A friend and I agreed to meet early one morning to drive through the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Talk about a comedy of errors! First, we planned our adventure for a day that the Drive is closed. Next, the park where we were to meet has closed the part of the park that allows access […]
Since our New Year’s Day hike was such a success, we followed it up with a Hogmanay Hike at Flat Island Preserve. Led by by Tracy Hauserman and Marc Crail of the Lake County Water Authority on a day that was gray and dreary, we had an otherwise ideal morning for hiking — low humidity, […]
Calling all birders! The 2021 Great Backyard Bird Count will be held from Friday, Feb. 12 through Monday, Feb. 15. This event, co-hosted by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, National Audubon Society and Birds Canada, is a great opportunity for birders of all levels to contribute to our understanding of bird populations. https://ebird.org/homeTo participate, you […]
I wanted to observe Women’s History Month with a list of women naturalists. While there are long lists of white women and their contributions, I was surprised at how much effort it took to find non-white women and their contributions. But: there’s no shortage of exciting reading about the contributions of women of color naturalists […]
Most folks who have followed my Panhandle adventures already know that one thing I really love is a carnivorous plant. I will drive hours out of my way if someone tells me there’s a pitcher plant to be seen . . . so when Sharol and I visited Bald Point State Park and one of […]
New Year’s Day 2021 was amazing. We had thought to do a short guided hike at Crystal River Archaelogical State Park (read about that here), but it turned into a day of short hikes, and it’s hard to say which was our favorite! Mullet Hole Mullet Hole is visible from the road leading to the […]
Oh, St. Andrews State Park! Over 30 years ago, I first saw this barrier island which protects an area of the Big Bend region of the Florida Panhandle. My husband and I were newlyweds, and he was on a business trip to Port. St. Joe. I was lucky enough to be able to join him […]
Apalachicola, originally named Cottonton, and then West Point, is found where the Apalachicola River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s just west of the halfway point between Jacksonville and Pensacola. The Hitchoti Indian words “apalachi” (on the other side) and “okli” (people) probably meant something like “people on the other side of the river.” […]
This will be my last campaign entry here at My Exquisite Florida, but I feel strongly enough about this race that I’m using every opportunity to speak to District voters. If you’re not a District voter, my apologies. The North Lake Hospital District was created by the Florida Legislature and adopted by District voters in 2016. The […]
Fall 2020 is Panhandle season for My Exquisite Florida! We’ve just returned from a four night trip camping in our pop-up at a private campground in Port St. Joe, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be leaving for a two week romp based out of a tent in two different state parks. While we […]
Goals! Let me begin by saying that every Florida family should have an annual pass to the Florida State Forests. At less than $1/week, and admitting up to 6 people on each pass, it is the deal of the week, no – the month, no – the year, no – really the CENTURY! You just […]
If you read this post, you know that Steve and I, led with confidence by our friend Dee Bradshaw, rescued a Great Horned Owl (now named Kevin) on a recent hike in the Tiger Bay State Forest. As we neared the end of our hike (we could literally see the end of the trail!), we […]
Steve and I have begun a new adventure together, and it’s one that will guide many of our land-based trips for the rest of this year and well into next. You know that we are big fans of State Forests, and while I was doing some research for an upcoming Panhandle trip, I was reminded […]
Well, this is a step out of my comfort zone, and definitely not subject matter that I normally include in this blog. Please ignore the article if you are not interested. Here’s a second blog post about my campaign. Here is a link to a candidate forum that contrasts me with my opponent. If you […]
