My Okefenokee and Cape Romano Trip Lots of Pics

[Rolling Stone]

Hi all,

I just returned from a very rewarding kayak based adventure in the Okefenokee Swamp in SE Georgia and Cape Romano in SW Florida. Both parts of the trip were equally full of wildlife and water. I spent two days in the swamp, one on the east side at Suwanee Canal near Folkston, Ga and the other at Stephen Foster State Park near Fargo, Ga. I had been dreaming of a paddle into the swamp for the last 20 years but just never managed to pull it off, finally the dream came true. Enjoy the pics. My nephew joined me for the first day and had a good time as well.

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135373684-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135373773-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135373893-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374098-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374155-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374311-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374429-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375906-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375769-L-3.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375820-L-3.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/136222869-L-1.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135376028-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135376043-L-4.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135376154-L-4.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135376168-L-2.jpg

Part II

Cape Romano

Leaving port at Goodland, Florida

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374480-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374531-L-2.jpg

A little ways out into Gullivan Bay I encountered a nest with quite a special youngster in it. His parent had just brought him a meal of what looked like a redfish. Here's a few snaps of the future terror of the flats.

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135873102-L.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374492-L-3.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374502-L-3.jpg

I spent a fair amount of time watching the youngster before moving along to my campsite for the night. I still had another 4.5 miles to paddle at this point so I really had to hustle as it was getting late.

The next shots are from land's end on the west coast of Florida, from this point it is about 70 miles to Key West. As you will see, it is a busy place and I had a hard time finding a place to set up my hammock for the night.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374631-L-2.jpg

The beach is made of shells that haven't yet turned to grains of sand.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374640-L-2.jpg

The wind was blowing pretty heavily off the gulf so I elected to camp on the bay side for the evening. The wind actually shifted and I had occasional gusts during the night that would gently rock the hammock. Very pleasant under the full moon and stars on a tropical island.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374694-L-2.jpg

Had a dolphin for company for most of the evening, apparently the fishing was good.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374726-L-2.jpg

I took a walk to the other side of the island and found some interesting stuff, don't know the whole story on it but I will find out. Main reason for the walk was to capture the gulf sunset.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374846-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374788-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374747-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374950-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374935-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374975-L-2.jpg

Time to settle in for the night
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374732-L-2.jpg

Moon rise
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375028-L-2.jpg

Visitor's during the night
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375038-L-2.jpg

Sunrise isn't far away in time.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375068-L-2.jpg

The view from the hammock
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375079-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375120-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375151-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375187-L-2.jpg

Shortly after sunrise I loaded everything back up and headed back to port with a visit to a few of the 10,000 islands on the way in. So many places to camp and so little time.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375223-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375250-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375269-L-2.jpg

I got the boat loaded back onto the car and headed to Chokoloskee to this place for some a fine lunch. Ummmmmmmmmm, black beans and rice, fresh breaded grouper and a salad with a mango style dressing. Holy cow it was good.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375321-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375336-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375379-L-2.jpg

I had friends visit for lunch.
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375398-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375424-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375495-L-2.jpg

http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135375468-L-2.jpg

Well that's about it for this trip, see ya again soon.

Randy

[JESTER]

Randy, It looks like you had an awesome trip. Very good series of photos. It looks like the alligator population is doing fine. Looks like you got up close and personal on a few of those photos. I can't tell you which is my favorite because I like so many.

[ivar]

Wow, you've got some great shots, and it looks like you had some fun trips! :clap

Love the bird with the fish. Wildlife around Goodland/Cape Romano is actually quite good. Plenty of birds, gators, dolphins. Did you get to see the manatees as well? sometimes there are whole packs (schools? what is the right word?) of them.


You've actually made me very happy as well. I've always wanted to know what the bubble houses looked like from up close. I've spend hundreds of hours above them, but never really got to see them on the ground.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/136246392-L.jpg
(pardon the quality of the image, flying and taking photos is not always easy :lol3 )


This photo is pretty cool too, looking towards the bubbles:
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374788-S-2.jpg

The wooden poles used to be a foundation for another square wooden house. There are (were?) a lot more poles. It got torn down because water kept eating up the beach. The beach got narrow there, and the foundation became too weak I believe. (It's just to the left, out of frame, in the picture I posted above)

Great shots, from a great trip. Thanks for posting :thumb

[Rolling Stone]

Wow, you've got some great shots, and it looks like you had some fun trips! :clap

Love the bird with the fish. Wildlife around Goodland/Cape Romano is actually quite good. Plenty of birds, gators, dolphins. Did you get to see the manatees as well? sometimes there are whole packs (schools? what is the right word?) of them.


You've actually made me very happy as well. I've always wanted to know what the bubble houses looked like from up close. I've spend hundreds of hours above them, but never really got to see them on the ground.

http://www.smugmug.com/photos/136246392-L.jpg
(pardon the quality of the image, flying and taking photos is not always easy :lol3 )


This photo is pretty cool too, looking towards the bubbles:
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374788-S-2.jpg

The wooden poles used to be a foundation for another square wooden house. There are (were?) a lot more poles. It got torn down because water kept eating up the beach. The beach got narrow there, and the foundation became too weak I believe. (It's just to the left, out of frame, in the picture I posted above)

Great shots, from a great trip. Thanks for posting :thumb

I actually just got off the phone with the young man who now owns the bubbles. He bought 6 acres of the point and is fully aware that sometimes he'll have 10 acres and sometimes he'll have nothing. Right now it's in the expansion stage which your picture shows. He has fixed the very back one into a liveable shelter and spends lots of time down there. He plans on jacking them up to another twelve feet and putting giant piers under them so they will survive the worst of storms. I wished him luck. :D

[Snarcher]

are you kidding me?? you were in a Kayak with alligators?!? OLOLOL omg!! did you get bit a lot???

is there a back -story to the bubble houses? military??

[Rolling Stone]

are you kidding me?? you were in a Kayak with alligators?!? OLOLOL omg!! did you get bit a lot???

is there a back -story to the bubble houses? military??

Built in early 80's and were in the center of the island at that point, family supposedly lived there full time. A few hurricanes later and the rest is history. Beach is actually building outward again but most of the lots that folks own are now underwater by quite a ways.

[Tee Why]

What an interesting trip. Glad you didn't have any problems with the gators.

[StevenV]

crowded. no place to hang your hammock. yea, right, we're feeling your pain here :cry :wink

Randy, it's great that you finally got to fulfill your dream, and what a wonderful set of images... thanks so much for sharing them with us. :thumb If you don't mind me asking, which island did you end up overnighting on?

[Rolling Stone]

crowded. no place to hang your hammock. yea, right, we're feeling your pain here :cry :wink

Randy, it's great that you finally got to fulfill your dream, and what a wonderful set of images... thanks so much for sharing them with us. :thumb If you don't mind me asking, which island did you end up overnighting on?

I stayed on the Gullivan Bay side of Cape Romano Island.

[StevenV]

I stayed on the Gullivan Bay side of Cape Romano Island.
wow, that's quite a paddle. (no, I've not been there, but I can peep at google maps :-) and I've done some paddling on the Carolina coast as well as many canoe miles on rivers)

[Rolling Stone]

wow, that's quite a paddle. (no, I've not been there, but I can peep at google maps :-) and I've done some paddling on the Carolina coast as well as many canoe miles on rivers)

It was about 7 miles from the boat ramp and I meandered amongst the keys a bit. According to the GPS, we did 15 miles on our first day in the Okee, that was my nephews first trip and he was a real trooper, he didn't have any trouble sleeping that night. :D

[sarahcsu]

Interesting trip. Thanks for sharing. Sunset shots were the best for me. :barb

[kdog]

Two comments:

1) Spectacular photography
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135376154-M-4.jpg


2) Are you freakin' nuts!? :yikes
http://twin-pines-farm.smugmug.com/photos/135374098-M-2.jpg

Ya gots guts, kid. :rofl
-joel

[photoj]

Great shots...I enjoyed the shots of the gators in the water.

[z_28]

Great trip and photos too !!!

Swimming with alligators - that's FUN :barb

I was once in same area - on barrier island between Naples and Marco Island.
Amazing area - view as millions years ago - just beach, trees, palms and big water.
Beautiful place to be in beautiful weather.

In bad weather ...
There is 1000 miles of Gulf ahead and 100 miles of alligator swamps behind,
and you are on 3 ft high, 200 yards wide ground, enjoy ...

Thanks for sharing Rolling Stone :bow

[odi]

the third could have been an interesting landscape without the man