Driving north from Southwest Florida, my progress was marked by steadily declining temperatures. Leaving behind sunshine and 75-degree days for snow, sleet, and single digits was questionable at best. Days spent at the beaches of Siesta Key, golfing, hiking in a wildlife rich state park, and eating seafood dinners outside sure beats shoveling snow and waiting on the dreary days to depart.
Florida has been part of our family story since before I was born. A few family members moved down there from Indiana in the 1970s, and the rest of our family has been visiting regularly since. We’re now into the second generation of “snowbirds”. My parents set up shop each winter by near Anna Maria Island, as my grandparents did, but my uncle has a house his uncle originally bought on Lake Okeechobee. I was eight when I made my first trip Florida, and I haven’t missed a trip to the Sunshine State too many years since.
This trip was shorter than I would have liked. With only five full days in Florida, my teenage daughter and her friend, who was making her first trip to ocean, dominated the agenda with hitting three different beaches and every surf shop they could spy. Witnessing the excitement of Florida first timer was a treat. Not that I ever take the state for granted, it was fun to see someone fall in love with a place my family has held dear for so long. The awe of another for the sea, sand, and beach front communities renews one’s own sense of appreciation.
The day after a 20-hour drive, we all wanted to get outside as soon as possible. I was determined to show the girls some alligators, so we headed Myakka River State Park. This 58 square mile public property has served as a nature retreat for me on many Florida trips. This time was a little different because of damage caused by Hurricane Milton.
Myakka has a canopy walkway that literally takes you through the trees. The elevated platform allows you to be up close and personal to birds and other wildlife as you course through the treetops. The canopy walk is currently closed for repairs, so the girls didn’t experience this unique hiking opportunity. But we saw more alligators than expected. In only a couple of hours of driving and walking around, we saw at least two dozen gators swimming in the lake and river, lounging on the bank, and even one crossing the road.
It often surprises people to learn my father has never liked to hunt or fish. His father did, and his brother does, but neither bug ever bit him. Maybe that’s why it seems like I have a double dose of desire for both. Regardless, he had a golf club in my hands by the time I could walk, and I’ve enjoyed the sport ever since. Even though I played on my high school team and took part in a few junior tournaments, I never took golf too seriously. I suspect that’s why I casually enjoy it, while watching numerous grown men I know suffer with a golf addiction.
As much as I would have liked to spend a day on the Gulf of Mexico fishing, I instead took dad golfing for part of his Christmas present. The weather couldn’t have been more beautiful. It was a gorgeous day for golf, but every time there was water on a hole, I straining to see if I could spot a lunker largemouth cruising the bank. I didn’t wet a line on this trip, but I sure scouted a few impressive ponds I marked on a map and vowed to return after dark sometime in the future to drag a buzz bait along the edge of the lily pads.
The rest of this trip was spent seaside at the beach. Much of it with a good book in hand. It’s hard to believe my daughters are now the same age I was when I really fell in love with Siesta Key. Numerous trips were made to visit my grandparents during my college years. Grandma was always happy to have company and willing to buy a round at the Daiquiri Deck. Grandpa was always down for spring training baseball game or two, and a little brim fishing in the many ponds around their place.
Eras of my life are marked by different destinations in Florida, all associated with different people from my past. No matter how many years slip away, I continue to look forward to more and more time spent in what many may fail to realize is one of the best outdoor states in our country.
See you down the trail….
Brandon Butler
driftwoodoutdoors@gmail.com
Pic: Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida is a great place to observe birds, alligators, and other wildlife.
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