Myakka State Park

After waking, we had morning beverages, did our language lessons and reviewed the protocol for leaving the Airbnb. After showering, we put all the towels in the washer, stripped the beds and put the linens in the hamper. We took the garbage and recycling curbside then loaded the dishwasher after our breakfast of cold cereal.

We loaded the truck and left the house a little after 8 am driving to Myakka River State Park. Mary and I had been here in 2021 and really enjoyed it. Unlike when we were here five years ago, we were too late to get passes to the Deep Hole, a remote lake with limited access where a lot of wildlife can be spotted. Only 30 passes per day are issued for the 4.5 mile hike out and back to the lake at Deep Hole.  A helpful volunteer at the visitor center gave us great tips on there we might have the best chance of seeing wildlife.

Mary & Cindy on the Canopy Walk

We started at the Canopy Walk Trail where we went across a suspended walking bridge between two towers. We found a couple of “gadget geocaches” that require some problem solving to access. At the weir area we saw several wading birds including three roseate spoonbills. We also saw a wild pig along the edge of the water. We drove on to Lake Myakka near the end of the road where we walked along the edge of the lake where we saw thousands of dead armored catfish, like the algae eating Plecostomus found in many freshwater aquariums. We later learned that cold water temperatures in early February had killed these invasive fish.

Cindy with a geocache we found

As we were leaving the park we decided to check the area near the park entrance where we had learned that caracara had been spotted. We walked around the area with no luck. We chatted with a couple who were also hoping to see and photograph the caracara. After about an hour of looking, we gave up and walked to the truck. As we were pulling out of the parking lot, a caracara flew over the truck. We were thrilled to see the large bird.

As we left the park, we decided to drive through Sarasota National Cemetery where we heard that sandhill cranes were seen. While taking a loop drive through the grounds we saw several small groups of the cranes walking through the gravesites and wading in the pond.

Sandhill crane at Sarasota National Cemetery

Our time in southern Florida was over, so we started driving back to Homosassa, arriving around 6 pm. We had garden salads with strips of steak leftover from Monday’s dinner. Mark’s vizsla, Sage, hadn’t been feeling well while we were gone. The dog sitter, Ian, said that she has been a little lethargic. It turns out that she had a badly infected right ear. Mark treated the ear with antibiotic ointment and drained the sore. We watched women’s curling at the Winter Olympics before turning in.

Geocaching at Myakka River State Park

Mary signs the log at a gadget cache

As in previous nights here, we slept very well last night. We turned in at 9 pm and were asleep before our heads hit the pillows. We awoke at 6 am and had the predicted raisin bran and yogurt breakfast then left for Myakka River State Park about 20 minutes away. We had been to Myakka on Thursday but didn’t come close to seeing everything that we wanted to see. This is a huge park with many miles of trails, so we decided to visit some hiking trails that we hadn’t been to before. We also thought that we might try to find a few of the many geocaches that are hidden in the park. The first cache that we found was a “gadget cache,” which is a container that may be easy to find but requires some problem solving to open. Mary had not been much of a geocaching enthusiast before, but the Myakka geocaches from Perez8, the cache owner really won her over. We spent most of the day finding geocaches on several trails. Before we knew it, we had found about two dozen geocaches and walked over seven miles in the park.

Cool gadget cache

We took a break for our standard Ritz cracker and peanut butter lunch then walked on a power line trail for a few last geocaches. Just as we started on the trail, we saw five huge turtles basking beside an alligator. We continued to the end of the trail where we found the cache and saw a red shouldered hawk sitting on a branch just a few feet above us.  As we noticed before, there was a lot of damage in the park from the feral hogs.  It is clear that the state park system is trying to eradicate the hogs, but their reproductive rate gives the pigs an advantage.  The ground in some areas appeared to have been tilled by a giant tractor.  

Wild hog trap

We left the park at 2 pm and drove back to the apartment where we showered and packed for our departure on Wednesday morning. At 6 pm we left for Walt’s Fish Market in Sarasota. Several people recommended it to us as the best seafood in this part of the state. Since Walt’s has been in business as a fish market and restaurant since 1918, we supposed that they must be doing something right. We arrived at 6:30 but learned that we would have about an hour wait for an outside table. That was fine with us since we were not in a hurry and we preferred to stay outside so we could remain socially distanced. We were seated at an outside table that was about 20 feet from another table. We both had the “choose two” basket options. Mary had local grouper and coconut shrimp with coleslaw and fries. I had the local oysters and clams with onion rings and fries. Neither of us finished our meals but split a slice of their key lime pie. Because the computers were out, we paid with cash to make things easier for our waitress. We both enjoyed our meals especially since it was our last Florida meal for at least a year.

Alligator basking in the afternoon sun

As always, our time in Florida was fantastic. Spending a week here each year in midwinter is just right for us. We always leave wishing we had just a few more days to spend here and planning for next year. Although we try to come to a different part of the state each year, we prefer the Gulf Coast over the Atlantic Coast since the weather tends to be warmer and more predictable in winter. We are hopeful that the COVID vaccines are effective and we can take more trips. We aren’t certain that we will be back to Florida next January since we may go out west or elsewhere. However, we certainly enjoy our time here.

We were very happy with our AirBnB apartment. The hosts parents who lived in the house on the property were pleasant and helpful. The apartment was clean and convenient to the things that we visited. The rental car, our 2021 Corolla, was just right for our needs and gave us great 41 mile per gallon fuel economy for our time here. Because most of our travel was confined to the Tampa Bay area, we didn’t drive nearly as much as in some years.

We were happy that we came when we did because the Tampa Bay Buccaneers made it to Super Bowl LV which, coincidentally, would be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Although attendance will be much lower due to COVID restrictions, it is certain that the area will be a much different scene in two weeks.

All in all, this was one of the better Florida vacations that we have taken. Part of the reason is the perfect weather we had this week, part was visiting dear friends that we seldom see and part was that we confined our travels to a limited area and spent less time driving. However, we were much more liberated on this trip. We didn’t have anything hanging over us at work or home when we returned. We were much more flexible in our scheduling and took time to enjoy each day. We would be leaving the state in the morning returning to snow and forecast temperatures in the teens. However, we can eagerly look forward to coming back and exploring other areas of the state. 

Deep Hole at Myakka River State Park

We both slept well at our AirBnB and were able to sleep until 6 am, which is an accomplishment for us. We had the raisin bran and yogurt that we bought at the Winn-Dixie last night. We decided to go to Myakka River State Park today since it is less than 10 miles from our apartment.

Birds and gators at Deep Hole

We arrived at the park and paid the $6 per car admission then checked on the trails in the park. The volunteer who checked us into the park suggested that we get a pass through the wilderness area to the area of the park known as “Deep Hole.” We were pleased to get there when we did because the park only permits 30 visitors per day into the wilderness area. After we got our passes there were only 2 passes available for the day, and we were there before 9 am.

Dozing alligator at Deep Hole

We drove the short distance to the parking area for the wilderness trailhead entering the code at the gate to gain entry. We packed cameras, water bottles, binoculars and bird identification guides and started on the walk. Most of the 2.5 mile walk to the deep hole is through a dry prairie that the park burns every two years to replicate the natural conditions of the prairie. There were more black vultures flying and roosting in trees than we have ever seen. We passed a few people on the trail, but with a limit of 30 per day it was not well traveled. After the 2.5 mile walk over the flat terrain, we passed by a small lake that was connected to a water filled sinkhole that is reported to be 140 feet deep. Several people stood near the Deep Hole watching and photographing the wildlife. About 100 alligators there, some swimming and others basking in the warm morning sun. Black vultures walked dangerously close to the snouts of alligators warming on the bank. Although we were hoping to see a scene from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the birds appeared to know just how close they could get.

Black vulture playing chicken

We were amazed at the variety of wading birds that were along the shore from several specials of egrets and herons to spoonbills, storks, pelicans, ibis and many others. We chatted with several people watching the birds and alligators then started on the 2.5 mile walk back to the parking area.

Once at the car we drove back to the visitor center, returned the wilderness pass and found a shady spot for a picnic lunch. The temperature was already in the upper 70, and we were both ready for lunch and a bottle of water. Our usual store brand Ritz crackers and creamy peanut butter made a good lunch along with an apple from last night’s shopping.

Mary at the Birdwalk

We drove to the end of the park where there is an area called The Outpost with a restaurant, canoe rentals and a gift shop. We didn’t stop but started driving back to a short trail called The Bird Walk. There were a lot of birds in the shallow marsh, although not as many as in the Deep Hole. However, this area was much more accessible requiring only a short walk on a pier rather than a 5 mile hike. Mary met a lady there from Versailles, Kentucky while I talked with Steve Minor in the cell phone. We hadn’t had a cell signal most of the day, so I took advantage of being able to reach him. We plan to visit them on Sunday. We were happy that we had worn shorts and T-shirts because the temperature seemed very warm.

Large turtle basking on the nature trail

Our last stop in Myakka River State Park was at the William S. Boylston Nature Trail. This nature trail is less than a mile long but has a Canopy Walk with a 76-foot-high tower and a suspended walkway in the palm forest. It was pretty neat. We met a group there from Braxton and Calhoun Counties in West Virginia. Although the trail wasn’t long, we spent some time reading the interpretative signage and generally exploring the area.  On this and most of the other trails in the park, we noticed a great deal of damage from wild hogs.  It is difficult to imagine the extent of the habitat damage these feral hogs are causing in the area.  

We enjoyed the bananas that we packed as we drove out of the park and back toward our apartment. We made a quick stop at a Target along the way to buy some fresh sunscreen.

We crashed at the apartment for a couple of hours before heading to dinner a little before 6 pm. Mary had read a review of J.R.’s Old Packinghouse that their Cuban sandwich was vote the best in the state of Florida. We took the short drive a few blocks to the restaurant and got a table outside on the front porch. Propane heaters were running despite what we believed was a warm evening. I got the special, blackened catfish over jambalaya, and Mary got the Cuban sandwich with tortilla chips. We both enjoyed our meals and shared a little of each other’s plates. The owner, J.R., came over to chat and was very pleasant making sure that we enjoyed our meals and felt welcome. We were pleased that the meal was less than $30.

We returned to the apartment and relaxed after the hikes of nearly 9 miles today and a large dinner. Tomorrow we hope to visit the home of the Ringling Brothers in Sarasota.