carolsyracuse
Well Known Member
Gainesville Fl La Chua Trail
It is a great thing when spouses’ hobbies coalesce. Vic and I had a great trip this weekend. We left our home south of Atlanta Sunday morning and flew down to Gainesville Fl (home of the GATORS-literally). We rented a car at University air and drove 6 miles to La Chua trail. It is in the Payne’s Prairie. This wildlife area is absolutely amazing. There is a 1.5 mile trail that winds next to a river and leads to an observation tower. I have never seen such varied wildlife in such a small stretch. There are lots of gators (which Vic likes- a guy thing) and lots of birds (which I like). I take my binoculars and Vic takes his camera with the BIG lens. Photography is one of his hobbies.
We packed a lunch, found a bench to sit on to eat it. We spent three and a half hours on the trail just walking slow and checking out the wildlife. One of the reasons we went there is that the sandhill cranes overwinter there and I wanted to see them up close. We see huge flocks flying over our home as they migrate every year. We saw some off the trail about 50 ft away. From the observation tower, we saw lots in the distance. We even saw several endangered whooping cranes, a buffalo and wild horses.
Back to the airport, sunset flight home.
Total tach time-3.6 hrs.
Great combination-flying, birding, photography-great day.
http://s903.photobucket.com/albums/ac237/cadisy/la chua trail/
It is a great thing when spouses’ hobbies coalesce. Vic and I had a great trip this weekend. We left our home south of Atlanta Sunday morning and flew down to Gainesville Fl (home of the GATORS-literally). We rented a car at University air and drove 6 miles to La Chua trail. It is in the Payne’s Prairie. This wildlife area is absolutely amazing. There is a 1.5 mile trail that winds next to a river and leads to an observation tower. I have never seen such varied wildlife in such a small stretch. There are lots of gators (which Vic likes- a guy thing) and lots of birds (which I like). I take my binoculars and Vic takes his camera with the BIG lens. Photography is one of his hobbies.
We packed a lunch, found a bench to sit on to eat it. We spent three and a half hours on the trail just walking slow and checking out the wildlife. One of the reasons we went there is that the sandhill cranes overwinter there and I wanted to see them up close. We see huge flocks flying over our home as they migrate every year. We saw some off the trail about 50 ft away. From the observation tower, we saw lots in the distance. We even saw several endangered whooping cranes, a buffalo and wild horses.
Back to the airport, sunset flight home.
Total tach time-3.6 hrs.
Great combination-flying, birding, photography-great day.
http://s903.photobucket.com/albums/ac237/cadisy/la chua trail/
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