4 posts tagged “parks”

Ponce de Leon statue and Gilchrist Bridge

We went out to El Jobean and Punta Gorda today so I could take some shots. Our last stop was Gilchrist Park, where you'd find the Ponce de Leon monument featured above.

First we headed out to El Jobean to locate the El Jobean Cemetery as described on the website, but it was baffling that the area is full of housing and overgrown woods. The plats that we suspected were very uneven and overgrown with vegetation. Shouldn't a cemetery that was active as recently as 1966 be marked and maintained? After that frustration, it was nice to actually see the old El Jobean Hotel, which is miraculously still standing, perhaps held up by the dense vegetations that's concealed its expansive walls. A visitor sees a wooden shack, not a 5,000sqft inn that was a favourite of circus folks and movie stars from the Roaring Twenties through the 1940's.

El Jobean Hotel

We went all the way over to Cleveland to photograph the Goodall-Reed House, built in 1910. The surrounding lots seemed a popular dumping site for ruined boats and broken RVs. The property was reasonably maintained with only the palms and vines overgrowing around the structure. A visitor can reasonably walk around it, but I'd recommend closed-toe shoes and long pants. Many of the windows were boarded and the front door had been broken-in and repaired with a chain and padlock.

Goodall-Reed House - side window

As mentioned above, we went to Gilchrist Park and walked along the harbor and up and down the pier in today's beautiful weather. Tommy really enjoyed the walk and the sight of the water. I've gotten around to submitting a couple new waymarks and, since we were at the Ponce de Leon monument and Gilchrist Park, I got to log visits for someone else's waymark.

I think some waymarkers forget that waymarking isn't just about posting new waymarks. It's nice to log a visit, especially in my area, because it means that someone else is taking the time to document what's interesting and important about my area. That's a very good thing.

Fisherman's Village

Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park - Eddie pointing out where we are

On Sunday, Eddie and I hiked a bit into Myakkahatchee Creek Environment Park to check on the geocache hide we had adopted. Since having to replace it completely recently, I wanted to make sure our replacement would withstand the elements. It was fine but I had forgotten swag again. Eddie spent time learning about the park from the entrance map, which details the wildlife preservation areas and also answers some popular questions, like why the Myakkahatchee Creek glows an orange-brown.

After Myakkahatchee Creek Environment Park, we went to the new Garden of the Five Seasons along Pan American Blvd. in North Port. It's a park envisioned by Jean Bruhn, a resident who was very involved in the community and her Church, the Living Waters Lutheran Church, that engages all the senses in the adventure of nature. The numerous gardens have tablets that explain the plants and the theme of each garden and which sense it appeals to.

More pictures on my flickr.

Garden of The Five Senses - walking paths

Eddie taking a picture

We coloured eggs tonight, and then took pictures of them. Tommy even got into the fun, turning all his eggs blue.

On Wednesday while Bailey was in CCD, I waymarked the North Port Library and took some pictures of the Most Holy Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church off of Price and Biscayne that I've been eyeing for the better part of four years. It's an elaborate structure and incredibly stunning. Waiting out the final moments of Bailey's class, I took even more photos of San Pedro Catholic Church. I just can't help myself.

Earlier today I took a few shots of Ollies Pond Park in Port Charlotte. I was actually investigating the claim on the County website that Ollies Pond Park had a fitness trail. I never remembered such a thing in this small park that only had a single path that circled the center pond. My memory was right and there is no actual fitness trail. One would get fit walking the trail, mind you, but an actual fitness trail is something a bit more than that.

I adopted Myakkahatchee Cache (GCGYJF) and I'm very happy about that. I couldn't allow it to be archived when so many new caches have filled that park. It was an active and solid cache to start with, even in the park all by its lonesome. Once our pending waymarks are approved, we'll be one or two shy of 100 waymarks. I've done about 75 waymarks in one week. Not too shabby.

I've been trying to prepare for this Spring Vacation trip I have to take for Michael's and Eddie's visitation in the midwest. It's bothersome but it has to get done. Can you believe tomorrow is Good Friday already?! I'm ready for a nice, long sleep tonight.

Here's a few more shots from yesterday and today:

I'm stumped

Geocacher r3mix3r had planted about nine new caches in Myakkahatchee Environmental Park in North Port, Florida. I found five of his new hides plus the existing regular cache that I just hadn't done before. It took a couple hours to hunt into a half-mile of the park before I had to turn around and leave to get the kids from school. I was FTF on those new five. Four of the new hides remain in the same park. I think other cachers will get the FTF on them before I have a chance to hike that back half-mile.

Tomorrow, Tom's made plans for me to photograph his father's plane, which I suppose he intends on selling. After that, we should head out to Station 16. I've rebuilt cache hides Good Boy! and Harbor Arbor, and both are ready to be placed back in their respective spots at any convenient time tomorrow. Bailey goes to her dad's this weekend, which is an additional trip to Punta Gorda, so there's always an opportunity there.

Here's a few more images from Myakkahatchee Environmental Park: