Monday, March 18, 2019

CEDAR KEY FLORIDA Laid back Island Life is GREAT

Cedar Key was has been our bucket list for over two years now. Our good friends Clark and Elaine from "Our Newell Adventure" recommended this quaint little Island town back in 2017 when we worked with them at Yellowstone (Thanks Clark!). We arrived here March1st and have just loved the place, no fast food, no stop lights, just laid back people in no hurry at all! One of the locals here commented this is what Key West looked like in the 1950's and you can get hooked here very easy. I renewed my Eagles membership also and now I can hang with the locals!
LINK: http://cedarkey.org/

                                                                                            
It sure is here!
Map of Small town on the Gulf

Sunrise



Dock street on the water


On Dock street

Town Garden



1850's  home

Town Garden



Indian artifacts found in town

Florida Railroad was here in 1853


1850's map of Cedar Key

Our friends Kurt & Kim from Crooked River followed us here


What a SUNRISE!

Beach Time
Good seafood in Dunn's


Lobby of Island Hotel

Island Hotel dinning room , Best Key Lime Pie!


John Muir walked his 1000 mile journey here in 1867

Peace & Love




Monday, March 4, 2019

OKEFENOKEE SWAMP / 700 sq miles of gaitors and swamp

One of our last trips in Georgia before we left to Cedar Key Florida was to visit the Okefenokee Swamp in the Southern part of the State. We took the 3 hour boat tour and really enjoyed the incredible scenic views! The Swamp is full of Alligators and hundreds of species of birds. You can also canoe or kayak with many miles of trails that take you into the heart of the swamp where you can camp overnight at various campsites. The Okefenokee Swamp is the most extensive of Georgia's natural wonders in terms of area. This wildlife refuge in southeastern Georgia covers about 700 square miles and makes up part of four counties. The Okefenokee (from the Seminole, meaning "land of trembling earth") includes a wide variety of ecological features, ranging from sandy ridges to wet, grassy savannahs and marshes to narrow water channels and small islands, all of which support a vast range of flora and fauna. LINK: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/okefenokee-swamp-folklore
 Chesser Island was named for the family who first settled this 592-acre island adjacent to the swamp. See how the early settlers lived in the swamp at the restored Chesser homestead.
LINK: http://www.greywolf.bravepages.com/pages2/CH.html


                                                                                       
Boat we took into the swamp


Lurking eyes
Turtles everywhere




Great Blue Heron



Mossy oak trees add to the eiery swamp feeling



Red tail hawk

Old gaitor



There is a bird there!





Listen and you will hear!

The Chesser Homestead


Deep in the swamp