Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge

On the way back from Lakeland last time, I decided to make a stop on the Chiles Trail off the main highway. I stopped at Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge was thick with hungry mosquitoes, oversized grasshoppers, and sprawling spider webs. Not a gator in sight. Critters ruled the day.

The Refuge sits on the vast range of beachless, raccoon-tracked green coast stretching from Tampa to Tallahassee. Some call it the Forgotten Coast. Some call it Nature Coast. Just the sort of place that got Chiles interested.

The bat house.

Suwannee River.

One of many, usually yellow spiders.

Whole lot of grasshopper.

Suwannee Forest of knees.

The stormy road back to Tally.