This is the second time we have been to Manatee Springs, and we will be back! The campground is excellent and the springs and boardwalk are very cool. It is a short stream from the springs to the lovely Suwannee River, but don’t underestimate it. Depending on the time you come, there will be opportunities to see a large variety of wildlife. This site lists 179 species of birds sighted: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L127260. Of course, there are manatees which we were fortunate to see. This is a place for kayaking, swimming, picnicking, hiking and diving, so it is a popular spot.
We hiked a beautiful trail through the park, then went to dinner at Suwannee Belle Landing, a very good restaurant on the river. Using a shuttle service to take us up stream, we kayaked the Suwannee for two hours down to the springs. I wasn’t too excited about floating what seemed to be a docile river with little wildlife, so I didn’t take a camera. As luck would have it, I was once again proven wrong. The Suwanee is a beautiful river teeming with wildlife. We watched 50 Ibis fly into the trees, herons along the edges of the river, fish jumping, black vultures migrating and a tree full of wood storks. Sometimes it’s nice just to float along and enjoy the ride! Next time we will take a longer float and take the camera.
Suwanee River at duskBelle LandingAlligator tacosKey lime pie
How will I ever catch up?! After a few days on the road to Florida, my computer got drunk and became completely worthless. It all started with good intentions as I poured a healthy glass of wine and opened the cabinet above the table to get A&K music player. Caution! Things may have moved during travel! A book tumbled out of the cabinet, spilling the wine all over everything, including the computer. In such a hurry, I threw paper towels on the table to soak it up. It was dripping on the floor and couch. What a mess! Thankfully, the computer was closed as I grabbed a dish towel and wiped it off. Maybe it would have been OK if I hadn’t turned it upside down and sideways while drying it. Then, of course, it was covered with sticky, red wine residue, so I wiped it with a damp cloth – bad idea.
After everything was in order, I opened the computer, but it wouldn’t come on. I plugged it in, but it wouldn’t take a charge. I pushed the on/off button repeatedly until it finally came on……..briefly, but then went off. Drunken fool! I suddenly remembered previous thoughts of backing up, but ignored them. My last backup was from home a week ago. That won’t do me any good for four more weeks of travel.
A quick search took me to The Apple Core in Sarasota, Florida, rated 4.7 by 181 people. I called and talked to a very friendly and reassuring Mylissa. Since we were traveling, she told I could drop it off, and they would send it to me once it was repaired. On our way to Manatee Springs State Park, I took it into The Apple Core. Mylissa was busy talking to a couple at a small table to the left. Nick Nmey was talking on the phone while two young children played on the steps behind the counter. After the phone call, Nick listened to my problem. He said I shouldn’t have forced it to turn back on, which just gave it more more chance to arc or short circuit. He said some chips would have to be replaced, maybe the board and maybe the computer, but he felt confident he could restore it. I gave him the go ahead, and he took it over to his desk and opened it up. He called me over to see the inside, where there were still little puddles of wine and a couple of areas where it arced.
It takes a great deal of trust to leave your computer in someone’s hands. I thought of all my passwords, all my financial information, all my notes and all my pictures. But this is what he does for a living, and he is very busy, and they have a 4.7 rating by 181 people. I left it and headed for Manatee Springs.
My main purpose for the trip to Florida was to see Lew Farber and have him put more solar panels on the Airstream. Heading down I95, we stopped at Smith’s Red and White at the Dortches exit for some sausage Kelly told us about. He said it is the best, and we were looking forward to it. We took three days to get to Naples, staying in Little PeeDee State Park, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Keystone Heights and Collier Seminole State Park. Martha planned the trip, and we liked all of these parks.
Little PeeDee StateMike Roess Gold Head Branch State ParkMike Roess Gold Head State ParkCollier Seminole State ParkWood Stork
I am on a photography workshop with my friend Mark Zablotsky (https://www.markzphotoworkshops.com) touring and photographing some of the most scenic places in West Virginia. We made several stops on our drive with Mark in the lead and Kevin and I following in our cars.
On our drive from Valley Falls to Blackwater Falls State Park, we stopped a couple of times, including a stop at Archie’s Barbecue, 25259 Garrett Hwy, McHenry, MD 21541. If you are traveling this way, Archies is a happening. Closed inside, a couple told us it was a drive-through during Covid, so we drove around, not noticing the big menus on two sides of the building. We finally figured it out and placed our order. Ten minutes later a young man brought our orders out to one of the picnic tables out front. Soon others drove up, and like us, tried to order from a window in the front. The friendly couple directed them to the drive-through, and we told them where the menus were. Shortly, there were cars and trucks driving up from all three directions. It seemed we were in the middle of nowhere, but it was obviously a hot spot. The food was great, though a bit expensive, but they piled it on. I would certainly go back.
We had some great discussions about “Border Patrol”. “Do you want the weed sticking out? Do you want the blob in the water? Can you crop the picture to clean it up?” One I will forever remember as I was walking away to shoot: “Don’t blow out the highlights Greg.”
It is interesting how fall colors were great in some places while others had barely started. I love shooting barns, and we found some, but traveling in a caravan of three cars, we couldn’t find a safe place to pull over in most places.
