Animal Kingdom

The last time I attended this scientific conference in person was four years ago in Atlanta. Due to the pandemic, the next three were virtual. However, this year we are back to "normal" along with thousands of other attendees in Orlando. 

My colleagues and I flew in yesterday, but instead of going with them to check into our hotel next to the convention center, I rented a car and headed about 45 minutes east to Titusville. I was a little nervous about driving and staying overnight solo, but when chasing national park units, you gotta do what you gotta do...

Taking FL-528 (toll road) to FL-407 to I-95, I arrived at my hotel with daylight to spare. I dumped my stuff off in the room and then headed straight back out for dinner at Sonny's BBQ nearby, which is a regional chain. After a long day of travelling, the brisket grilled cheese sandwich hit the spot!

Even with the three-hour time difference, surprisingly I had no problems getting up early this morning. After grabbing breakfast and checking out, I was in the car and on my way to Merritt Island and Canaveral National Seashore. Since I had to be back in Orlando by late afternoon, I didn't have enough time to squeeze in a visit to Kennedy Space Center, too. Guess I'll just have to force myself to come back again with R! 😜

Unit # 164!

Besides checking off another NPS unit and getting stamps, my ultimate goal for today was to see manatees. So my first stop was actually at the visitor center for Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge to ask where to find them. Then I continued straight down the road to the entrance station for the Playalinda District, where I purchased my annual interagency pass ($80) and got my first stamp!

Driving towards the beach, I stopped at several pullouts, where I had good views of Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complexes 39A and 39B in the distance...

...as well as several different kinds of birds and an alligator! Bonus!

Common gallinule and American alligator

Since it was only 9:30AM on a Saturday morning, the beaches weren't too crowded.

Thankfully I didn't have to worry about accidentally stumbling onto this section of beach because the road was closed beyond Parking Area 8.

Heading back out, I stopped to take more pics of the gator because it had moved closer to shore. These shots made it totally worth lugging my DSLR with me on this trip!

Tricolored heron (juvenile)

I decided not to take Bio Lab Road along Mosquito Lagoon because it was gravel and stayed on Kennedy Parkway up to the Manatee Observation Deck at Haulover Canal instead. There were several of them visible in a small pool off the main waterway. So fun to watch them swim around, but I had "Silly Songs with Larry" running through my head the whole time!

"Barbara Manatee, you are the one for me..."

From here, I continued north to US-1. In Oak Hill, I saw the sign for Seminole Rest and decided to make a detour to check it out. I knew that there was a stamp here, but I assumed that I wouldn't be able to get it due to limited hours. Fortunately for me, a ranger was on site today and the bookstore was open, so I ran back to the car to get my passport pages to collect my stamp!

Seminole Rest, constructed prior to 1888, is located on top of a 13-foot high shell midden, which is where the Timucua people discarded clam shells from their seasonal harvesting. The mound, known as Snyder's Mound, dates as early as 2000 BCE (Before Common Era), though the most inhabited period was likely 800-1100 CE. I learned that there used to be numerous shell mounds like this one throughout the area, but most were leveled when the shells were taken to provide fill for roads and railroad beds. 

Back on US-1, I drove north to New Smyrna Beach, then south on Route A1A to the Apollo Beach Visitor Center (and more stamps). I found out from the ranger on duty that a volunteer had just left to open Eldora State House for the afternoon, so I headed there next. From the parking lot, it was about a quarter-mile walk to what once was the village of Eldora.

My last stop in Canaveral NS was Turtle Mound, another shell midden like Seminole Rest which had been protected from destruction. I hiked to the observation platform on top of the mound, where I was treated to some great views!

Mosquito Lagoon (left) and the Atlantic Ocean (right)

Since it was now a little after 1:00PM, I started the drive back to MCO to return the rental and get back to the actual reason for being here - WORK. So glad to have had the opportunity to see all I got to see today!