March 22, 2006

March 22, 2006

Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia

YEAR 2 DAY 278

 

Today was sunny and warm, with much less humidity.

This morning we headed for Okefenokee Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, about 20 miles south of our campground. First stop was the Post Office in Folkston. I needed to buy some postage and mail Misty Venture's 2005 T-5 Summary. We drove south on Hwy. 121 to the Okefenokee Swamp. We looked around the Visitor Centre, then watched a short film in their theatre. I walked out back behind the Visitor Centre to look at the swamp. WHOA ... there was an alligator lying in the water near the shore. I walked to the water's edge and took a photo, as a Park Ranger came over and suggested to me that I move back a bit. I was about 10 feet from the alligator. The Ranger advised me that ; 1. alligators can move at 35 M.P.H., and 2. alligators bite !

We drove slowly around the 8 mile Swamp Island Drive. At the end of the drive, we parked, and ate our picnic lunch before going on the boardwalk hike through the swamp. We saw an alligator, a large turtle, and quite a few small Anole Lizards. HA HA HA ! They are coloured a bright green, like the moss and ferns of the swamp, and they look fluorescent when they are on the pressure treated wood of the boardwalk. Until you approach them, when they instantly turn brown, matching the colour of the boardwalk. WOW ... KEWL ! ! ! I took many photos of the swamp. At the end of the boardwalk there was a 4 storey tall lookout tower. We climbed to the top, and got a "bird's eye" view of the swamp.

We drove from the boardwalk hike to a historic old homestead and farm. The farm house was closed for the day, but we walked around the farm yard, viewing the exterior of the old farm house, and outbuildings. What an odd idea ... building a house, and farming, in a swamp. While driving back towards the Visitor Centre and park entrance, we found a huge alligator on the side of the road. We stopped and took some photos. Joanne took photos out her window, then I climbed out of my side of the truck, and onto the storage chest in the box of the truck to take more pictures. Big alligator !

Back at the Visitor Centre, Joanne wanted to go on the swamp tour boat ride. Reminded me of the Kia commercial from a few years back. AAAAAIIIIIEEEEE ! It was 4:55 P.M., and we were just in time for the 5:00 P.M. tour. The tour was a bit late, and our swamp boat left at 5:20. It was the last boat tour of the day, and the one hour tour stretched into about an hour and a half, turning our tour into the "sunset cruise". It was an interesting guided tour, although as the sun set, the temperature plummeted.

We drove back to Folkston, and decided to stop for a few groceries. We walked into what we thought was a grocery store, but it was a large pharmacy. The black female clerk gave us directions to the only grocery store in town. The directions were “mumble mumble mumble mumble Big J” That’s how Georgians sound to me. Back in the truck, I asked Joanne “did she say mumble mumble mumble mumble Big J” ? Joanne said “no, she said mumble mumble mumble mumble B J”. We found the grocery store. It was called Big J. Glad I was right !

Back at the trailer, we took care of the animals, and while Joanne prepared supper, I did today’s accounting, and started working on downloading and processing today’s photos. After supper I continued working on the photos while we watched TV. Hey ... great alligator photos ! After finishing the photos, I did today’s journal entry.

DSK