Kayaking In a Mangrove Tunnel, Weedon Island Preserve, St Petersburg, FL

There is more to the St Petersburg/Clearwater area than beaches and boating. There are quiet pockets of nature filled with beauty and wild creatures. Weedon Island Preserve is one of those spots. Located on the northwestern shores of Tampa Bay, it is a quick 20 minute drive from downtown St Petersburg. Its 3190 acres is made up of marine ecosystems accessible by kayak, boardwalk, pier, and a small system of upland trails.

One mild November morning, I met my friends Tim and Lisa Salt from the UK at Weedon.  They had arranged to rent kayaks for a half-day paddle through a well-marked water trail. Sweetwater Kayak Rentals delivered the kayaks to the water’s edge and provided life vests, paddles, and good advice. For the kayaking novice, Sweetwater will provide an escorted kayak tour, but we have all had our hands on a paddle before, so with a bit of a shove, we were off onto the waters of Weedon Preserve.

We paddled in sheltered bays watching American oystercatchers and egrets scavenge for food. We pulled up near a sandbar, "rafted" together and had lunch in the sun. The sand bar marked the entrance to one of many of the sheltered mangrove "highway" tunnels.  We glided through the earthy-scented mangrove tunnel where the outside world melted away into quiet paradise

Jerry and I enjoy driving to Weedon in early evening. We like to watch the sunset from the fishing pier. On our last visit, a Great Blue Heron walked along one railing while we leaned against the other, content to savor the late afternoon light. A swish in the water marked a small group of dolphins, one a youngster.

Weedon also has a 45-foot observation tower nestled along one of the upland paths. A walk up the observation tower is rewarded with an expansive view of the mangrove “islands”.   The sun shimmers off the waters that surround the dense, lush mangrove jungle.  The downtowns of Tampa and St Petersburg are just a glimmer on the horizon and seem a world away. 

For more information about Sweetwater Kayaks, check here:http://sweetwaterkayaks.wordpress.com/

For more information about Weedon Island Preserve, check here: http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org

MINGLING WITH MANATEES ON COFFEE POT BAYOU

Two broad snouts snuffle up from the water at the edge of the walking path along Coffee Pot Bayou. A manatee and her baby drift over to the storm drain to drink fresh water coming down from nearby Lake Crescent. The baby cuddles close. A small group of locals lean over the edge of the concrete bulkhead to watch "their" manatees. They speak in happy whispers and take photos with their cell phones to send to friends in colder climes.

Common to the bayou for most of the year, manatees are almost an everyday sight during the cooler winter months when colder waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay drive them to the shallow warmer waters of Coffee Pot Bayou. As spring approaches groups of courting manatees can be seen rolling around each other in the shallow waters.

Keeping them company are statuesque Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets, shy Green Herons, and gregarious Laughing Gulls. Red-ear slider turtles can often be seen popping their heads up in the water or sunning themselves on boat ramps. Even a dolphin or two join in on the fun.

The broad sidewalk along Coffee Pot Bayou is part of a 2-mile walking/biking path that extends from downtown St. Petersburg following along the edge of Tampa Bay before entering Coffee Pot Bayou. It is a safe, well-lit path with fantastic views, comfortable benches for resting, access to a small beach off of North Shores Park, and opportunities for fishing.

Our manatee spot is at Coffee Pot Blvd and 23rd Ave NE.  There is a small area for parking. 

Manatees, Egret, and a Lynx (of sorts): A Winter Day in St Pete, FL

This is high season in St Petersburg. 

The snow birds, both human and feathered, are in town.

The days are mild, sunny and blessedly humidity free. 

Downtown hums with happy locals and tourists sitting in sidewalk cafes, strolling the waterfront, visiting the museums, and shopping in the shops.

Neighbors stop to chat on the sidewalks which are filled with walkers, runners, bicyclists, dog walkers, and kids being pushed in strollers. 

Last Sunday Jerry and I went out for, as we like to say, an explore. First stop...our "manatee station".

This time of year, manatees often spend time near us in the shallow waters of Coffee Pot Bayou (a channel lined with homes, boat docks, and remnants of mangroves). They like the warmer water, vegetation (to eat)  on the channel bottom, and the fresh water (to drink) that comes from storm drains that drain upstream ponds and lakes. 

We walked out our front door and across a broad grassy center parkway. We walked under our neighbors gigantic pink flowering Tabebuia tree and across  pink brick streets to the sidewalk and bulkhead of Coffee Pot Bayou. No more than 300 feet. And there they were: two adult manatees and a baby. 

After getting our manatee fix for the day, we drove down to see the Tallship Lynx moored at the Harbourage Marina in Port of St Pete just south of downtown. The Lynx is an historically accurate re-creation of the Privateer Lynx that served in the War of 1812 for the United States. 

For more information on the construction and history  of the Lynx please check out: Privateer Lynx

The Lynx is visiting St Pete from Fort Myers, FL where she is staying for the winter. Tours and sailaways are available in Fort Myers through at least the end of March. 

The Lynx was moored near the mouth of Salt Creek where it enters the waters of the Port in St Petersburg. Standing on a floating pier, was a stately Great Blue Heron taking a sun bath and preening before getting back to the business of channelside fishing.

We meandered back through town to our home in the Old Northeast. On our way, we spotted the newly named Samson, our neighbor's "pet" egret. He's taken to perching on their roof and keeping their lawn and bushes free of large bugs and small lizards. (I think there may also be little pieces of turkey involved in the bargain). 

A perfect Sunday afternoon in the dead of winter in St Petersburg, FL. 

St. Pete in June

Have had a nice few days so far. Have had productive meetings with our architect. We have discovered a couple new places to eat that don't violate our new nutritional goals (on the way to be healthier and thinner people). And we've had some really nice drives and walks. Our best find for new restaurant is "Red Mesa" on 4th St somewhere in the 40s. Latin inspired food. It was PACKED for lunch and should be. Jerry had the pork verde which was very good. I had a seared scallop salad with tomatoes, hearts of palm, and pine nuts with a light vinagrette....excellent.



Drove out to St. Pete Beach area on the weekend and had dinner at a "fish place" at St. John's Pass. An area that defines the word "touristy" but it has great views and is very festive.

We saw dolphins in the channel from our dinner table. There were also lots of egrets, herons, and laughing gulls in addition to the dolphins in the water.

Birds in South Carolina Refuge - August trip to Florida

Jerry and I drove to Florida in late August. These birds were in a estuary along the I-95 somewhere in South Carolina. Wood storks, great herons, and Great Blue Herons. The day was hot and still.