18 Jan 2023
Leftover cookies and coffee, breakfast of champions!
(Gideon’s Pistachio Toffee cookie and a nitro cold brew from Joffrey’s)
Today, I decided to get away from Disney and explore the Orlando area. There were a few dive shops I wanted to check out (I need a new wetsuit and wanted to be able to see/try on a few in person rather than order online) and we needed a few supplies (ibuprofen for Matt, dive snacks for me). I struck out on the wetsuit hunt but I did find this enormous avocado!
While looking for things to do, I came across the Tibet-Butler Preserve, a free! county park less than 10 miles from our hotel!
They had picnic benches and a butterfly garden (that wasn’t in bloom currently) and inside this building were several exhibits on the area:
Unfortunately, the Palmetto Passage, that big loop on the right, was closed, but there was plenty to see along the other paths:
A few areas were definitely a bit muddy, but if you walked carefully, there were usually enough dry areas to get around the wet parts:
A nice boardwalk wove through the swampy areas:
The swamp:
A clump of turtles sunning themselves:
This Yellow-rumped warbler was hopping from lily pad to lily pad before taking flight!
Blue-gray gnatcatcher?
Gray catbird:
As I left the swamp and headed back to the main trail, I started hearing a rustling in the brush and sure enough, an armadillo appeared!
I was surprised to see how hairy he was:
Long claws for rooting around:
Such an adorable little face!
Nosing around for food:
He seemed completely unfazed by us hikers and sauntered across the path right in front of us!!!
One of the other hikers mentioned seeing a turtle just up the path, so I went hunting and found this guy, who refused to turn around:
Not the crispest picture, but I liked the way the sun backlit this moth:
Another moth:
Yellow-rumped warbler:
A nice dry trail:
and back to muddy again:
This was such a great find! Just a short drive from Disney and so peaceful and tranquil- 10/10, would recommend!