Florida Day Nine: Dania Beach And My First Visit To Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State ParkS

Florida Day Nine: Dania Beach And My First Visit To Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State ParkS

Florida Day Nine Dania Beach (28 of 50)
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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 the sun rise over the ocean from the park. And,  to see some wildlife, which I didn’t see a lot of,  on this trip to Florida.  However, there were two problems, first it was cloudy, and second, when I arrived at the park around 7 a.m.,   I found it didn’t open until 8 a.m.

Instead I drove a mile back  to Dania Beach .  I walked to the beach and looked  upon a gray and threatening sky over the ocean . I found the stormy sky very beautiful in a primeval sort of way.

I walked along the beach and listened to the crashing of the waves. There were not  many people on  the beach on this cloudy morning. I walked toward a pier that jutted out into the ocean.

On the way to the pier I came upon a few sanderlings  scurrying in the waves in such of mollusks and other sea creatures.

At the pier I was told there was a $2.50 fee to access the pier. It was well worth it.

I not only enjoyed the views of the ocean,

and coast from the pier.

I also saw a lot of bird activity, including this little blue heron that strutted on the railing along the pier,

There  a lot of grackles, I believe they are boat tailed grackles,  but I am  not positive, this would be a female,

and this a male.

I walked to the end of the pier, where the pier where I found it crowded with  fishermen casting their lines into the ocean. . Perched atop a shelter at the end of the pier were brown pelicans.

They were waiting for the fishermen to clean their catches and feast on the discarded remains.

I took some close up photos of the pelicans.

I also saw a few royal terns,

and laughing gulls on the pier.

I spent about a half hour on the pier watching the cloudy sky change,  and the fishermen and the bird activity.  I  left the pier and  walked back to my vehicle.

On the way I saw a pair of red bellied woodpeckers,

searching for insects on a palm tree.

It was now near 8 a.m. and so I drove back to t the Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State Park. ( Johnson State Park) . I entered the park and drove to the  Barrier Island Nature Trail.

I was disappointed when I found the bridge that would access the beach was closed. I wanted  to walk on the ocean in the park.

The nature trail took me through a typical barrier island sub tropical hardwood and mangrove habitat.

It was a nice trail but I was  disappointed with the constant roar of the jet engines taking off at the Fort Lauderdale airport.

I discovered the nature trail was right off of the runway for the airport and the sound of the large jets taking off was deafening and continuous.

It was hard to hear any birds with the constant noise of the jet engines. The only birds I heard and saw on the 1 1/2 trail was this gray catbird. It was not a quiet and peaceful hike.

In addition to the noise from the jets, the park was located near large loading docks and the sound of the trucks and traffic from the docks could be heard on the trails.

A light rain started to fall, and I decided I had enough of this ” nature ” trail.I decided to drive around and explore the park and find a way to the ocean. I’m glad I did. I drove on the road and passed a few parking lots and pavilions. I parked at the last one and left my vehicle.  Here I found a beautiful isolated beach.

I followed a trail   in the dunes above the beach ,

that took me through a grove of sea grapes.

The sun broke through the clouds, and, the sea grape leaves,

native beach sunflowers,

and invasive ivy leaved morning   glories   were illuminated by the suns rays making for a scenic hike. 

I also found a couple of coconuts along the trail.

I followed the trail to a closed pavilion. I realized I was at Port Everglades.  I recognized the port from the large condominiums in the distance  where I have visited friends.  Port Everglades provides a port for international cargo and large cruse ships and is the third busiest port in the Nation. I have watched many cruse ships enter and leave the port on visits to Fort Lauderdale.

I followed the trail back to the beautiful isolated beach.  I walked along the beach for about a 1/2 mile and there was only one young couple on the beach on my walk.

It was a beautiful beach and, even though it was  a cold and cloudy January morning I was still surprised there were not more people enjoying the beauty of this beach.

There weren’t many shore birds on the beach either , but I did see this turkey vulture perched on a signpost. .

And there weren’t many seashells either. I love to walk along the shore, especially early in the morning, and see what the waves wash up. I did find a few more coconuts,

 some seaweed, and

a lot of , what I thought were jellyfish, but are actually, I now believe, Portuguese man o’ war, a species of hydrozoan, a colony of different organisms.

They are complicated creatures , but all I need to know is they are a beautiful color, and the long tentacles will cause a painful sting.

I followed the beach for a 1/2 mile then walked up to the trail long the dunes.

It took me into some woodlands . It was a nice place to hike and I believe will be a great place to see the migratory birds heading north in a few weeks.

There is a lot of history here too, The Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State Park was once the only “colored beach”  beach in the county. It became a state park when a prominent attorney obtained the land. The park was named after civil rights activists Dr. Von Mizell and Eula Johnson.

I walked to the a restaurant and concession stand,

located on the Whiskey Creek.

I meandered along the trails that led to parking lots and pavilions.

Here I saw a few gray squirrels searching for food around the picnic tables.

I saw a small flock of white ibises in one of the parking lots.. These would be the last birds I would see on my hikes in the state park. I didn’t see much activity on this hike but I feel this might be different when the migratory birds start heading north in a few weeks. Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hikes. Florida Day Nine: Dania Beach birds  Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula Johnson State Park birds January 17 2025.

A light rain began to fall so I walked back to my vehicle, noticing , on the way the large cruise ships docked not far from the state park.

I left the park as the rain became heavier. . Here is a link to a gallery with some more photos  from  my hikes. Florida Day Nine: Dania Beach Dr. Von D. Mizell- Eula   Johnson State Park January 17 2025.

I was hungry and looked for a place to eat. I found Grandma’s Secret, and I’m glad I did. The food was delicious at this popular New York style deli. I had a lox and onion omelet with  a delicious  bagel and home fries. I loved the friendly staff and quick service spite a large crown of customers. I would highly recommend  this place. .

I had to return my rental vehicle in the afternoon and so I had to drive into the heavy airport traffic and take a taxi back to my hotel. I spent the afternoon packing and editing photos. I had my last meal in Florida on this trip at Grumpy Gary’s .  I had the shrimp corn chowder again ,

and grilled mahi mahi with salsa and a baked potato.  One of the good things about walking a lot is you can eat a lot too. And I do like to eat. . It returned to my hotel, edited photos , and retired early. I had an early flight the next morning. As I fell asleep I reflected on another great week in South Florida, and  I was already planning my next adventure.

“Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.”  Jack Kerouac

“Not all those who wander are lost.”J.R.R. Tolkien

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