Oscar Scherer State Park, Osprey , FL.

  Sarasota, Florida, United States
Sunday, January 20, 2008

Jan. 20, 2008
Left Myakka State Park and headed over to Oscar Scherer State Park for a while. These Fl. state parks are easy to fall in love with and very diverse. While the vegetation is similar, the parks are laid out differently and the activities offered are varied.

driving in!

site # 58...nice and private

roomy

fire ring construction

mushroon born first morning at site

Palm tree trunk thacking

thatch up close

This park has a lake with an area roped off for swimming and an adjoining beach. There are miles of hiking trails and some access points to the river that leads to the intercostal. Once again, the drought conditions have caused the water to be down a few feet and that makes the access either impossible or difficult (with lots of mud between you and the water). This river is affected by the inter coastal waters it feeds into so the tides are in some way to account for the higher and lower water levels. We will need to be aware of the tide schedules to use the access points well. One of the things that we are finding common is the oyster beds that can slice up inflatable kayaks when they are encountered. Now that's only what we have heard, since we have yet to get into our inflatables for one pathetic reason or another.

But biking and hiking are just fine with us for now and the weather has warmed up to the 70s. The nights are cool and comfortable for sleeping and the days have been sweet with the occasional rain shower.

Jodie is about to be done with preparing our feast, so I'm outta hear. Tonight's menu includes: tossed green salad, baked sweet potatoes, pork loin and pineapple with an apricot sauce. Yeah, "camping" is all about roughing it and spartan meals- not... when Jodie is around.

Jodie servin it up

Jodie and her tasty dinner

Went out for a moonlit walk after dinner and enjoyed the night air. The sounds of cicadas were everywhere and the smell of campfires filled the air. What a nice place to walk. I hope we make the effort to do this on a regular basis.


Jan. 21, 2008
Went out for a bike ride and stopped at the edge of a 1 1/2 mile walking/biking path. The path is mostly "sugar sand" (very, very fine white sand) that makes our bikes sink way down when we hit it. Our bikes are hybrids and this type of terrain is more of a drag than fun to bike on so we left our bikes and took the trail on foot. At the end of the trail we encountered a gopher turtle crossing the path. He/she was about a foot long and when I hunkered down to check it out it sped up towards me and then shot (as fast as a turtle can move) by me while Jodie took some pics. We can now identify the tracks of a gopher turtle and so can you.

Gopher Turtle

Gopher Turtle on the move

Gopher Turtle tracks

It got up to the mid-to high 70s today so we donned our bathing suits and biked over to the lake for some reading and swimming time. After about a half an hour we were hot enough to take the plunge and that was about all we were good for. The water was muy frio and refreshing, but not warm enough to want to hang out, so we read on the beach until I noticed how red Jodie was getting.

Osprey Lake and rec center

Sulpher spring creek

Sulpher spring creek

sulpher springs feed the lake

After lots of discussion, hours of research, months of frustration and ultimately the peace that comes with surrender and acceptance, we have decided to buy short hardshell kayaks- hopefully tomorrow. We found a local place that sells them and I put our 2 inflatables on Ebay tonight. Our plan is to sell them and be done with the entire inflatable experience. Once we pick them up we're going to hang one from the ladder and the other from the spare tire and the top of the ladder. I can't wait to do some kayaking! The kayaks are either going to be the 9' 5" Dagger Zydeco or the 9'6" Old Towne Otter XT. They are between 3' and 8' shorter than the kayaks we had in NY, but hey, at least I can make some people laugh down here. I'm going to be looking like a circus clown peddling a tricycle... and my hair will really top it off. Maybe I'll be asked to do kid's birthday parties...who knows? Jodie says I can call myself the Kayak Klown. But whatever..... we're going kayaking in our own kayaks!

We found a place for sale that we have an appointment to check out this Saturday. It's in Venus, Fl. and has 22 acres, futuristic concrete buildings, lakes, ponds, bridges and lots of privacy in a town with a population of 751. Here's the site if you want to check it out www.flalandsale.com . When Jodie spoke to the owner, she found out it is a project with a design for a new global culture. The project is described at www.thevenusproject.com . It's worth taking a look see.

Another Jodie and Andy dinner in the RV.

Pizza night-by Jodie

Jan 23rd
Found two 9'6" Otters by Old Towne. They are sit inside, 37 pound kayaks that will fit onto the back of our RV!!! Great job in research by Mr. Andy Man! Off we went to the outfitter in Punta Gorda, about half an hour drive. They fit on the RV and are a pretty blue and white!

Kayaks that fit!!!!

This State Park offers exercise classes, social gatherings for coffee, pancake breakfasts as well as programs offered to outsidersl such as Native Indian Music and dance, seminars on photography, art, writing and nature. Very cool! I got up and quietly left Andy sleeping, to join a group of about 12 campers for a jumping session of aerobics. The instructor had been a dance teacher for years and is now volunteering her talents for us campers! It was stimulating and great! Next session is Friday AM and I will remember to wear a bathing suit under my shorts to jump in the lake at the end!!!

I found, and got Andy and I signed up for water aerobics at a club in Sarasota. Andy, being the secure male he is, has no problem with exercising with women. It was a rather shallow pool but we each got a decent work out. The resistance of water really works without the impact of hard wood floors. Then off to reservations at a French Organic Bistro. Jazz music and a very colorful owner, Sylvie. We had fantastic food surrounded by intimate decor with the personal attention of Sylvie telling us how "vonderful ve are"! We returned the compliment!

Jan. 24 Thurs. Sold the 2 inflatable kayaks on Ebay this afternoon. We'll be shipping them out tomorrow and trying our new bad boys if the weather is good. Spent most of today doing paper work details that we've been putting off, but Jodie got us up and out to take a bike ride break at about 3:30 PM. We scouted the entry points on the river to see if high tide made much of a difference for access and the answer is ...yes. We met a nice couple with sit-on-top kayaks and hopefully we can all go out for a paddle together tomorrow.

Jodie has become a total Floridian and is now getting "cold" at 76 degrees. She just starting closing down the RV's open windows and door to warm up.... good Lord. Last night she asked me if I thought that palm trees should be a requirement for our future new home? The truth is, these state parks make Florida very attractive.

Friday, Jan 25th
Beautiful but chilly. Andy has successfully sold the two inflatable kayaks on EBay! What a guy! His traveling office works like a charm! What a rip off UPS is when they pack it in a box for you! The box cost $8 but then just to pop it in and tape it they charged $25 for the two! Good grief! After going into dumpsters all over town we finally gave in and paid the man!

Andy's traveling office

Back at the park we went to the Native American Indian festival happening here on the grounds. Really enjoyed the displays, the exhibits and a show by two brothers about making fire. Then we got to see a few native dances that are depicted in the photos below. The beef stew and pumpkin bread were great!!!



Womens dance

Womens dance

mother dances for her lost son

mother dances for her lost son

beading to show love

beading to show love

woman friend helps with dance to give power

woman friend helps with dance to give power

beautiful

beautiful

Men's hunting dance

traditional outfit

traditional outfit

looks to the ground for enemy tracks

looks to the ground for enemy tracks

very intense

very intense

dressed as a butterfly she becomes a woman

dressed as a butterfly she becomes a woman

dance of the butterfly Left aligned photo tag:

dance of the butterfly

Right aligned photo tag:

dance of the butterfly

breaking free of childhood Left aligned photo tag:

breaking free of childhood

boy to manhood


Right aligned photo tag:

boy to manhood

brothers dance Right aligned photo tag:

brothers dance

more brightly colored these days Left aligned photo tag:

more brightly colored these days

the warrior shawl
Right aligned photo tag:

the warrior shawl

warriors show stamina Left aligned photo tag:

warriors show stamina

warriors dance to become men Right aligned photo tag:

warriors dance to become men

a jingle dance Left aligned photo tag:

a jingle dance

a little darling Right aligned photo tag:

a little darling

sounded other worldly Right aligned photo tag:

sounded other worldly

traditional Grass Dance Left aligned photo tag:

traditional Grass Dance

Grass Dance dress Right aligned photo tag:

Grass Dance dress

Grass Dance partner Right aligned photo tag:

Grass Dance partner

moving through the grass Left aligned photo tag:

moving through the grass

original dress was real prarie grass Right aligned photo tag:

original dress was real prarie grass

boy dancing the Eagle Left aligned photo tag:

boy dancing the Eagle

downs syndrom yet strong in culture Right aligned photo tag:

downs syndrom yet strong in culture

Eagle feathers help ancestors pass over Right aligned photo tag:

Eagle feathers help ancestors pass over

Eagle feather dance Left aligned photo tag:

Eagle feather dance

hoop dance Left aligned photo tag:

hoop dance

Each hoop has a meaning Right aligned photo tag:

Each hoop has a meaning

each configuration has a meaning Right aligned photo tag:

each configuration has a meaning

Talented young man Left aligned photo tag:

Talented young man

hoop dance Left aligned photo tag:

hoop dance

go ! Right aligned photo tag:

go !

he's good! Right aligned photo tag:

he's good!

Check it out!!! Left aligned photo tag:

Check it out!!!

All in all I (Jodie) give this park 4 stars for being a good place to come back to and to volunteer or host. All the sites have privacy and are quiet. Enough bathhouses to never have to wait in line for a shower, and great programs and classes offered! The ability to use the river and get to the Gulf of Mexico as well as a sandy beach on a small but crystal clear lake are huge pluses!!

Biking and hiking not as gorgeous or extensive or as challenging as other parks.