Paynes Prairie Part II

These photos were taken on our second visit to Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. This time we ventured onto the La Chua trail in hope of spotting the bison that make the prairie their home.  Dogs are NOT allowed on this trial due to the possibility of conflicts with snakes, alligators, horses or bison.  While we were not fortunate to find any bison along the trail, we saw close to 50 alligators!

 

 

 

This guy had no intention of moving out of the trail!

 

 

 

This big guy ended up being the reason we turned around! He was quite active and VERY big!

 

Blowing Rocks Preserve

 

Nestled between Martin (Hobe Sound) and Palm Beach (Jupiter) lies the treasure that is Blowing Rocks Preserve.  The beach is lined with rock formations that lead to dramatic bursts of water as the incoming waves reach the shore.  We happened to visit Blowing Rocks while Hurricane Sandy was making her way up the East Coast.  The photos below captured one of the more dramatic water shows that the Preserve has performed!

 

As  you would imagine- I got quite soaked!

Kayaking on the Matanzas River

 

Today we took advantage of the perfect Florida fall weather and took Elvis for a paddle on "the pink pig."  We launched our kayak from the public park located near the Matanzas inlet.  There is a strong current in this area so be prepared to paddle! 

 

 

Elvis in front of Fort Matanzas

 

North of Rattlesnake island there are many pleasant beaches to stop and enjoy! Despite the perfect weather we were the only people enjoying these little islands!