It was a little over an hour's drive past the Seminole Casino, lots of orange groves and through the town of Sebring. This was an exceptional state park. The early morning trail hikes (strolls, really) and the tram ride with a knowledgeable, veteran trail guide.
Highlands Hammock State Park was built in large part by the young men who enlisted in the Civilian Conservation Corps -- a work relief program during the Great Depression. There is a museum in the Park which tells about the CCC. So interesting -- these young men ages 17 - 25 -- over 3 million of them -- who mostly came from extreme poverty worked on environmental projects such as forest management, flood control and conservation projects and helped in the development of state and national parks. They made $26 per month and sent $25 back to their families and kept $1.00. In return, they received education (a high school diploma) and work training.
In a video about the program, one elderly graduate from the CCC who was interviewed said that the government should spend money like that today instead of what it wastes money on -- to help develop two of our country's most precious resources: our youth and our land. (FDR's words)
A statue outside the Civilian Conservation Corp -- CCC museum on the grounds of the Highlands Hammock State Park
This was at the end of our visit -- enjoying some ice cream at the "camp store" after our hike and tram ride.
Here are some of the beautiful sights:
Vernon in front of a nearly 1000 year old Live Oak tree. The black in the middle is some treated "paint" that was applied in 1930 to try to save this tree and help it to live on.
Fern Garden trail this morning. Beautiful canopy of trees that shed droplets of dew when a breeze came up. You could hear the plink and patter of the dewdrops on the leaves above you.
A very old Pignut Hickory tree. Vernon says it's over six feet wide at the base.
Vernon retrieved a leaf so that we could identify the big tree in the 2 pictures above.
Another tree (a live oak) that we were told was almost 1000 years old! Look at the gnarly trunk!
They did some work to keep the tree from rotting. See the concrete that filled in some area toward the left that was probably rotted.
The rest of these pictures were taken on the 2 hour tram ride. An entertaining and informative guide told us about the different ecosystems we were riding through. He asked if anyone knew what an epiphyte is and was impressed that I knew the answer: it's a plant that attaches itself to another plant but doesn't harm it. (Aren't I smart?) Below is an epiphyte: a bromeliad --- it only flowers once in it's life. The bloom lasts for about 3 months.
A bromeliad that attached itself to this tree.
Bald cypress swamp
The tram stopped at this beautiful swampy area and we were allowed to get out on a well protected bridge and take pictures of "Brenda" the mama alligator. We saw many other mama alligators on the tram ride through the swamp: Arlene, Grace, etc. One was named for the guide's ex-wife! But these pictures are of Brenda and her babies:
"Brenda"
More of Brenda's babies that the Great Blue Herons haven't gotten (yet) We also saw tortoises, Great Blue Herons, lots of butterflies! a Great White Egret and an armadillo.
Tomorrow: laundry and bills!
2 comments:
I remember the times we went into the cypress swamps to get cypress knees. We would take them home and cooked them and took the bark off and made cypress knees lamps. We had to be crazy to go there not knowing alligators could be in there.
Oh my -- Vernon was telling me that too! That so funny. It's amazing that all these trails have alligators that can come up on them but there doesn't seem to be any incidents of people getting eaten! Most of the trails are either wide and paved or crushed stone out in the open.
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