Sometimes getaways are mapped out and planned. Sometimes not so much. That was the case with The Way Eye See It's adventure to the Ocala National Forest, which began with the usual "where should we go?" conversation the night before. We named a few local spots, but didn't feel inspired by them. Then Anna suggested Ocala National Forest, and we both knew that's where we had to go. We'd both been feeling the need to escape, and not just to any old local place. Sometimes the urge to get away means traveling further than you own back yard.
Established in 1908, the Ocala National Forest is, at approximately 383,000 acres, Florida's second largest forest, after Apalachicola National Forest near Tallahassee. Because it's so huge, we knew we'd see only a scrap of what it has to offer. With that in mind, we decided to drive along the Florida Black Bear Scenic Highway, a National Scenic Highway, passing through the heart of the forest. We did attempt to get a map at the rangers' station, but it was closed, so we let Mother Nature guide us.
There are four natural springs in the forest, and we followed signs to Juniper Springs, which is a campground and recreation area. There's also a pretty cool mill with functioning waterwheel, which was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930's.
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| CCC-built Mill |
It's a beautiful area, lush and green and filled with butterflies: Zebra Longwings, Easter Giant Swallowtails, and Giant Swallowtails.
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| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
We walked the 3/4 mile nature trail past the mill and into the forest, and looked out over the spring, with its bubbles and boils (like Yellowstone). We heard lots of birds in the pines and oaks, and really hoped to see a Florida Scrub Jay, but everyone remained out of sight. The only visible wildlife was a decent-sized gator snoozing half-submerged in the water. In that part of the spring, there are patches so white, they're icy-looking.
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| icy-looking patches |
From Juniper, we headed east, and came across The Yearling Trail, which was exciting. We're both Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings fans, so we couldn't resist walking at least a little bit of the trail. It's where "The Yearling" was filmed, and, I read later, there are historic structures along the way. This trail also intersects with the Florida Trail, a state-wide trail system Anna and I often talk about walking. We passed a pile of scat as we walked, and I asked Anna if she knew what it was. The Ocala National Forest has the highest concentration of Florida Black Bears in the state, and we knew it wasn't bear scat. But, when Anna replied, "Well, hell, I don't know!" it confirmed we need to be more prepared for real hiking!
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| Yearling Trail |
Back on the highway, we drove until we came across Silver Glen recreation area, where a dozen turkeys were cruising around. We then turned onto the dirt trail to Shanty Pond, and what a gorgeous drive. Blooming golden rod lined the path, and gulf fritillaries fed on the flowers. We kept ears and eyes tuned to scrub jays, but still no luck, and no black bears, either. Since we weren't sure how long this trail was, and hadn't reached Shanty Pond after a few miles, we decided to turn around and head back the to the highway. It was gettting late anyway, and time to go home.
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| Gulf Fritillary |
Driving and walking through the forest was even more restorative than either of us had expected, and what a great day it turned out to be. Our spontaneity definitely paid off. Even traveling mapless paid off. Sometimes not all who wander are lost.
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| I-75 Sunset |
"Look deep into nature and you will find the answer to everything." Albert Einstein
