Florida Botanical Gardens, 2/28/2017

After some overcast days, we decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather with a visit to the Florida Botanical Gardens (FLBG) located in Largo, FL. It is a 92-acre site with 2.5 miles of pathways through formal gardens, tropical landscapes and native habitats. 

FLBG is a Pinellas County Park where leadership and financial support is provided by the not-for-profit organization, the Florida Botanical Gardens Foundation. Adjacent to Heritage Village (where you can learn about the cultural history of the area), admission to the gardens is free and leashed dogs are welcomed. Perfect!

Near the entrance are these beautiful Nun's Orchids and this interesting Foxburgh Fig. Check out the crazy growths all over the trunk and limbs. 

Many, many butterflies were flitting around the Butterfly Garden, but this beautiful monarch is the only one I was able to photograph. 

We crossed the bridge over McKay Creek to access the East Gardens. We loved the Adirondack chairs positioned throughout the park, as there are so many serene settings to enjoy. Can you see the turtle and large fish we saw in the creek?

The McKay Creek Pavilion is located a short distance to the south and overlooks the water. This anhinga was drying its wings in the sun and John spotted another turtle in the water (he's really good at that!) Ibises were along the banks of the creek in various locations. And this Common Moorhen was putting on quite a show. 

McKay Creek Plaza provides the entrance to the walled Wedding Garden. It's always fun to see the bird of paradise flowers that were planted in the plaza. Before venturing into the Wedding Garden, we browsed through the lovely Palm Garden. 

All of the palms were clearly identified. Here are some that I liked and a lovely fountain, too. 

Paurotis Palm Cabada Palm

Triangle Palm Dolphin Fountain

Christmas Palms

The Wedding Garden was designed to host special events including weddings, of course. There are gardens in each corner including the Cottage Garden, where we saw this hibiscus, and the Rose Garden. Two of the inscriptions found in the Wedding Garden are shown below.

We have seen many of these plants (crotons) with variegated leaves in the RV park where we are staying and elsewhere in the area. 

Continuing along the Tropical Walk we came to the Tropical Garden and Courtyard. The mosaic work found throughout the area was beautiful as was this fountain in the courtyard.  

As we continued along the walkway we came to a pond that featured a small fountain. I loved the blue of the plumbago flower and the bromeliad. 

The Tropical Fruit Garden had lots of interesting plants. Here are just a few of them.

Banana                                           Lime

Pineapple Papaya

The last two areas we saw were the Herb Garden and Vegetable Garden in raised beds. In the Herb Garden was a Kapok (aka ceiba) tree. They grow in the tropical rain forest and can reach 200', towering over most other plants. Also, a section near the Vegetable Garden featured plants native to Florida. 

This is a beautiful setting where you can enjoy the outdoors with your family (including your dog!) And with no admission fee, it can't be beat. Nearby is Heritage Village that features 27 historical structures and interactive activities. We will probably return to visit it before we leave the area. 

For additional information about the Florida Botanical Gardens, visit their website at www.flbgfoundation.org or www.pinellascounty.org. 

Alafia River State Park, 2/25/2017

Alafia River State Park is about an hour away from where we are staying in Lutz, FL. 

It is a 6,000-acre park that was previously the site of a phosphate mine and was donated to the state in 1996. There are about 12 miles of the South Prong Alafia River flowing through the park. Alafia River Park is a popular location for mountain bicycling and horseback riding as well as hiking, fishing, picnicking, and canoeing/kayaking. There are 20 miles of equestrian trails that are wide enough to accommodate buggies and carriages.

We, of course,, were there for hiking (dogs are permitted) and picnicking. From the Ranger Station, we took a left turn and drove to the parking lot near the picnic area where there is a playground and pavilion (that can be reserved). 

There are multiple trailheads in this area. They wind through wooded areas, around lakes, and over hills. Most of the countryside we have been in over the last few months in southern Florida have been flat. It was surprisingly delightful to hike some hills! 

We came across many lakes, large and small, along the trails and most were completely covered with green algae. Nonetheless, we did see this alligator in one of the lakes (he didn't seem to mind the slime); and, a turtle in another lake. I am sure there were many more reptiles here, but they were hard to spot!

Below is the South Prong Alafia River and creeks that flow into it.

Foot traffic is not permitted on some of the mountain biking trails. Trail difficulty is marked on many of them allowing riders to chose their preference. The biking trails and signage is maintained by the Swamp Mountain Bike Club. We saw more bikers here than hikers during our visit! 

We continued our hike through areas with slash pines, cabbage palms, and hardwood hammocks along various trails (a total of about 4.5 miles). 

There are picnic tables in the area surrounding the pavilion and playgrounds. We enjoyed our picnic lunch in the shade...even Sadie was a little worn out. 

As we were leaving the park, we noticed these osprey nesting in the infrastructure of the power lines. One of the photos below is an osprey eating his catch, a fish. We really enjoyed the hiking and all of the sights we saw at this park. 

Admission to the park is $5/vehicle (but we have an annual pass to Florida State Park's this year). Camping is available with tie-ups for equestrian visitors. Also, a 12-stall barn is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The overnight fee is $22+tax and can be reserved at www.reserveamerica.com. For additional information about Alafia River State Park go to www.floridasstateparks.org/alafiariver/.