Wordless Wednesday-State Park Serenity

The Maple Hil Hop 125

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*



With a cool change in the weather,
and a free weekend,
we decided to visit our favorite state park to date.

Welcome to Highlands Hammock State Park
in Sebring, Florida.
The perfect place for a family bike ride in early spring.

One of the few times we took our bikes off the beaten path,
we were treated to tranquil and fascinating views.

Wanna come along?

The sense of serenity is palpable.
God sure does some amazing work.

I'm proud to be a tree-hugger.

Big K pointed out how the cypress is growing 
right on the handrail.

This is what greeted us at the end of the boardwalk.

Within this lush swampy area,
blooms were to be found.
Unexpected pops of color delighted us.

This is old Florida,
the way it looked when folks first arrived here to settle.
So much to explore.

We hadn't remembered seeing these warnings posted
the last time we were here.
Needless to say, we stayed mostly in the bike lanes on the main road.

We were able to rent a bike for C,
as his is now too small for him.
It prompted him to decide on a new model 
once we returned home.
Win-win!

Nothin' like the freedom of spending a day
doin' something you love.
We are so very blessed.

Check out all of our state park visits under our header.

 What outdoor adventures have you been on lately?
HOP to it! 

  

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Tuesday Tidings-A Family Ride

We haven't been able to do much bike riding as a family

in the last year due to other obligations.

We decided to pay another visit to one of our favorite

state parks-

Highland Hammocks in Sebring, FL.

Ready for a tour?

Walking trails are a great detour for stretching your legs.

The cypress knees spotted the forest floor.

We marveled at the height of the tree canopy.

With an abundance of shade,

it's no wonder there is lovely moss growing,

even right on the paved roads.

This is the same shrub that we found growing in our yard.

It has dark leaves and pink blooms.

Must be a native.

There was a lot of standing water this time.

We'd never seen these puddle-loving purple blooms before.



It's not easy to see here,

but there was a spider web stretched from the tree

on the farthest left to the farthest right.

(Sorry, I don't know how to add arrows.)

Wow, that was some work!

I think it'll have food stocked up for quite a while.

This is one of the buildings built by the CCC

long ago.

We managed to find some critters on our adventure,

or maybe they found us...

Lil' Guy spotted this beauty as we entered the park.

This sweet thing came to pay us a visit

as we sat down to eat.

He's spied our picnic spot!

Little stinker wanted some of our lunch.

It sure felt good to be out there!

Hopefully, we'll get to do this a lot more often.

Have a wonderful day, y'all!

Highlands Hammock Revisited

With temperatures climbing into the 90's daily now,

we decided we wanted to get back to

Highlands Hammock State Park

before the sweltering summer

keeps us boarded up at home.

Blue skies greeted us at every turn.

Surprisingly, we only saw a handful of other folks.

Bikes are available for rent.

Here's my sweet ride.

Seed pods galore could be found

in almost every lovely vignette.

More color, too, was found this time 'round.

Still, the tranquility of the surroundings helps one appreciate every quiet moment.

Wildlife can be found, although hopefully, not too close!

Lil' guy came upon a turtle, but believe it or not,

he was faster at getting into his shelter

than I was with the camera!

Ample shade was one reason we chose this park

for our June visit.

This shot to me says "Florida".

We explored dirt trails this time.

Good workout!

We made our way over to the campground

and took a spin around.

Hopefully, we will get back into camping someday.

It's really the type of vacation we are most suited for.

I guess this cardinal didn't read the sign, eh?

So glad we got back here again.

It's one of our favorite state parks.

Happy trails!

http://www.floridastateparks.org/history/parkhistory.cfm?parkid=129

State Park for March

Welcome to Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring!

http://www.floridastateparks.org/highlandshammock/default.cfm

This park offers paved and dirt bike trails, walking trails, camping, picnic areas, a playground,

boardwalks, and an hour-long tram ride.

It's green, lush, and oh so Florida.

The skyscrapers here are something to behold!

Wonderful species are found in the pools of collected water.

The air was cool and crisp on this day before spring.

Not a mosquito in sight!

Remnants of old growth make way for new greenery and

provide a home for forest life.

Lovely ferns could be found everywhere!

I believe this is a Florida maple, one of my favorites!

The enormous Cypress trunks seem like something

out of a fairy tale.

Highlands Hammock is home to the CCC Museum.

I was fascinated to learn about this amazing program. 

As one of the original four Florida State Parks, Highlands Hammock had its birth in the years of the Great Depression when local citizens resisted efforts to turn the area into agricultural lands. Later the Civilian Conservation Corps was called in and, from camps within the park, worked to restore the area, create facilities and fence the park's boundaries. Highlands Hammock opened as a state park in 1935. A commemorative statue and CCC museum recognizing the contributions of the Civilian Conservation Corps and its help in the development of the Florida public parks reside within the Highlands Hammock State Park.

http://www.staynplay.net/florida-tourism-articles/highlands-hammock-state-park.htm

So far, I think this is our favorite park. 

Fortunately for us, it is close by. 

Oh yeah, we'll be back...