didn't have to pay either. That bridge dumped us on A1A which runs along the
barrier island between the ocean and the intracoastal waterway. Happily it had a
paved shoulder all the way. In places a separate hike/bike lane ran along the
side allowing us to be farther from traffic. I flushed a kingfisher along the
way and later we succeeded in seeing a rare Florida scrub jay. We pedaled down
to the beach where a giant pink hotel nearing completion seemed to have been
inspired by the Don Cesar, 
our
favorite place for ice cream in St. Petersburg on the Gulf coast. North of there
on the Matanzas River we found Bings Landing, a pleasant county park with big
oak trees and lots of docks and piers for fishing. We chatted with a friendly
fellow named Freddy. He showed us a blue crab he had just caught and recommended
the Princes Place nature preserve directly across the river, but a long way by
road. Next we pedaled to Washington Oaks state park, 389 acres running from the ocean to the river and including wonderful natural habitat and serene formal gardens.
We headed first down the Jungle Road hike and bike trail. The first section
followed the old roadbed with its dwindling tarmac covered with leaves and
shaded by lofty oaks. We passed a couple of wooden chairs and stopped for a
snack break to supplement the free breakfast at our hotel that might have
been enough for people driving all day but wouldn't push a bike. Continuing on
the trail we took the Marsh Spur to a secluded spot
on the edge of the river. We could see blue herons on an island and a cormorant
drying its wings on a channel marker. Signs along the trail identified saw
palmettos, resurrection ferns, sabal palms, hackberry and other indigenous
plants. They were growing in a hammock, a dry, high spot with tall hardwoods;
it's an Indian word meaning "shady place." Live oaks, red cedars,
magnolias and mocker nut hickory provided the shade.
We came out of the hammock and into the meticulously cared for garden. Sawdust covered paths lined with mondo grass wound by a variety plants most just getting started
for
the season. A cluster of bromeliads grew in one spot as if they belonged there
on the ground. Nearby crystal clear watered bubbled up out of an artesian
well filling a pond and giving off an odor of sulfur. White strings of bacteria,
that live off the sulfur, gave an odd appearance to the bottom of the
pond. About this time we began to chat with Bill, a volunteer gardener,
who gave us interesting data to supplement the signs. He explained that the
little fish were guppies which the blue herons love to eat,. He added that water
was piped to other garden ponds including the one with 40 carp and several
bright orange coy fish. They've lost coy to the herons which kill them though
they can't eat them. We walked though the rose garden whose plants looked
healthy and promised a good show but not today. Bill showed us a young osprey
who has two favorite perches where he waits for his mother to bring food. We
watched a barge go by from a bench which Bill had donated in memory of his
parents who died at 90 each in the past year. It was very peaceful sitting there
with a gentle breeze watching a variety of birds and listening to stories about
the gardens.
With a threat of rain we pushed on northward. As we left the park I examined an unusual hole and saw a turtle shell inside. A ranger at the gate told me that it was a gopher tortoise and that their dens were used by many animals. At one point we heard an unusual amount of bird squawking and saw a flock of about ten green parrots on a power line. We couldn't find them in the bird book and wonder if they are introduced or escaped. Now it was time to eat again and we found the South Beach Grill with picnic tables on a deck on the beach. An excellent menu with many healthy choices made it all but perfect. After lunch we pedaled over another draw bridge and west to rt. 1
where
we were again delighted to find a paved shoulder. We road to Kings Row, unpaved
and uninhabited at this end, where we toured a small fishing pond with trails
that formed part of the Pellicer Creek conservation area. After that we cycled
over to Princess Place, a former hunting preserve with historic lodge. We came
upon a trough for watering horses and took advantage of the hose to rinse off
our bikes which had picked up a lot of mud and sand along the way. From that spot
we could see a huge nest in the top of a snag but no sign of its builder. We
pedaled around the preserve under a now
familiar tangle of oaks and vines. We met a friendly lady with a very old golden
retriever named Brandy. Brandy had only one eye and was mourning the loss of her
mate to old age. Reluctant to leave the preserve we gave into the feeling of
fatigue. We pedaled six miles back to our hotel which gave us 53 for the day.
Bad weather the next day cut our trip a day short but after five days of warm
sunshine and wonderful natural preserves and ocean views we left happy with our
decision to bicycle Florida for spring break. 
