DAY #154
Hung around the park today. I noticed the trailer was sitting crooked and decided to correct it. It meant putting all the stabilizers up, hooking the trailer to the truck, and moving it around to a better spot. I knew when I first parked the trailer it was at somewhat of an angle, just didn’t think it was as pronounced as it was. After that, I was energized and decided to do a bit of a walk about. Started out by taking a walk along one of the trails in the park. The trail was a short one at a little under two miles with one fourth of it consisting of a boardwalk over the wet, boggy, ground. While not challenging, it was an enjoyable walk along level ground, I really got a kick out of the woodpeckers, there were two of them.
After the walk, I proceeded over to the ‘trading post’ marina where I was catching a boat to take me on a 90-minute cruise of the Okefenokee. The cost was only $15.00 which was very reasonable and included a park naturalist to help give a better understanding of the swamp.
There was only three of us on the cruise, a couple and myself. Kind of like having it all to oneself. Off we went, with our custom-built skiff boat plying into the infamous Okefenokee Swamp…
The cruise turned out to be an informative and enjoyable (if low key) time. The weather was beautiful, the waters smooth, and the guide knowledgeable. The color of the water is the color of dark tea which makes it look deeper than it really is, the water in the swamp is only eight feet at its deepest. I was surprised at the number of alligators seen on our relatively short time spent on the water. The naturalist told us that they estimate over 12,000 alligators call the Okefenokee home.
I ended the day by going into Fargo and eating at the one and only restaurant in town. On the way into town and outside of the Refuge, I got the opportunity to see my second Bobcat (so freakin cool!). It ran across the road ahead of me. Judging by its size, it must have been a younger one compared to the one seen yesterday on the Suwannee Sill.
The restaurant experience in town was much like the food, it was OK. The waitperson was kind of odd. It was super busy, but she seemed to be almost in a fog as she went about doing her job, maybe she hurt her back and needed to take some oxycontin for the pain, yea I’m sure that’s it. Hey, I’m not judging, just observing what I see (OK, maybe a little judging).
Before leaving the Refuge and on the way into Fargo, I took a quick cruise down the Suwannee Sill to see if anything was happening. I did happen to meet some guys who gave me the low-down about the place.
I didn’t even see this guy while I was taking a photo of the big gators across the river. I could almost bend down and pick him up, but something in his eyes told me no-no, so I settled for a couple of photos.
Growing up, I had read and heard stories about the Okefenokee Swamp, and dreamt that someday, I’d get the chance to go there. Well boys and girls, reporting from the Okefenokee Swamp, dreams do come true.
The Journey. 