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Vol. 1 - Florida & Southeast 11/08
Vol. 2 - the Southwest 11/09
Day 73, Camp 18 - Highland's Hammock State Park, Sebring, FL
Posted 02-18-2009 at 03:04 PM by Phantom
2009/01/23
Day 73, Camp 18 (4 nights @ $20 per nite)
Highland's Hammock State Park
Sebring, FL
ALL PHOTOS RELATED TO THIS BLOG
ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW AT:
Picasa Web Albums - Phantom
Friday, 1/23 we pulled down Hwy 27 to Sebring, FL., a short run of about 40 miles.
Found Highland's Hammock St. Pk. about 4 miles East of the main drag. We pulled into our reserved site (reserved over the internet.... 'ReserveAmerica'). Our site was at he end of the loop, in the back of the campground, a pretty open and crowded RV park. No privacy.
Later we found out there was a 'primitive' camping area a mile down a dirt road, across from the main campground. It would have been a lot more quiet, but still not real private, one-campsite-to-the-next.
The Park was neat and had about eight trails, all short, plus a CCC museum, concession with good food, tram tour and several different habitats. It was interesting in that the three major types of Hammocks are all found within Highland's Hammock State Park... Hydric, Mesic and Xeric, depending on how wet they are. North Florida hammocks have the greatest number of tree and shrub species per acre,
of all temperate forests in the continental United States! We hiked every trail.
One night we listened to part of a dry ranger talk about 'Creatures of the Night'... which turned into a scientific explanation of the cones and rods in eyes. We listened to a bit of a local bluegrass duo. The campsite was visited each evening by Armadillos. The closest we had been to them. Sitting still in my chair, one walked right under me. I couldn't resist reaching down as it passed, touching its scaly back and tail. It squealed and jumped and took off for the underbrush! The squirrels were cute and hungry. They have Gray squirrels down here... and a few Fox squirrels... which they call 'Monkey-face' squirrels! That's mostly what we have up in Michigan, and I've never heard them called that! On one trail, we heard feral hogs squealing loudly in the near-distance (oxymoron?)... sounded like someone thought it was mating season and someone else disagreed. Donna took off down the trail as fast as she could go. I stood still beside a large live oak. Soon their sounds came nearer. Then I could see them going back and forth in the brush, very slowly approaching the trail. I stood very still, ready to photograph. Finally they peeked out onto the trail and stepped out of the brush... about 15 feet away from me. As I began to click away, they turned and saw me.... squealed and jumped and took off into the brush! Must be a common reaction to seeing a wild and terrifying creature like me on a trail...
. Spent a day visitiing with Cindy and Al... our co-grandparents to Donna's youngest daughter. Visited their condo and the old, historic hotel in downtown Sebring. Rode around and stopped at an orange orchard out in the boonies (Maxwell's I believe). Best oranges and juice I've ever had.
Day 73, Camp 18 (4 nights @ $20 per nite)
Highland's Hammock State Park
Sebring, FL
ALL PHOTOS RELATED TO THIS BLOG
ARE AVAILABLE FOR VIEW AT:
Picasa Web Albums - Phantom
Friday, 1/23 we pulled down Hwy 27 to Sebring, FL., a short run of about 40 miles.
Found Highland's Hammock St. Pk. about 4 miles East of the main drag. We pulled into our reserved site (reserved over the internet.... 'ReserveAmerica'). Our site was at he end of the loop, in the back of the campground, a pretty open and crowded RV park. No privacy.
Later we found out there was a 'primitive' camping area a mile down a dirt road, across from the main campground. It would have been a lot more quiet, but still not real private, one-campsite-to-the-next.
The Park was neat and had about eight trails, all short, plus a CCC museum, concession with good food, tram tour and several different habitats. It was interesting in that the three major types of Hammocks are all found within Highland's Hammock State Park... Hydric, Mesic and Xeric, depending on how wet they are. North Florida hammocks have the greatest number of tree and shrub species per acre,
of all temperate forests in the continental United States! We hiked every trail.
One night we listened to part of a dry ranger talk about 'Creatures of the Night'... which turned into a scientific explanation of the cones and rods in eyes. We listened to a bit of a local bluegrass duo. The campsite was visited each evening by Armadillos. The closest we had been to them. Sitting still in my chair, one walked right under me. I couldn't resist reaching down as it passed, touching its scaly back and tail. It squealed and jumped and took off for the underbrush! The squirrels were cute and hungry. They have Gray squirrels down here... and a few Fox squirrels... which they call 'Monkey-face' squirrels! That's mostly what we have up in Michigan, and I've never heard them called that! On one trail, we heard feral hogs squealing loudly in the near-distance (oxymoron?)... sounded like someone thought it was mating season and someone else disagreed. Donna took off down the trail as fast as she could go. I stood still beside a large live oak. Soon their sounds came nearer. Then I could see them going back and forth in the brush, very slowly approaching the trail. I stood very still, ready to photograph. Finally they peeked out onto the trail and stepped out of the brush... about 15 feet away from me. As I began to click away, they turned and saw me.... squealed and jumped and took off into the brush! Must be a common reaction to seeing a wild and terrifying creature like me on a trail...
. Spent a day visitiing with Cindy and Al... our co-grandparents to Donna's youngest daughter. Visited their condo and the old, historic hotel in downtown Sebring. Rode around and stopped at an orange orchard out in the boonies (Maxwell's I believe). Best oranges and juice I've ever had.
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