Some Roanoke County, Va., trails

Chris, Sidney and I spent Memorial Day Weekend wandering around trails and parks of Virginia. We originally planned to camp at Pipestem Resort State Park, W.Va., but sites were booked up. Other, closer Virginia parks were booked up too. So we settled for a couple of day trips.

The first day we explored four parks around Roanoke County, Va., using the Virgina Birding and Wildlife Trail book. A friend gave this to us as a gift a couple of years ago. Newer versions may have different or more trails.

The trail we used to make one of our day trips was the Roanoke Valley  Loop. You can view it online here. We followed each stop, using the directions given by the book. We did skip a sports complex, but we wanted to get to some of the other stops before it got dark.
 
Roanoke River Greenway
First off we started with the Roanoke River Greenway at Green Hill Park. It's toward the end of the Roanoke Valley Loop. There, we walked along a 0.8 mile-long, paved trail. It appeared there was a soccer match going on, so we met a lot of people on and along the trail.

Though the walk was a short one we did see butterflies and hear several birds. The greenway will eventually link up with parts of the trail in the City of Roanoke and Salem and other areas of Roanoke County. A site for this part of the greenway said it'll eventually be 30 miles long.

Since the trail is paved and relatively flat, this is a perfect jaunt for everyone. Some photos:

Poor Mountain Natural Area
Next up was the Poor Mountain Natural Area. Though signs and the book said the trail was only 0.25 miles long, it's already been expanded and makes for a very nice walk. I guessed it may already be about a mile long. That includes an orange-marked, loop trail and a portion of a blue trail that's not yet complete.

There's supposed to be something called "piratebush" located on the site, but Chris and I couldn't figure out which plant it might be.

This area is moderate in elevation, but the trail isn't paved. So it's not a hike for everyone. Anyone physically able and ages 5 and up will enjoy this hike.

Happy Hollow Gardens
Next was Happy Hollow Gardens. This is a small park -- 34 acres according to the site.

There wasn't much to it, but makes for a pleasant day trip. I was looking forward to seeing the azalea garden, but it was just a small grove of poor looking azaleas. I don't think those poor shrubs were helped by the little boy beating them and trees with a stick. I wondered where his parents were and why they weren't controlling their little vandal.

The trails on the property are pretty easy to walk. There's a few to choose from and all are short. They're not paved, so aren't handicap accessible. Anyone with respiratory problems would handle the trails just fine.

I liked walking through the woods and listening to the little stream that flows by the parking lot. It would make a nice day trip during migrating season to listen and watch for birds.

Bent Mountain Elementary
The final stop on the tour ended at Bent Mountain Elementary's birding area. I think this was Chris' favorite stop of the day. We saw the most birds of the day in this little schoolyard -- sparrows, red wing black birds and tree swallows.

Chris insisted on walking around the yard three times, including a short boardwalk that a Boy Scout built into an adjoining wetland.

We also met one of the school's friendly neighbors -- a man that lived up the street and his two cute dogs. We enjoyed talking with him and visiting the school. A photo of a birdhouse and meadow behind the school:

Sadly, we read recently that the school is closing. It's always sad when a community school closes. I worry what will happen to the little birding area and the public library that was housed in the building too.

I hope the county or school will at least maintain the building (I'm not sure who owns the property, the school board or county) and keep it as a community center and library.

Side note: We ended our day with a meal at Nawab in the City of Roanoke. The best Indian food ever! (I admit, though, I've not eaten at many Indian restaurants so I don't have much to compare it to.)
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You can buy a copy of the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail book here and at Amazon:





This book is really useful in planning day hikes and trips. You will probably want a state map as a second resource to use in case you want to skip some of the stops on the loops. That way you can plan a different route.







Some other books birders may be interested in:

   













And, for identification:















We have "National Audubon Society Field Guild of Birds," "Newcomb's Wildflower Guide" and "National Audubon Society Field Guild of Wildflowers." I recommend all three.

Newcomb's can be a little tough to use, but if I can't find it in the Audubon book, I can usually locate it there.

I'm an Amazon Associate. I use this service as a way to share books and products that I think you'll find interesting.

DeHart Botanical Gardens, Meadows of Dan, Va.

DeHart Botanical Gardens, Meadows of Dan, Va., is one of the recent trails we've explored. (There are several more that I'll write about in later posts.)

Located off of U.S. 58 in Patrick County, this garden is a beautiful piece of land to explore. But, warning, if you have asthma or other respiratory problems, please take an emergency inhaler and listen to your body. I had trouble from the beginning with tightness in my chest. Luckily, there were no problems but it concerned me. It was a very hot spring day, so pollen in the air and heat was an issue.

This is a private garden, but the owners allow visitors on the property. They just ask that you sign the guest register located in the mailbox by the gate so they'll know that you were there. If you don't sign in, you're trespassing.

You have to park on the road side and walk up a very steep driveway to the trail head. There, you can begin a 2.8 mile loop down and up the side of  the mountain.

Along the trail you can spot all kinds of wildflowers -- from showy orchis to wild columbine. (Please leave wild flowers where you find them!) The path also passes by a waterfall and a fallen down old homestead.

It's very beautiful through the park, but very strenuous. On the accent back up the mountain we had to walk up the path holding onto trees and resting every few feet.

So, again, if you've got asthma or other problems, use caution and take an inhaler. Also, a bottle or two of water is very useful.

You can see a map and get directions to the garden here.

Everglades, Miccosukee Reservation and Big Cypress, Fla.

For my final Florida post (it's taken awhile, hasn't it?) I saved the best for last. The Everglades! I was so happy to see a part of the park!

We went to the Shark Valley Visitor Center, Everglades National Park, near Miami. That's the closest visitor center to Chris' cousins' house, who we visited the next day. (See my Bill Baggs Cape Florida post here.)

Word of caution ... this is a very popular stop. We could not even find a parking spot inside the park. We had to park along U.S. 41 (which, by the way, Chris says runs to his hometown, Evansville, Ind.) and walk in.

And though it was just around lunch time (it took 5 hours to drive from Kissimmee to Miami), all bike rentals and spots on the tram were booked up for the afternoon. So we walked around a portion of the paved, 15 mile look.

No, we didn't walk the whole 15 miles. There's no way we could have done that, especially in the blazing heat. We just walked a ways around each side of the loop and along two paths that connect either side of the loop.

Walking along the paved road I felt like we were in a zoo. All the birds and gators were right along the path in pools of water. Interpretive signs explained that during the winter months (we were there in March) the wildlife hang out in the small pools of water. When the spring rains come, there's more water and the animals move further out.

A

  All photos by E.A. Seagraves or Christopher Brooke

All rights reserved. Please do not use any photos without permission.

So it didn't really feel like we were out in the wild. Which is okay. We were able to get a lot of photos of birds and gators, including this fella who was sunning himself right by the path:

Since it was cooler than 80 degrees, the gators weren't moving around much. The need higher temps to move about and digest food. Lucky for us, I guess. :)

Here's some more photos:

Next we took an air boat ride, courtesy of the Miccosukee Indian Village. The boats were stationed across the highway from the park's entrance so we just walked across the road. Here's a shot from the boat:

The tour guide took us into the middle of the grassy river to a former chickee, or home. We got out and walked around, checking out the open shelters were families ate and slept:

Chris and I later ate at a Miccosukee restaurant down the road where I tried fried frog legs. I don't think it tasted like chicken as many people say. I thought it tasted like fish and was appropriately served with tartar sauce. Though they tasted okay, I don't think frog legs are something I will order again. It's too hard to get past the fact I'm eating a frog. Blegh!

We briefly visited the Big Cypress National Preserve, which is just a few miles west of Shark Valley. The visitor center was already closed so we watched some lazy alligators lounging in front of the center:

Then we headed down the road to take the driving tour -- the 16 mile Turner River Road Loop Drive.

It took us 3 1/2 hours to complete the drive. The dirt road had been washed out by rain and had lots of large potholes in it. A park volunteer, collecting trash at the trail head, said the road was passable. And he was right, it was passable, but I felt like the car needed an alignment after the long, bumpy trip. :)

Here's some photos:

I would love to go back to Big Cypress to check out more of the park. And, maybe, one day Chris and I will be able to make it down to the main visitor center of the Everglades -- much, much further south in Florida.

Bok Tower Gardens, Lake Wales, Fla.

Besides Sunken Gardens in St. Pete, we also visited Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales, Fla.

Created by Edward Bok, an editor, the gardens serve as a nature preserve. President Calvin Coolidge dedicated the gardens in 1929.

I really enjoyed learning about Bok, editor of the "Ladies Home Journal,"and how he came up in the publishing world, starting with the Henry Holt and Company in 1882.

Before heading out to the gardens we had a quick lunch at the Blue Palmetto Cafe. It was reasonably priced and delicious.

The Singing Tower is the focal point of the garden and was designed and built by architect Milton Medary.

The Singing Tower looking across the reflection pool.

(All photos by E.A. Seagraves or Christopher Brooke. Please don't use without permission.)

The designs decorating the tower were really beautiful. 

Sundial on the side of The Singing Tower.

The tower has bells built inside and carillon bell concerts are held at 1 and 3 p.m. There are also evening concerts during parts of the year. There's an outdoor sitting area near the tower so people can sit and listen to the bells. There's also a live video feed so you can watch the bellmen play the tunes.

Even if you don't attend the concerts at the tower, you can still hear the music through most of the property.

Bok is buried at the foot of the tower.

A small pond surrounds the tower and there are two swans that you can feed. But be careful. One swan is mean. He'll grab your toes if you don't pay attention.

Chris feeds one of the swans.

There were lots of palms, azaleas and camellias throughout the garden. It was really pretty and it was nice to walk around taking pictures. (Sorry I won't have any pictures of those flowers. Some of the Bok Tower Garden pictures are some of those that we lost from the trip.)

We also walked around the Pine Ridge Trail, which is 3/4 mile long and travels through different environments with interpretive signs explaining the significance of each. This is where we learned about live oaks and how to identify them. There were also lots of long leaf pines and grasses.

From there we could view an orange orchard and workers out in the field, standing next to what appeared to be bee hives:

These are orange blossoms. They're really fragrant. There were also grapefruit blooms on the property, which look and smell similar.

There's a little shed with a window facing a pond called "Window by the Pond." You can sit and watch birds, squirrels and reptiles feeding and swimming by. Three stumps set out in the pond are filled with seed and attracts variety of birds ... and squirrels.

We saw a variety of birds at "The Window by the Pond," including a red winged black bird (left) and these other birds.

This squirrel figured out a way to get out to the bird feed. We saw him later run across the three stumps and leap onto a low hanging tree branch.

We also toured the gardens and yard around the Pinewood Estate. It would have been nice to visit the inside of the home too, but we still had a large portion of the gardens to see and I didn't want to miss any of it. 

I really enjoyed the gardens and recommend it as a side trip if you're ever in central Florida.

Here's some more photos:

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For some information about Edward Bok or the gardens, check out these books from Amazon:

The Edward Bok legacy: A history of Bok Tower gardens : the first fifty years

Viewing, understanding, appreciating Bok Singing Tower

Note: I linked to these books using Blogger's new Amazon Associates program. I'm giving it a try to see how it works.

I haven't read either of these books so I can't give a full recommendation. My husband has read some books on Frederick Law Olmstead and some on Olmstead Jr., but I didn't find those on Amazon. He did enjoy those, but I don't remember their names.

Sunken Gardens, St. Pete, Fla.

While in Florida, Chris and I made a trip to St. Petersburg to see the Salvador Dali Museum, the downtown district and Sunken Gardens.

Since the Dali Museum is only $5 on Thursday evenings, we decided to head to St. Pete later in the day. (Regular admission is $17.) Taking advantage of the discount, however, meant we were joined by a bunch of other cheapskates, so it was loud and crowded. Not the best viewing atmosphere, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

My favorite Dali pieces were the jewelry and silverware. I thought I'd enjoy the paintings more, but fell in love with his other work. The exhibit was "Dali: Gems" and featured pieces selected by "celebrated friends of the Dali," a.k.a. famous celebrities such as Susan Sarandon and Alice Cooper.

There was also an "Alice in Wonderland" exhibit of water colors. I wondered if it was on display because of the new Tim Burton movie, but nothing indicated that it was.

I picked up a set of salt and pepper shakers in the shape of the melting clock in "The Persistence of Memory" as a gift for my grandma. Chris didn't think she'd know what it was — and she didn't. She thought it was a shoe. But who else will ever go to the Dali Museum and bring her back a new set for her collection? (Note: To be fair, I also got her a more conventional set in Savannah.)

I was tempted to buy one of the silk scarves that have various Dali paintings on them, but resisted.

Before stopping by the museum, we walked around downtown and grabbed a bite to eat. The streets weren't busy while we were in the city, though it was a workday afternoon. I was amazed there wasn't more traffic. In fact, I wondered where everybody was.

It also sounded like a drag race was happening near downtown too. It appears, following a link from the city's website, the Honda Grand Prix was held the day after we were there. I guess drivers were practicing?

Chris wanted to check out Sunken Gardens, a botanical garden created by a plumber in the1920s in the middle of the city. St. Pete now owns and operates it. So we headed there after supper and before visiting the Dali.

I loved walking around trying to memorize the different types of palm trees throughout the walled garden, checking out the koi fish and birds (including flamingos and parrots), and checking out the tropical plants, flowers and bromeliads.

My favorite palm is the triangle palm:

Here's an overview shot of the garden. Pretty, huh?

And, here's some shots of flowers. The last is a powder puff tree bloom:

More upcoming events -- June and July

Galax Leaf and String is June 11-12 in Galax, Va. This is a great event with a weekend full of music, arts and crafts.

Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition is June 19 at Grayson Highlands State Park. Henderson is a famous guitar player and luthier. This competition draws thousands each year and is always held on the 3rd Saturday of June, the day before Father's Day.

Another Hillsville Downtown Celebration concert series will be 5:30 p.m. June 26. I wrote about the concert series here.

Also on June 25 and 26 is Grayson County Fiddlers Convention. It's located in beautiful Elk Creek, Va. I always enjoyed covering this event for The Gazette. I once saw and took a photo of Roni Stoneman. No joke! I also met Justin Robinson of Carolina Chocolate Drops there (I don't think it was another fiddlers convention, although it could have been. There are several in the area). Good band. Go check them out here.

Smoke on the Mountain Barbecue Festival is July 16-17. This is another not-to-miss event. It's fun to sample the barbecue and learn who the reigning team will be each year.

I knew most of these events were coming up but couldn't find a good, complete online calendar. I was able to find info on these events through Davis-Bourne Inn's calendar. It appears this inn is becoming a good resource. (Another source, and, yes I'm biased because I worked there, is The Gazette and its visitor guide.)