December 14th, 2008 Sandra Friend
On my way home from the Big O Hike, I took a few day’s detour to roam around lesser-known parts of the state to update my travel guide “South Florida: An Explorer’s Guide.” One of the especially lesser-known places is Ona, home of Solomon’s Castle. I was traveling with Michelle Phillips from Florida’s Freshwater Frontier, and we arrived at this gleaming edifice in the middle of the woods just as the clouds began to take on that hue we call “tornado weather” around here. Suffice to say the power went out and we spent a lot of time just sitting around chatting with Mr. Solomon about his unusual art.
What does this have to do with hiking, you’re wondering? Well, I’m happy to report that Hardee County, a place I thought pretty much barren of footpaths, has a couple. There’s one here at Solomon’s Castle. 
For lack of a particular name I’ll tag it the Horse Creek Nature Trail, since it’s a short hike - a half mile or less - that loops out from the parking area to the floodplain of Horse Creek, a tributary of the Peace River. It passes an oak of enormous girth, and follows the creek for some time before looping back to a marsh where an eerie boardwalk befitting the castle theme - the “drawbridge,” Mr. Solomon called it - zigzags back to the castle well above the swamp. Thanks to the weather, Michelle and I waited until a bit too late to do the walk and almost got caught out there in the dark. The Solomons said there used to be a full canopy of trees before Hurricane Charley hit - they were directly in the path of it - and they’d lost 3,000 trees on the property. There is no admission fee to hike the trail or roam the grounds, and it’s a lot of fun. Here’s more about Solomon’s Castle.
Posted in People, South | No Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 13th, 2008 Sandra Friend
I had the pleasure of participating in a once-in-a-lifetime event today, the community celebration of the Ocala National Forest’s Centennial. It’s hard to believe this popular recreational resource has only been protected as a National Forest for the past 100 years, but that’s so … back on November 24, 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt set aside this land for future generations, and here we are enjoying it. Thinking of those future generations ahead, part of today’s ceremony - which included a reading of that original declaration by President Roosevelt - was to prep a time capsule to be opened 100 years from now. I had the honor of representing the Florida Trail Association’s dedicated volunteers and hikers by placing a copy of the Florida 
Trail Official Map & Guide in the time capsule, for I do believe the trail will be fully completed and protected by then, and although I won’t be here to see it, my little niece Autumn, who was born three weeks ago, just might.
Today’s celebration went on from 9 AM to 3 PM and included guided hikes by master naturalist Jim Buckner, booths from many environmental organizations, including FTA, hands-on traditional crafts like candle-dipping run by Crones Cradle Conserve, kayaking on Mill Dam Lake (although it was a bit chilly for that), various vendors, and this whopping big birthday cake cut by our dignitaries and shared by all. I shot a few short videos during the day and will share them soon. Meanwhile, if you haven’t experienced the treasure we have here in Marion County in our Ocala National Forest, it’s about time you did! The USFS has a newly designed website with more info and maps than ever to help you figure out what you want to do in the Ocala: check it out at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/ocala/
Posted in Events, Florida Trail, News, People | No Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 13th, 2008 Sandra Friend
Now here’s a man with a plan. Joel, aka “Whitesnake,” a fellow hiker on WhiteBlaze, is working his way down the Florida Trail one weekend at a time. What a brilliant way to knock off a section hike! I did the “Big 360″ middle loop of the Florida Trail that way with my then-boyfriend “Solar Bear” and it took us about a year to do both the Eastern and Western Corridors that way, including all the roadwalks (more then than there is now!) I applaud Joel for making a plan and going at it. Keep up with his journal - which includes excellent video logs of his progress, and a “bucket list” of flora and fauna he hopes to encounter - at www.floridatrailproject.com.
Posted in Florida Trail, Hiking Sites, Video | No Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 11th, 2008 Sandra Friend
While spending the week in Jupiter for meetings, I’m taking whatever free time I can muster to explore places I haven’t hiked before. Juno Dunes Natural Area was acquired when I worked my way through here for “Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State,” but the only trail in place was the one on the beach side, accessed through Loggerhead Park. It’s a loop that leads to the highest point in Palm Beach County, at 44 feet above sea level, and yes, you can see the sea from there.
I was glad to have the chance on this trip to explore the western side of the preserve, accessed from a trailhead along US 1 in Juno Beach. The 1.5 mile loop is a real gem, not at all what you’d expect from the scene you see at the trailhead. From there, it looks like coastal scrub all the way to the Intracoastal Waterway. Not so. It’s a complex mosaic of habitats, and I won’t spoil the fun since I need to do a full writeup on this hike, but my favorite find was the patch of carniverous plants in the middle of the scrub. Now there’s a surprise!
Posted in South | 6 Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 11th, 2008 Sandra Friend
I’m heartened to hear that while I was attending the VISIT FLORIDA marketing retreat and committee meetings this week — where our state’s #1 trail status from American Trails was all the buzz — back in Tallahassee, our Governor Charlie Crist and his Cabinet signed a proclamation yesterday to recognize the Office of Greenways and Trails achievement in receiving this award. From the press release:
Governor Charlie Crist and the Florida Cabinet today signed a resolution recognizing the achievements of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) Office of Greenways & Trails (OGT) that have led to Florida’s newly acclaimed status as America’s “Best Trails State.” The award, the first “Best Trails State” ever awarded by American Trails, was presented to the OGT on November 17th, 2008 at the National Trails Symposium in Little Rock, Arkansas, recognizing Florida’s success in facilitating an outstanding statewide system of trails.
You can read the full text of the press release on the DEP site. Let us not forget, beyond what was said there, that we have our National Scenic Trail, the Florida Trail, our biking, equestrian, and off-road trails, and our Great Florida Birding Trail for sublime outdoor experiences. Time to shout this from our hilltops, friends … we’ve got fabulous trails, and our season is NOW !
Posted in Advocacy, Florida Trail, News | No Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 10th, 2008 Sandra Friend
Just got alerted to a thru-hiker out on the Florida Trail by trailname of Old Slo. Sounds like he’s been having quite the adventure, including getting lost - and calling in the ‘copters - in the middle of the Big Cypress Swamp. Hey, it’s a confusing place, I understand. His TrailJournal is descriptive and melodic, well worth following as he continues his journey north with almost-realtime updates. I love his easygoing pace and his little hiker buddy Nuts. Looks like he’ll be well past the Kissimmee River before I start my trip there after Christmas, but hopefully I’ll cross paths with him on my outings to North Florida and the Panhandle. Anyway, if you love following hiker journals, do not miss the Florida Trail adventures of Ole Slo!
Posted in Bloggers, Florida Trail, News, People, Related Sites | No Comments » Post to del.icio.us
December 10th, 2008 Sandra Friend
…is the answer to “The Mountains of Florida?” No, I wasn’t lying on the beach to take the shot. This unheralded spot just south of Blowing Rocks Preserve is a Palm Beach County public beach with spectacular rock formations.
While the rocks at Blowing Rocks are much taller and have serious sea caves in the bluffs, these are not as tall but just as rugged and more swiss-cheese in nature.
Every time I’ve been here the landscape looks different. On this visit, I found a natural bridge formation and this sea arch. The rock is the Anastasia Limestone of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, which outcrops at the beach several places between Stuart and here. Atop parts of it are living worm reefs created by marine worms. Coral Cove makes for a wonderful beach hike, especially for sunrise and sunset (the park closes at sunset). Admission is free. It’s along A1A on the south end of Jupiter Island.
Posted in South | 1 Comment » Post to del.icio.us
December 9th, 2008 Sandra Friend
Discovered this on my recent jaunt along the Big O Hike: as a hiker heads northbound from Lake Harbor to John Stretch Park … well, you can’t get there from here! Same for southbounders out of John Stretch. The issue: DOT is building a new set of highway bridges for US 27 over the Miami Canal. Thank goodness the pedestrian bridge is already in place while this heavy work is going on. The workaround: walk about 0.2 mile west / north along US 27 / SR 80 to get around the concrete barrier in the middle of the highway. Don’t try to just jump it … traffic doesn’t seem to be regarding the slow speed zone through the work site and you’d get lost in a driver’s vision due to all the construction junk all around. Safer to skirt it and enter John Stretch a bit further west than you planned to be. Be safe out there!
Posted in Florida Trail, South, Trail Conditions | 1 Comment » Post to del.icio.us
