One of our very best co-op dates this year was our trip to Myakka River State Park on Monday, March 11th. We started out with a scavenger hunt, explored a few trails, and observed birds and gators in the wild. Finally my crew earned another Jr. Ranger badge before we headed out for home. It is a beautiful and peaceful place just south of Tampa Bay that is well worth a visit.
Myakka River State Park was "Florida’s first state-designated wild and scenic river." And it winds through 58 square miles, also making it one of Florida's largest state parks. The landscape along the river is vast, from wetlands to prairies to hammocks, this park has it all. One could easily spend several days just exploring what's available. However we made a great stab at it on the one day we had together.
We began the day with a scavenger hunt at the visitors center. Sis. Lydia found it online, and the kids and I really enjoyed it. You had to read various exhibits to find the answers, so while the older kids were off racing through their lists, I read questions to Kate and let her hunt for where the answers would be and then I read her the exhibits. She said she learned alot and I really enjoyed it with her. We didn't quite finish the whole page up, but had a great time. I think more of the state parks should offer something similar because it really gets the kids engaged and learning.
After our initial warm up activity and sharing our findings with each other, we set out for some trails. We started with the Nature Trail which ended at the Canopy Walk, so we did that too. We walked through several different types of environments. Kate, Adley, and Dakota spent much of the walk together at the end of the pack, and they saw hog tracks and areas they had foraged. They also spotted frogs, lizards, and spiders. They checked out Dakota's Florida tree guide and identified trees along the route as well. The three of them had a great time together, while the three of us moms chatted and pointed out different sights for them to see.
The Canopy walk was much shorter than it appears online, but it was also a fun experience. You climb up a tower and then cross a suspension bridge. It was a little bit of a wait since only so many people are allowed on the bridge at a time, but it was fun. A few of the kids were scared of the swinging and movement, but most loved it. Once you get to the other tower you can go immediately down, or climb even higher. Kate and I opted to go up and met the rest of our gang going down. At the top you are above the tree line by quite a bit, so you can see for miles and miles across the park, with no sign of human development in sight except for some lonely powerlines in the distance. We really enjoyed it, plus there was a nice breeze beyond the tree tops.
We then broke for lunch, and do to some miscommunication ended up in two different spots, but we still all got to visit and it worked out. The kids of course inhaled their food and set out to play. After about a 45 minute break we then set out for the Birdwalk. This might have been the best part of the day. We all, fairly quietly for once, walked the long boardwalk to place us along the river where the birds tend to congregate. I can't even remember how many types birds we spotted, but there were so many. Sis. Paula happened to have a massive number of quarters and so she let the kids take turns getting an up close view by looking through the binoculars there at the end. It was a nice calm place to just sit and relax, and as you are surrounded by some beautiful open areas, it was humbling to remember that the God who created all of this majesty in creation, made and cares for us too.
Finally as the group began to break up and head for home, we stopped near a bridge where the gators are known to congregate, and we weren't disappointed. We found 9 in total, some sunning, others in the water, and a few wallowing in muddy spots. We gazed over the bridge and watched the little birds amongst them, and even saw a few fish. It was a great ending to the day.
As we told everyone goodbye, we stopped under a pavilion to fill out our Jr. Ranger sheet for the day, about birds and wildlife that we saw. Before leaving after everyone had a pit stop at the bathrooms we took the pages to the entrance station where each of our four oldest got their stamp for this park, making us halfway to our goal for the year.
Despite the long drive home during rush hour on I-75, we would undoubtable visit this spot again. There are kayaking spots and boat tours as well as long as the water isn't too low in the dry season. There were also tons of additional trails to explore and a campground in the park. If you'd like to make a trip the address to the Southern entrance (which is the only one open all the time) is 13208 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL. The park is open from 8 to sunset, every day of the week. Of course, you can always call for more information 941-361-6511. Entrance to the Park is $6 a vehicle, though we used our Florida State Park Pass, that we bought for Christmas and entered for free.
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