Catching Up (by Sunshine)

We’ve gone so far and done so much since we last wrote I don’t know where to begin! The time I have to write and upload is equivalent to one wash and dry at Raindance Laundry in Cedar City, UT. We’ve been without Internet for so long it feels like a precious commodity right now.

Our view driving over the mountain in
Dixie National Forest

Today is a “rest” day. We don’t take them often because there is always so much to see and do we have a hard time not filling every moment of every day hiking and exploring a new place. So why are we taking a rest day today? One reason is that we really need it. Our bodies are sore from several days of mountain hiking. Walden is tired from missing several days of naps. The other reason is that we had plans to drive National Geographic’s most scenic byway in the U.S. (second in the world), Utah’s Scenic Byway 12, and do some hiking but woke up to snow and temperatures in the 30s. We know the temperatures are in the 70s-80s only two hours away at Zion, and that is just too tempting right now. However, actually getting to the warmer weather proved to be more challenging than we expected. It required driving through the Dixie National Forest over a mountain. The temperature at the top was 28 degrees and they had gotten nearly 5 inches of snow overnight. As we climbed, rain turned to snow, then ice pellets, and visibility dropped to less than a quarter mile. Even having the confidence of driving in Wisconsin winters, being pushed down the other side of the mountain by the Burro felt a little precarious.

Walden and Daddy catching snowflakes in
Hyde State Park near Santa Fe

More on Weather – Weather does play a role in our journey as much as we’ve tried not to let it. It delayed the start of our trip because the roads were going to be too snowy to be safe. We only spent a day at Mammoth Cave rather than several like we’d hoped due to the huge snow storm they had just gotten. We enjoyed the Smoky Mountains even with the rain; hiking between storms and utilizing our rain gear. Louisiana was very windy at times so we couldn’t linger on the beach without feeling like our skin was being sand blasted. Santa Fe, well that was amazing. We checked the forecast before going and knew it would be chilly. Just how chilly we didn’t expect. We kept telling ourselves we were from Wisconsin and could handle a little cold. We planned to camp in the national forest north of the city but discovered that most of the campgrounds hadn’t opened yet for the season. The ones that were open were at the higher elevations and further from the sites we wanted to explore. We discovered Hyde Memorial State Park in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains was open and even considered getting one of the electric sites so we could use our little heater but they were all full. When we got there and saw that most of the park was still closed for the season we took the first non-electric site we could find. Cooking and burning candles gave us a little warmth until bedtime but when we awoke the windows were frosted and the temperature inside the Burro was 32. Outside it was 22! It was the coldest night we’d spent in the Burro. We were so thankful for our little home on wheels because the campers in tents nearby must have had a long night. It stayed in the 40s that day even down the mountain. The next night was a little warmer but we awoke to three inches of snow! It was so beautiful and fun to see but it was cold and we quickly drove down the mountain hoping it would be a little warmer. They had gotten snow in town too but it melted and got into the low 50s. The desert is beautiful this time of year and there aren’t too many tourists yet but it sure is cold. We aren’t letting it stop us from exploring, we’re just adding extra layers and doing lots of snuggling. The cold weather is such a change from the 80s we experienced in Louisiana. We each travel with two duffle bags; one for the clothes we wear each day and one for our extra clothes. When we got to Florida we packed away our winter gear and pulled out our shorts. At this point, my bags are in a jumble and my winter hat is stuffed on top of my bikini and my shorts are buried under long underwear.

Walden climbing out of a kiva

Santa Fe – We enjoyed our time in the Santa Fe area despite our initial feeling that the dry rocky desert landscape wasn’t our favorite type of habitat. What we did love about the city is the strong sense of place it exemplifies. They have a history and culture that they are proud of and maintain that throughout their landscaping, building design, and attractions. They know who they are and are proud of it and have done well to maintain it despite growth and development. We spent one day at Pecos National Monument exploring the ruins and learning about the way of life Pueblo peoples. Walden loved climbing down the ladders into the kivas. “Kiva” is now part of his language, which he uses for any ruins that we see.

Eating tasty treats at the Santa Fe
farmer's market

The next day we went to a farmer’s market in the Railyards near downtown Santa Fe which included a fun playground and train watching. The market was fun to explore because there were local dry beans and red chili spices that are not found at markets in Wisconsin. Walden and Jim got special treats that they enjoyed immensely, and one of the vendors gave Walden a special little tomato. That afternoon we visited the St. Francis Cathedral and walked the streets around the plaza downtown exploring the amazing “Pueblo revival style” architecture that Santa Fe is famous for. We admired the huge number of native crafts laid out on the sidewalk for sale at the Palace of Governors. We even discovered a street named Burro Alley… of course we were drawn to this one! We also visited the Loretto Chapel with its “Miraculous Stairway,” a spiral staircase to the choir loft with no visible means of support (note from Jim: Sunshine did not approve of the $6 spent to “see a staircase,” but Jim claimed it was a necessary part of his faith to see it). That afternoon, we also visited the Randall Davey Audubon Center in the Santa Fe Canyon Preserve for some much needed birdwatching (Broad-tailed Hummingbirds!) and hiking around a former reservoir now filled with wetlands and streams.

Another friendly Burro!

Exploring a slot canyon at Tent Rocks

We spent another day exploring Tent Rocks National Monument exploring a wonderland of pyramid shaped sculptures and narrow towering canyons. Walden amazed us with his ability to hike through slot canyons, over rocks, and through sand. He is becoming a great hiker on this trip! And always wants to hike… despite (or perhaps because of) the potential danger of the trail. One last hike in the mountains behind our camping area, with snow falling above and incredible views revealed between the snow clouds, concluded our Santa Fe exploration.

Walden and Daddy in front of Tent Rock formations.

Peeking out of a cavete at Bandalier

Heading West - After Santa Fe, we visited Bandelier National Monument and had a full day of hiking through amazing Pueblo ruins built in “Cavetes,” holes in the canyon walls that were enlarged by Ancient Pueblo people. Walden did so well climbing up the ladders into the caves at the start of the trail we said he could visit the final site, the Alcove House. It included climbing four ladders up 140 feet to a rock shelter perched above the canyon floor. He was fearless and made the journey with Mom or Dad right behind him watching his every step with bated breath. At the campground, we made friends with Bill and Suzi and their two labradoodles from Colorado. They were the first people we’ve seen on the trip with a little camper just like ours (a U-Haul instead of a Burro, but the exact same design). It was fun to tour one another’s trailer and discuss the ways we’ve adapted our campers to suit our individual needs.

Mommy and Walden climb a steep
ladder to Alcove House.

Fellow "small trailer" travelers, Bill and Suzi.

Sunset over the canyon at Navajo National Monument

From Bandelier, we drove to Navajo National Monument in northern Arizona as a halfway point to southern Utah. We arrived late but still had time to walk the trail to see the pueblo ruins tucked into a rocky overhang across the canyon. Sunset over the canyon was magical. We loved that the monument provided free camping with water, bathrooms, and picnic areas.

Glen Canyon dam

Mommy and Walden dinosaurs

The next day, we had planned to drive to Bryce Canyon, but came upon the Glen Canyon dam and Lake Powell and had to make a quick stop at the visitor center. Perhaps an ironic choice for Earth Day! Or perhaps it was fitting. The controversial dam built in 1966 flooded the pristine Glen Canyon and created Lake Powell (as described by Edward Abbey in Desert Solitaire). Not much further down the road was a fabulous dinosaur-themed visitor center for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument so we explored that. They recommended a hike just down the road and it was lunch time so we had a picnic and played around the Toadstools, rock pillars created by hard rock caps. By the time we were done it was too late in the day to reach Bryce so we found a BLM camping area and dropped the Burro. We had time to visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park before sunset which was another one of those unplanned but incredible places. Eight miles of massive sand dunes have been created from wind blowing through a mountain pass. The color was a deep orange from the erosion of sandstone. Walden absolutely loved running through the sand, making sand angels, and climbing the biggest dune he could see. From the top, we jumped off and slid down, filling our clothes with the fine orange sand. The BLM campground put us near some of the top destinations on our “must see places to visit” for the trip – Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park. Stay tuned for our adventures in the parks…

A Toadstool!

Plains Ponderings (by Sunshine)

Driving across Texas

I write this as we drive west through the Texas panhandle. As far as I can see is a wide open expanse of grassland occupied by cattle and dotted with occasional homes. It is so different from Wisconsin and holds its own beautiful mysteries. What a treat it is to be able to watch a storm move across the sky; to see the huge white thunderheads; the lightning flashing in the night sky. I appreciate being able to watch the sun rise and set while standing in the same spot; my view not blocked by buildings or trees. I can’t help but imagine what my life might had been like if I were from this part of the country. If I had grown up on a large cattle ranch; perhaps met Jim while working a summer job at the local feed store. I am thankful for the opportunity to see so many different landscapes on this journey.

So cute!

Waiting for bison to cross the road

We spent the past two nights at Caprock Canyons State Park in the Texas panhandle. It is home of the Texas state bison heard. The heard is a remnant of the bison that used to roam the Texas plains. They have free range of the 14,000 acre park with the goal of increasing the heard size. The park also protects beautiful canyons layered with red sandstone and white gypsum. I love watching prairie dogs and there was a whole town of them between our campsite and the bathroom. Their shrill little peeps that come out as an alert when you walk by their holes makes me smile. We were fortunate to visit two days after the first soaking rain of the season so the wildflowers were in bloom and trees and grasses were all greening. Hiking into the canyons is the best way to explore so we loaded our backpacks (Jim with Walden and me with lunch and water) and did our longest hike of the trip thus far – seven miles! We’d been working up to it so both felt better than expected. Walden was a trooper. He cheered Jim on during the strenuous climbs up the cliffs, was engaged looking at the rocks, hodoos, and plants, and entertained us with songs on the flat stretches.

Beautiful deep red canyons

We are finding that some of our favorite stops on the trip are the ones we didn’t plan. We have a list of sites we want to see that guide our travels and are happy when we arrive and explore them. I’m not sure if it is because we have expectations when we arrive or have preconceived notions of what they’ll be like but often we leave feeling like “okay, we did that, it was nice.” When we stop somewhere unplanned we often leave feeling like “wow, that was really neat, I’m so glad we went there.” This happened when we took time to go to the Great Smokey Mountains in Georgia, Apalachicola National Forest and Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida, and Caprock Canyons State Park in Texas. We are also finding that traveling with a three year old shapes our view of and experience in places we visit. Walden doesn’t appreciate historic sites and cultural attractions like we do. It is understandable but means we have to work extra hard to make those stops interesting to him. In some cases it is not worth the effort so we pass by and know we can always come back when he’s older or we are alone. I’m now doing my best to try to build in a stop at a playground each day, even if it is only for a short time while I’m preparing lunch. Overall Walden has done a great job adjusting to life on the road and for that we are thankful.

Just in time to see the wildflowers bloom

Texas – Getting a New Perspective (by Sunshine)

Taking a break from our work to make pizza

We’ve been to Texas multiple times but wanted to stop again for a visit with our dear friend Susan who is finishing her post-doc and teaching at the University of North Texas. She’s a hard core birder so we were excited to share our gulf coast bird sightings with her. At first we thought we’d only stay a few days and try to keep out of Susan’s way while she is working on a plethora of projects to prepare her house to sell. We appreciated having a home base, place to reorganize, do laundry, and make food using appliances like a blender and slow cooker that the Burro does not have. Once we started helping with a few of her projects we quickly got drawn in and she gave us a “to do” list that we eagerly began working on. It felt good to have something useful to do each day while Susan was at work. While scrubbing the porch I had a mini revelation that we were in Texas at just the right time to help Susan and that our trip could have more purpose than our family journey. We decided to stay a few extra days and tackle a few larger projects. Thank you Susan, for creating an opportunity for me to have this new perspective and feel useful.

Easter with the Tiffie family

We did make time to play as well. We spent Easter with friends who live in southern Oklahoma. We met up at the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, TX. The last time we saw the Tiffie’s none of us had children but as it is with good friends it didn’t feel like ten years had passed since we last saw them. We had an egg hunt for the kids, enjoyed a picnic at the playground, and explored the zoo. I’m so grateful we could all spend time together. Thanks Cliff, Melissa, Skylark, Meadow, and Tucker for letting us share the holiday with you!

Longhorns at the Forth Worth Stockyards

Each day after working on our home improvement projects we usually ended up taking a trip to a playground and walk at a park. We also explored the historic Fort Worth Stockyards to watch the longhorn cattle walk down the street and soak up some Texas culture. Nearby we had fun walking around and splashing in the Fort Worth Water Gardens which were like nothing I’ve ever seen in a city before. The gardens are a series of waterfalls, fountains, and oasis pools created from concrete in the middle of downtown that are quite amazing. We also celebrated Walden’s birthday at the Fort Worth Zoo which he wrote about in a separate post. 

We followed the trail to the bottom of the water garden

Tomorrow we will be packing ourselves back into the Burro and heading west for Santa Fe and southern Utah.  

Louisiana (by Walden)

Sunset over Lake Pontchartrain

Mommy and Daddy had never been to a place called New Orleans and always wanted to see it. They decided we should camp at a state park north of Lake Pontchartrain called Fountainebleau. It used to be big sugar cane plantation, and there will still some old brick ruins. We tried to go to their visitor center but it had gotten destroyed in a hurricane so we could only talk to the park man in a little trailer who had built and saved the exhibits before the storm hit. There was supposed to be a water play area and new playground but those were closed too. We found the old playground and I had fun playing on the big oak trees.

The next day, I wanted to keep playing on the playground, but Mommy and Daddy said we should go to New Orleans. We drove on a long long bridge across Lake Pontchartrain; according to Daddy, it is the longest bridge in the world at 23.8 miles. We found a place to park and Mommy and Daddy loaded me up in the stroller. As soon as we started walking into the French Quarter I asked, “Why is there so much crazy here?” There were lights and signs and buildings and cars everywhere. I smelled flowers and food and garbage. I heard lots of different kinds of music that people were playing on the sidewalk. Mommy and I danced to the crazy fun jazz music. We had a picnic lunch by a big river and I saw a train, airplane, barge, and paddlewheel boat at the same time! The loud horn on the paddlewheel boat made me jump. I saw horses with flowers on their heads pulling carriages of people. There was a man painted silver who I thought was a statue… then he moved and I got scared but I didn’t want to stop watching him. People gave him money and took their picture with him. We went into visitor centers, museums, a big old cathedral, and walked and walked along the narrow streets. The houses and buildings were so colorful, with neat balcony gates and flowers. I behaved so well that Daddy and I got a treat – a mint chocolate chip ice cream cone, yum!

Riding a streetcar

The next day we went to a different part of New Orleans and walked in an old cemetery. All the graves were cement boxes above the ground. I tried but could not see any dead people. The best part of the day was riding on a streetcar that runs with electricity on wires in the sky. Mommy and Daddy said that I could get my arm chopped off if I stuck it out the window, but every time the car stopped I put my arm out and waved to people on the street. Daddy had fun in the city but was a little disappointed we couldn’t eat more of the special food they have there (he’s still carving something called a Po’boy). There aren’t many restaurants that have food Mommy can eat so we always bring picnics for lunch and have supper at the Burro. Mommy’s favorite part of the city was seeing and hearing all the different street musicians.

Click here to view our photo album from New Orleans.

We wondered if alligators could climb onto boardwalks

After New Orleans, we drove west and took a scenic drive along the Gulf of Mexico on a byway called the Creole Nature Trail. There were lots of marshes and all the houses (mostly trailers) were way up high on poles. It didn’t look like anything I’ve ever seen in Wisconsin. Eventually we got to Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center. It had really cool (and scary) robot people that told about the area when you pushed a button. There were sooo many birds and alligators there including pink roseate spoonbills that move their long flat beaks back and forth in the water to eat. We spent the rest of the day driving through some other wildlife areas to look at birds, turtles, muskrats, and alligators. I’m glad I have my own binoculars so I can see stuff too. Sometimes I use them when we drive down the highway to tell Daddy when signs are coming. I’m learning to read the numbers on the speed limit signs. Did you know that if you look through the big end of the binoculars things look really little? That’s fun too.

Sunset on Holly Beach

That night we drove the car and Burro right onto a beach called Holly Beach and parked it. Mommy and Daddy were excited because it was free and they said it would be a really memorable experience. It was memorable all right! The wind blew so hard that night it picked up the sand and hurt your face if you went outside. There were some noisy boys who banged on the outside of the Burro in the night. Daddy got up to go potty and see the full moon and stepped in a sand flea nest and got little red bumps all over his legs that itch and wouldn’t go away. We were glad to leave in the morning and Mommy said, “You get what you pay for.” Later we learned that this area used to be a very nice place where people had their vacation homes. A hurricane came and destroyed it all but a few people are starting to come back now to live there in their stilt houses. And camp on the beach. Now we’re off to visit Mommy and Daddy’s friend Susan in Texas!

Click here to view our photo album of the Creole Nature Trail.

Reflections of Beach Camping: Perdido Key (by Jim and Sunshine)

Camping on the beach at Perdido Key

March 29th... Sunshine's birthday! Instead of a party, or cake, or gifts, we spent the entire day driving. But it was quite the birthday present in the end! The Perdido Key unit of the Gulf Islands National Seashore in Florida offers the unique experience of camping on a beach in a tent. Since we brought our tent along, we thought this sounded like it would be an amazing experience, and drove from our campsite in Apalachicola National Forest four hours to Perdido Key just southwest of Pensacola. We arrived in the evening as the sun was setting, and quickly organized all of our camping supplies. We had to hike a half-mile on the beach to reach the primitive camping area, so that meant loading up the backpacking backpack (we brought one along) and the child carrying backpack full of supplies. While Dad drove the car back to the parking area (another half mile in the opposite direction), Mom and Walden began the walk along the beach as the sky grew darker and darker. We found a good spot on the beach and set up the tent in the dark.

Jumping waves

Here are some highlights of our two-night camping trip, March 29-31:

• Eating a supper of trail mix, granola bars, and raw veggies in our tent the first night as the wind blew and blew continuously.
• Climbing to the top of a dune and watching two lighthouses shine their rotating lights in the distance... a green/white light and an orange light. Walden was amazed!
• Looking up at the stars and drawing lines to see shapes in the sky. We saw the "W" in the sky for Walden and a queen. We saw the Big Dipper (Walden asked if it was filled). We looked at the stars in Orion's belt and saw his sword and shield for fending off the lion.
• Walden scared of the people in the sky! Had to explain that they were only pretend. It's what people did in the olden days before iPads.
• Watching sunrise the next morning reflecting off the ocean waves. Seeing the incredible smile on Walden's face when he saw the sun finally come up.
• Making LONG shadows in the sand with the early morning sun.
• Finding a handful of baby sand dollars.
• Building sand castles... and of course watching Walden stomp on them every time.
• Sitting in a parking lot, eating a scrumptious lunch of hotdogs and potatoes back at the Burro. And, yes, thinking how nice it is to have a Burro vs. a tent.
• Helping Walden jump the big waves, just like Daddy did in Lake Michigan when he was a kid.
• Making a mermaid tail for Mommy out of sand.
• Watching a Great Blue Heron follow fishermen around like a puppy... getting to see it up-close and personal.
• Walden napping in the backpack in the middle of the beach, while Royal Terns hovered, dove, and caught fish.
• Watching the sunset and waiting patiently for the lighthouses to turn back on again.
• Deciding to stay a second night on the beach because we felt so relaxed and were enjoying ourselves so much.

Click here to see a photo album of our camping trip on Perdido Key.

Watching the sunrise

Morning sun reflecting off the waves

Great Blue Heron following fishermen

Into the Unknown: Wildlife Watching and Beachcombing in Georgia and Florida (by Jim)

Watching for alligators at Okefenokee.

After our comfortable stay on Jekyll Island, on March 24 we headed west into the unknown. For really the first time on our journey, we didn't have a destination, didn't know where we would visit, and didn't know where we would camp. In general, we were heading toward New Orleans, but we wanted to stop and have adventures along the way. As Sunshine and I are both planners, it was an uneasy feeling, but also exhilarating. This was one of the reasons why we left on our journey... to be free of our overly planned lives and have the freedom to explore to our hearts content.

Walden plays at Traders Hill campground.

We didn't get far! Just about two hours from Jekyll Island, we saw the signs for Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Sunshine and I had visited Okefenokee Swamp separately years before, but we thought it would be an exciting family stop to see alligators and other wildlife. Unfortunately, National Wildlife Refuges don't typically have campgrounds, but we found a private campground called Traders Hill near the entrance of the refuge. It was shaded with beautiful towering live oaks, had electric and water hookups... and looked completely abandoned. We eventually found the property manager who told us to camp wherever we wanted. He had to go to a doctor's appointment, and so would be in touch later for payment. We never did see the property manager again, despite a valiant effort on our part, and so never actually paid for the campsite... our good fortune! Per Sunshine, the water at the campground smelled so strongly of sulfur (rotten eggs) that she would rather wallow in her own stench than put the water on or in her body.

Looking at a water snake in Okefenokee Swamp.

At Okefenokee, we stopped at the visitor center, where Walden was both completely entranced and nervous of an animatronic old man in a rocking chair who told stories of the swamp. He kept wanting to press the buttons to turn him on, but was too scared to do it. Amazingly, it wouldn't be the only robot we saw at a wildlife refuge. We then drove the Swamp Island Drive to look for alligators and other wildlife. At the first pond, Sunshine saw something on the opposite side. We got out to look, and a 4 to 5-foot alligator began swimming right toward us. Walden was intrigued by Daddy's binoculars and kept trying to look through them. Mom gave Walden one of his special traveling presents (a reward system for when he behaves)... his own set of binoculars! Soon, we discovered why the alligator was swimming toward us... two baby alligators were swimming on the shore where we were standing, and the mother didn't necessarily trust us much. We watched them for a long time. We also visited the historic Chesser Island homestead, where Walden enjoyed pumping water. And we walked the Chesser Island boardwalk, which had burned completely in 2011. It was recently reopened and has a sprinkler system installed beneath for future wildfires. The swamp was filled with carnivorous yellow bladderworts, a plant that has "floats" which keep the flower head above the water surface. Walden kept a lookout from the backpack with his binoculars and we saw a huge alligator basking in the sun, a water snake, and large spiders. The view from the tower at the end of the boardwalk really gave us a feel for the vastness of Okefenokee... swamp and islands for as far as the eye could see. It was spectacular!

Leon Sinks hiking trail, Apalachicola National Forest.

The next day, March 25, we continued traveling west and decided to check out Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida Panhandle, the largest national forest in the state. We stopped at a visitor center and were amazed at the number of activities we could do around the area. Before finding a campsite, we hiked the Leon Sinks Trail in the national forest, an incredible series of sinkholes created by the limestone karst below the ground. Some holes were small and blanketed in trees and bushes. Other sinkholes were massive, deep, and filled with water. Our favorite was Hammock Sink, peaceful, framed by branches, and with water an incredible blue-green. We saw anoles, snakes, a blue-tailed skink, flowering dogwoods, and walked on a boardwalk through a tupelo/cypress swamp.

Our friend, Bullwinkle, and his painted cards.

That night, we decided to camp at a free campground in the national forest... since we had lucked out the night before. As Sunshine would say again and again, you get what you pay for! Actually, it turned out to be much better than our first impressions. The campground was composed of three campsites and a pit toilet. One campsite was occupied by a man in a van... who we never really saw during our stay. Another campsite was occupied by a well-used RV and an older man with unkempt white long hair and a beard who had obviously been living here for a long, long time. As we were setting up, he came to welcome us to the campground. His name was "Bullwinkle" and was obviously eager to talk to people. Although we were nervous at first, we found that he was a kind and generous person, and felt safe leaving the Burro while we explored. We learned that he had spent the last 27 years living in his RV in the national forest campgrounds of Florida. He worked as a lawyer for many years, and actually won a $20 million case against Procter and Gamble (he said he wasn't hurting for money). He was a Vietnam veteran and had 8 children. After his wife died and his twins married two other twins, he gave up his 8-bedroom house and moved into his RV where he has lived ever since. He also had a pet rabbit. To keep himself from "going crazy" (his words), he would paint wooden cards with letters, numbers, and animals for his grandchildren. He gave a complete set to Walden, who loved looking through them. Fascinating the people you meet on the road!

Watching the birds at St. Marks Wildlife Refuge.

While we camped there, on March 26, we visited St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, which we discovered is the wintering grounds for the Whooping Cranes raised in Wisconsin... we followed the Whooping Crane migration route! The refuge was a fantastic place to watch wildlife. A large alligator was sunning itself just outside the visitor center, and we heard another one bellow a roar out in the pond adjacent to the center. We saw large groups of wading birds hanging out together... Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, and Glossy Ibis. We also visited the St. Marks lighthouse, where we watched a large storm building over the ocean and listened to deep rumble of thunder. After a quick lunch under shelter, a heavy rain began to fall and we had to abandon our hiking plans. Instead, we drove to the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab Aquarium in Panacea. It was a strange little place, almost industrial, filled with different types of touch tanks, aquariums, and exhibits. Many of the tanks were in disrepair, dirty, or outdated. However, the sheer number of animals available to touch and view was intriguing. Walden was hesitant to touch any at first, but eventually fell in love with the hermit crabs, where he would draw "roads" in the sand that he wanted the crabs to follow. I enjoyed seeing the octopus up-close.

Making roads for hermit crabs to follow.

Fun on the beach at Bald Point State Park

The next day, March 27, we said goodbye to Bullwinkle, loaded up the Burro, and headed to Bald Point State Park, an undeveloped expanse of beach and dune habitat that juts out into the Gulf of Mexico. The weather was much warmer than we expected and Walden was eager to play in the sand and water. Since we had the place almost entirely to ourselves, we let Walden run around and play naked. He was THRILLED! We never had seen so much running, screaming, splashing, and plopping down on the sand. There were also a great number of shorebirds to watch, including Ruddy Turnstones, Willets, Laughing Gulls, and Brown Pelicans. That evening, we drove to another more developed campground on the west side of the national forest called Wright Lake, with running water, showers, and definitely a more comfortable feel (even without Bullwinkle).

Touching the top of a dwarf cypress tree

On March 28, we visited a dwarf cypress forest in Tate's Hell State Forest, a unique habitat created by an impenetrable soil layer and poor nutrients. While many of the cypress trees here were between 100 and 300 years old, the average height was only 15 feet. We visited the Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve, which had a beautiful visitor center with aquariums to represent different habitats and a discovery room with microscopes, books, and many specimens to touch. We then drove to St. George Island State Park, a barrier island in the Gulf. We hiked through dune and wetland habitats and along the beach. Walden, as usual, enjoyed the large playground best, which was located next to the restored St. George lighthouse.

Family portrait taken by Bullwinkle

On our last day, March 29, we hiked around Wright Lake and into the longleaf pine forests surrounding our campground in search of the rare Red-cockaded Woodpecker. We didn't see one, but did see their nesting cavities. The area around Apalachicola National Forest was definitely an unexpected surprise on our journey! So many things to do, and we managed to avoid the spring break crowd hangouts.

Click here to see our photo album from Okefenokee Swamp and Apalachicola National Forest.

My Birthday (by Walden)

Yesterday I turned three! When I woke up there were balloons hanging from yarn strung around the kitchen and living room at Susan’s house where we are staying now. There were also noise makers and presents on the table. Mommy asked why we might have those things and I knew it was for a party because those are the things Thomas Train has on his birthday and Curious George has at his party. I was happy when I found out it was my birthday and that we were going to the zoo. I got to have candles in my waffle at breakfast. They were magic and even when I blew them out they lit again. Even Mommy and Daddy blowing on them couldn’t make them stop burning. What a fun way to start the day.

Susan helped me feed the birds

At the zoo in Fort Worth, we saw gorillas eating lettuce and celery, a mommy monkey carrying a baby, and lots of brightly colored flamingos right up close to the fence. There were rhinos sleeping in pools and many of the animals had large waterfalls in their enclosures. I liked climbing on the shiny statues of the animals and pushing the buttons on the exhibits to make the telephones talk. We heard the lion roar but weren’t there to see it. We saw pelicans playing with a stick to build a nest. I got to go into a place with lots of cockatiels and parakeets that were flying around and sitting on sticks where you could walk up to them. Susan bought me a special stick with food on it that I held out for the birds to eat. It was so great I didn’t want to leave.

I love seeing the world through my new magnifying glass

At lunch, we had a picnic and I got to blow out three candles shaped like animals. I also got a real magnifying glass as a present from Mommy and Daddy. I searched the whole picnic area using it to look for clues. We got to play on a slide and ride a train in the afternoon. The train took us from the end of the zoo to the beginning which was okay because we were all tired after six hours of watching animals. We had supper at Outback Steakhouse and I got a sundae with chocolate sauce and three candles to blow!

Me and Daddy on the train

Mommy and Daddy said it was a great day because I behaved so well. I’m learning to do that on this trip even though sometimes I get really tired. I’m learning to take naps in the car or stroller and sleep wherever we are. I’m also doing a good job trying new foods (salmon this week) and eating some vegetables like broccoli. I still love playing bubbles and going to the playground. I like to be tickled and chased but sometimes run and fall down. I like to use the IPad to play games or watch videos (Curious George, Elmo, and Minions are my favorites) but I only get to do that sometimes. I use my imagination every day, usually pretending to be someone we met or one of the characters in my books. I’m glad Daddy never gets tired of being the man with the yellow hat. He is my best pretending buddy. I sing all the time – ABC’s, I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, Old McDonald. I love to listen to music in the car. Right now the Sesame Street songs are my favorite. The one where Ernie brings a piano into the bathroom when Bert is taking a bath is best. I’m very curious and ask lots of questions, especially when I’m tired. I love when we go to the beach and I can play in the sand. Sometimes I like to hike but I prefer to ride in the stroller or the backpack on Daddy’s back because I get so tired on Mommy and Daddy’s ridiculous long walks. I don’t mind

I love blowing out candles

living in the Burro or someone else’s house. Mommy says I’m learning to be flexible. I miss my friends and cousins back in Wisconsin but am learning to make friends with kids I meet at the playground. I love visiting people with animals like cats, dogs, and guinea pigs but I don’t like when the animals lick me. Mostly I like to watch them. I still wear diapers but Mommy thinks maybe that is for the best right now while we are traveling. Mostly everyone at home should know that I’m very happy and healthy and having a great time with all of our adventures on this trip. I have my own journal telling about what we do at each place that I can show you when we get back. 

Love,
Walden

National Treasures (by Sunshine)

Big Thicket National Preserve, TX

Most people have, at one time or another, complained about what the national government isn’t doing for us or what we are not getting from our tax dollars. It is easy to feel slighted by a system we feel we don’t have enough say in or that reports millions of dollars are being sent to foreign lands for relief from their disasters when we see suffering in our own towns. One aspect of our national system that has become much more present and clear for me is the wealth of resources we have in our national wildlife refuges, forests, monuments, seashores, and estuary reserves. I feel knowledgeable about national parks because I have been to many of them. What I didn’t realize until this trip was how many other areas are set aside as national recreation lands and what they provide. Wisconsin doesn’t have nearly as many of these areas as we have experienced traveling along the gulf coast. What I am in awe of is how few people utilize these areas. This is great for those of us who like to take the road less traveled and avoid crowds of tourists. Before this trip I thought of national forests and wildlife refuges as somewhat interesting but not really destinations. My whole view has changed. I’ve discovered most of them have very up-to-date visitor centers with free exhibits, brochures, picnic areas, and restrooms. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful (free stickers and coloring books for kids). They are clean and have spacious parking areas. They have well maintained trails with good maps and signage. I’ve done a 180 on these places and now see them as destinations rather than something to check out if you happen to be near one with nothing else to do. I’m happy our government has set these areas aside for protection and will remember them next time I start feeling slighted about where my tax money is going.