They are known locally as "the welcoming arms" of the home.

Below is Stanton Hall.  In 1858, Frederick Stanton built the home of his dreams for his family on his new property - an entire city block of Natchez, Mississippi. The city block cost about $1,550.  The house cost over $83,000 before it was even furnished.  Carrera Marble, mahogany doors 2 1/2 inches thick, chandeliers from France, and Italian statuary appointed the interior.  Huge Corinthian columns and granite steps adorned the facade.

Stanton came to America with his brothers in 1815.  He made a fortune as a cotton broker, then as owner of more than 16,000 acres of cotton plantations. Ironically, he lived only one month after his dream home was finished.  It is open for tours and is popular as a wedding venue for Southern Belles (whose daddies can afford it!) 

I did not take a picture of the Natchez Institute a "public" high school established in 1845 and considered one of the finest educational institutions in the country at that time.  What interested me, is a memorial plaque affixed to the exterior.  The text on the plaque is transcribed below.  I will not editorialize but defer to your own thoughts of its contents.

Natchez Institute Plaque

In Grateful Commemoration of the generosity and far seeing wisdom of Alvarez Fisk who by his donation to the city of Natchez in the year 1845 of the grounds whereon this building stands, and by his subsequent contributions for the purpose of establishing a free public school for the education forever of the white children of said city, became the founder of "Natchez Institute" a school which has afforded gratuitous education and training to thousands of the youth of Natchez, this tablet is here placed on the walls of their "New Institute" by the graduates, pupils and patrons of the old Natchez Institute A. D. 1901.

Next is a postcard-like view of the tower of the courthouse as seen from in front of the Presbyterian Church's Greek columns.

We visited Natchez' Under the Hill area where lawlessness was the order of the day back in the day.  Along the riverfront and below the bluffs upon which the city sits was this place visited by rivermen seeking good times, the providers of those good times and by the thieves and shysters preying on them.  Today it is a small retail section where we lunched at the Magnolia Grill.  The photo is of the Riverboat we saw from our campsite the day before. In season, these cruises run the length of the Mississippi from New Orleans to Minnesota.

If you look up toward the horizon of the river you can see a load of barges coming down river.  Below you can see the assemblage closer.  This appeared to be 35 barges under control of a single tow boat.  Impressive to a landlubber.

Melrose is a mansion that is said to reflect "perfection" in its Greek Revival design. The 80-acre  estate is now part of Natchez National Historical Park and is open to the public by guided tours. The house is furnished for the period just before the Civil War. The grounds feature outbuildings including the two storied kitchen and dairy buildings, octagonal cistern houses, a smoke house, a privy, slave quarters, a barn and a carriage house.  Melrose was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974.

The mansion was built between 1842 and 1848 at a time of great prosperity in the South and in particular the cotton industry. It sits among 80 acres of land maintained by the National Park Service and remains much as it did when it was built by Mary and John T. McMurran.

McMurran and five other individuals all lived in the Natchez area and built mansions such as this for no other reason than to flaunt their wealth. Together the six were among the 10 wealthiest people in the country at that time.

The base and columns appear to be fabricated from blocks of marble and marble columns.  In fact, these features are simulated using the talents of faux craftsmen who were all the rage during this time.  Below you can see a cutaway section showing the lath and plaster.  Marble effects were done using vegetable dyes mixed with the plaster.

The grounds surrounding Melrose provide an enjoyable area for a stroll.  Here is a magnificent Live Oak tree and below that is a portion of the formal gardens which are only sparsely in bloom at this Thanksgiving time of year.

That will conclude the posts from our Mississippi River trip.  We are relaxing near the coast of Mississippi in the small town of Gautier and hope to see some shore birds and maybe get some fresh caught shrimp while we are here.

Mississippi River Trip - Part 4 Vicksburg Architecture

Scenes and anecdotes from Vicksburg MS

The historic downtown area of Vicksburg is both quaint and somewhat rundown with many storefronts empty like so many small towns we have seen in our travels.  The Casinos have come to town in a big way and that is likely the lifeblood of the region today.  Interstate 20 passes the edge of town and sports a "new" bridge parallel to the former bridge which carried US 80 traffic.

So the old bridge is on the right (that truck is maintenance, not traffic!) and the new I-20 bridge on left.  Note the extensive "beach" on the far side of the river.  Water levels still seem low to us.

Ameristar Casino is our host for this stay as we are parked in their campground across the street from the casino.  We are not casino people and so have not been inside at all.  It is built to resemble a river boat, but is firmly anchored to concrete pilings and is in no danger of floating down river.

This is an interesting landmark to Coca-Cola history as it is the site where Coca-Cola  was first bottled and sold in 1894.  Today it is largely a museum of Coke artifacts and advertising, but still offers ice cream, fountain Cokes, Coke floats and a wide selection of Coke souvenirs.  The building is in the downtown section.

We, frankly, were a little underwhelmed by the historic homes listed for either tours or as bed and breakfast inns.  The origins are old, but the architecture doesn't impress.  Below is the Anchuca Historic Mansion built in 1830 as a wood frame house.  In 1847 it was remade in this Greek Revival style.  It is said, in 1869,  Jefferson Davis greeted neighbors and friends from the balcony over the entry when he visited his brother who died in the house a year later in 1870.

Below is the Duff-Green Mansion from 1858 originally constructed by skilled slave labor.  It served as a hospital for wounded soldiers of both armies during the Civil War. 

The George Washington Ball House, circa 1822, was built by a distant cousin of President George Washington.  After years of neglect, it was restored in 2004 and is a B&B today.

And finally is the Baer House from 1849 which is also a B&B today.