On to Myakka

We left Orlando Thousand Trails around 11 am on Wednesday; and after a stop for lunch at a rest area along I-75, we arrived at Myakka River State Park around 2:30.  Bonnie and I had made the reservations a couple of months ago and had reserved sites right next to each other.

Our sites are level and big with a lot of vegetation around them giving you lots of privacy.  Although I must admit, we got spoiled to our only being about 20 feet apart with our camper doors facing each other.  Now we will have such a long distance to walk between the campers.  :)

After getting all set up, we decided to go for a bike ride.  The weather was very nice...

...and the Myakka River is just beautiful.

Of course, Chuck had to check out the fishing from a guy who was fishing off the bridge.

The canopy over parts of the road provided lots of shade.

Myakka River State Park is know for its many birds and we saw many of them like the Great Egrets,

the Tri-Colored Heron,

and the White Ibis.

I think he liked looking at his reflection.  I certainly did!

The tall-plumed grasses that are everywhere are beautiful too.

We rode about 3 miles to the Big Flats Campground and then turned around and headed back.

When we reached the bridge over the Myakka River, we got to see a great big....

ALLIGATOR!!!!  He was HUGE!!

The sun was was getting low in the sky and the river was beautiful.

When we arrived back at the campground, we were treated to another bird perched way up in this dead tree.

A Red-Shouldered Hawk.

After getting back to our campers, we ate dinner together.  Here are the master grillers hard at work!

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of turkey sausage with cheese, peppers and onions that Ken and Bonnie shared with us.

And when the mosquitoes started biting, we moved inside Ken and Bonnie's camper for our nightly round of card games and lots of laughter and fun.  The worst part was that long walk back home -- all 75 feet of it.  :)