It was already April 1st and we were scheduled to leave the following day for Fort White, near Ichetucknee Springs for two weeks of tackling taxes and catching up on all of the blog postings. But we couldn’t leave the Paynes Prairie area without exploring the Devil’s Millhopper sink hole. One cannot go anywhere in Florida without seeing or talking to someone about sinkholes. They are quite common and are created by rainwater gradually dissolving layers of limestone that cap underground aquifers. In their weakened state they collapse carrying whatever is on the surface with them, be they roads, pastures or houses. They range in size anywhere from a few feet to more than a hundred in diameter. Devil’s Millhopper falls in the latter category measuring 500 feet across and 120 feet deep. The floor is reached via a 220-step stairway that zigs and zags down the almost vertical sides, continues across one side of the bottom to a raised viewing platform situated above a small stream that disappears into the ground. The stream is fed from several others that cascade down rocks from above, or pop out of the rock within 20 to 30 feet from the base. No information was provided as to the age of the hole, but sizeable trees, mature ferns and mosses clung to the rocky facades as if they had been there for hundreds of years.
The bottom portion of the stairway.
One of the many springs sprouting from the walls of the sinkhole.
The way down was much easier than the ascent but we didn’t have as tough a time of it as we know others did who were many years our junior, but more than twice our size.
We’d also heard so much about the Butterfly Rainforest at the University of Florida that we found the time to squeeze in a visit that afternoon. The huge, screened atrium was beautifully landscaped with tropical plants, waterfalls and koi ponds. Hundreds of butterflies flitted by, sometimes resting on plants, sometimes on people, sometimes on the stone walkways. We found the best way to experience them was to sit on one of the many ornate, iron benches and just watch them dance around us, then move to another bench to see if species we hadn’t yet seen frequented other areas.
Just one of the hundreds of butterflies in the garden.
The garden was beautifully done and visitors of all ages enjoyed themselves.
The weather was perfect and Chris could have sat there the rest of the day but Jay noticed the time and encouraged her to accompany him to the adjacent Natural History Museum before it closed. She was glad he did as the exhibits were exceptionally well done. Much attention was given to the Calusa Indians that lived throughout Florida long before the white men came. The life-size human figures in the displays were so realistic we expected them to speak to us. Chris determined that with the resources of an entire University at their disposal, the designers commandeered art majors to contribute their talents. The underwater exhibit featured a 12-times life size underwater scene lit by blue lamps to simulate the fish, crustaceans and other life forms in Florida’s estuaries. There was much more to see but not enough time. We could easily have spent another week in the area, but taxes were coming due and we had to move to a quiet place devoid of temptations.
No comments:
Post a Comment