Archive for January 2025
A Christmas Morning, And A Couple More Year End Hikes, At The Susquehanna Wetlands.
We had a white Christmas here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. There was still about three inches of snow on the ground in my backyard in Hazle Township in Luzerne County on a cloudy Christmas morning. After taking my usual 2 mile morning walk through my neighborhood I watched my turkeys in my backyard. I used to…
Read MoreA Foggy And Rainy Year End Hike On The Snow Covered Greater Hazleton Rails To Trails.
Rain was in the forecast Saturday here in Northeastern Pennsylvania so I decided to stay close to home and hike on the Greater Hazleton Rail to Trails. It is located about 3 miles from my home in Hazle Township, Luzerne County. It is a wonderful trail and a great place to hike throughout the year.…
Read MoreExploring A New Trail In A New Year, A Hike On The D & L Trail From The Cementon Trail-head In Lehigh County
Before last Saturday I never heard of the tiny town of Cementon in Whitehall Township, Lehigh County. I learned a lot about this small town along the Lehigh River, and the surrounding area, since then. I hiked five miles in the cold and wind on the D & L trail in Cementon on Saturday morning.…
Read MoreFlorida Day One: The Everglades: The Old Ingraham Highway And Royal Palm Visitor Center
Well it’s 5:30 a.m. Friday morning and I am writing this after just waking up in my room in the Best Western Gateway to the Keys hotel in Florida City. I was exhausted after a busy day of travel and hiking yesterday. In my previous blog I left off heading to the Everglades National Park.…
Read MoreFlorida Day Two: A Couple Of Hikes And A Cool Nightjar On The Abandoned Aerojet Road.
It was cold, by Florida standards anyway , when I awoke in my hotel in Florida City. Saturday morning. It was 50 degrees with a strong northerly wind. It was not the best weather for viewing wildlife but you never know what you will see if you hike with your eyes peeled. And, for me, …
Read MoreFlorida Day Four: Exploring A Hammock In The Everglades And Then Watching Some Eagles In Key Largo , The Philadelphia Kind
It was another mostly cloudy and chilly morning on Sunday in South Florida. I was back in the Everglades National Park at dawn and watched the sun rise through an opening in the clouds over marshes and reed covered waters of the Taylor Slough. I was back on the Old Ingraham Highway Trail near the…
Read MoreFlorida Day Three: Everglades: Deer, Alligators, A Bald Eagle And A Spectcaular Sunset On The Old Ingraham Highwayi
I decided to return to the Everglades National Park and hike on the Old Ingraham Highway Trail again on Saturday, my third day in Florida. I love hiking and exploring. The start of every hike is an adventure. I am always excited, hoping to see something new and unusual, or, just enjoy and appreciate the…
Read MoreFlorida Day Five. Key Largo. A Quiet January Day Hiking in the Dagny John Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park
It was a lot warmer on Monday morning when I awoke in Key Largo. Temperatures were in the upper 60’s. I was up early again around 6 a.m. I wanted to watch the sunrise in Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park, ( I’ll just call it Dagny Johnson). Dagny Johnson was once …
Read MoreFlorida Day Six. Key Largo: A Sunrise , Some Rain, A Woodpecker Eating A Lizard And A Cool Encounter With A Manatee
Watching a sunrise is always on my daily agenda when I travel. I am usually up early to do my hiking and exploring. Finding a place to see our sun rise is always one of my first priorities. So I found a place to view the Atlantic Ocean on Tuesday morning . The temperatures was …
Read MoreFlorida Day Seven: Key Largo And Everglades A Quiet Morning Hike In Dagny Johnson And A More Exciting Afternoon Hike In The Everglades.
I was up early again Wednesday morning on my recent visit to south Florida. I was leaving Key Largo, and wanted to get in one last hike at the Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Botanical State Park. before I left, and hopefully, finally see some interesting wildlife. It was a quiet trip so far, most…
Read MoreA Frigid January Hike, And An Unexpected Polar Plunge, At The Susquehanna Wetlands
January is usually the coldest month of the year here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. However, last year we had very mild January weather.And it has been somewhat mild in January for a few years now. Not his year. This January has been one of the coldest on record. In addition to some snow, temperatures plunged to…
Read MoreFlorida Day Eight: Everglades: My Last Hike, A Chilly One, Atop A Hammock On The Old Ingraham Road
Thursday was another cool and windy day on my recent visit to South Florida. It was my last day in the Everglades on this trip. A threatening sky greeted me when I left my hotel in Florida City and drove to the Old Ingraham Highway in the Everglades National Park. Old Ingraham Highway is located…
Read MoreSnow, Ice, Peace And Quiet… And A Lot Of History . A Winter Walk In The Lehigh Gorge At Rockport
It has been a while since I hiked in the Lehigh Gorge in Rockport, Carbon County. I used to hike here often. After much of the woodlands near my home were destroyed for residential and land development about 15 years ago, I spent a lot of time hiking in the Lehigh Gorge along the Lehigh…
Read MoreFlorida Day Nine: Dania Beach And My First Visit To Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State ParkS
It was my last full day in Florida. The days went by so fast again. It was Friday morning and I was staying in Dania Beach near the Fort Lauderdale airport. I planned to explore the nearby Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State Park for the first time that morning. I hoped to watch…
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