Pikes Peak

Pikes Peak
"Spacious Skies"
Showing posts with label Stokes Landing Conservation Area. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stokes Landing Conservation Area. Show all posts

Friday, April 19, 2013

Florida's Middle-Earth and Giant Oaks





These views are from the picnic pavilion at Stokes Creek.  The trails lead into a dense forest of old oak trees.  I am standing in the middle of five oak trees whose roots have grown together to make a large oak floor between them. The roots were thick and even growing above ground.  The wind blowing around me sound like tree's whispering to each other.  Once again, New Zealand has nothing on Florida when it comes to giant oak trees. They felt like protectors of the forest.  I have my own middle earth in my backyard.

 

Marsh Point at Stokes Landing





One of the main reasons I love hiking is the beautiful and stunning landscapes along the trails.  Some of these pictures are as beautiful as oil or watercolor paintings.  The landscape is so vivid with a wide spectrum of colors that it affects all of your senses: sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste.  A camera can only capture a small portion of the magnificence.