Great Escape to the Flowery Place

I was debating whether I should write this one or not.  Technically, the blog is about Wisconsin and the Upper Midwest, so that definitely does not include Florida.  But....there is plenty to write about, plus there are (too) many great photos to share!  Here it goes, by special request:

Instead of Mom and Dad coming out to visit in between our holiday and summer visits home, they suggested that we meet in Florida (I see what they did there).  Actually, I think I half-jokingly told them Scott and I "might" go to Florida in March by the time we are really tired of Wisconsin winter to swim with the manatees. They jumped on it and the next thing you know we are all going to Florida- they drove and we flew.  Our first excitement was an aerial tour of all the highlights of NYC as we had a layover at LaGuardia.  What a sight to behold!

Statue of Liberty and NYC on the way in to LaGuardia

We arrived at SW Florida International Airport and Mom and Dad picked us up to head about to Sanibel Island, in the Gulf of Mexico just west of Fort Myers.  This part of the trip was Mom's idea, but she did a great job finding a hotel right on the beach (see what I did there?).  We enjoyed collecting shells on the best seashell beach in the world, watching many birds including Florida native residents and our temperate migrants (i.e., snowbirds), and relaxing on the beach/by the pool. Bonus activities included a nature cruise and touch tank experience with Tarpon Bay Explorers and a bike ride through J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge.  I was very excited to visit the refuge for the excellent birding opportunities, and because Ding was among the prominent players during the early days of conservation.  I really enjoyed birding by bike- a great way to see the birds up close, reduce our impact, and enjoy the ride! We also may (or may not) have visited Jerry's Foods and Love Boat Ice Cream on Sanibel daily.  Special thanks to Mom's cousin Debbie and her husband Don for coming over to visit with us and for bringing me a delicious early birthday cake!

Good morning from Sanibel! -Brown Pelican

Biking and birding at Ding Darling NWR

I (loosely) kept track of all bird species observed while actively birding- over 30 different species (mostly shorebirds and wading birds) in 4 days.

Tri-colored heron fishing

See ya later, alligator

Sanibel Lighthouse

Our next stop on the Tour de Gulf was Crystal River, about 3 hours north of Fort Myers.  Now the reason for this stop was my bucket list item- swimming with the manatees.  Crystal River is the only place where you can legally share the water with manatees, and the springs and rivers serve as a very important congregation site for them to stay warm in the winter months since they remain a steady 72-74 degrees year round.  This part of the trip started with a visit to the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park to learn more about the local wildlife.  The park was originally a private wildlife park that was purchased by the state and now contains only wildlife native to Florida.  Our wildlife excursion was followed by a delicious fresh seafood dinner at Peck's Old Port Cove in Ozello- it was a beautiful drive out of the town to enjoy the scenery through the preserve.

 Homosassa Spring Wildlife State Park

Great Blue heron

"There's nothing more American than a flag and a bald eagle." -Scott

The next morning we met at the Snorkel with Manatees dive shop and donned our very attractive wetsuits for the trip.  Luckily, Scott's friend Bob from college lives in the area and was able to take the day off to join us!  At the marina we boarded our pontoon with our captain and headed for Homosassa Springs.  After arriving we each received our mask, snorkel and trusty noodle to take a dip in the cold water with the sea cows.  I was glad that our guide and others in the area practice "passive observation" with the manatees to introduce the least amount of disturbance to them as possible. There were several in the area, most were resting quietly or just passing through, but we still each had some good views and got a couple of good photos (special thanks to the Jones Family for lending us their waterproof camera!).  We were getting toward the end of the "season" for large numbers of manatees since the Gulf was warming up and they no longer were restricted to the rivers and springs.  During the winter months, and especially during cold snaps, the manatees rely on the springs which remain a steady 72-74 degrees year round. I think everyone enjoyed the experience of sharing space with the manatees and seeing all the fish in the springs up close (although I will admit that water felt pretty chilly).  On the way back to the docks, we enjoyed coffee and tea and sunshine.

Homosassa River- No wake for manatees

Ready to snorkel!

Wild West Indian Manatee- gentle giants!

Scott spent the afternoon with Bob, so the rest of us visited Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge including the famous Three Sister Springs.  Exactly one month before our experience, hundreds of manatees were packed into the springs to enjoy the warmth during a cold snap.  This afternoon only two moms with babies were hanging around, but we enjoyed watching them and taking in the beauty of the springs.  Our trolley guide to and from the springs was especially funny.

More manatees at Three Sister Springs, Crystal River NWR (Mom and calf)

The next day it was time to go.  Mom and Dad dropped us off at the Gainesville Regional Airport to catch our flight, which was delayed enough that we would have to postpone picking up Teddy until the next day.  Turns out the warmest days all winter in Wisconsin took place while we were in Florida.  Go figure.

"A national wildlife restoration program is based on the premise that wildlife is not only worth our efforts to restore it, but that its restoration is absolutely and vitally essential to the welfare of our citizens."  - J. N. "Ding" Darling