The Chapins at the Castillo in St. Augustine, another leg of their Florida adventure
Last February [2024], I read with interest an article about the Bartram trail in Smithsonian Magazine. I immediately went to our bookshelf and pulled down an old copy of John and William Bartram’s America only to be reminded that its foreword had been written by my high school biology teacher, B. Bartram Cadbury.
It was a chilly New England evening, and from the living room, my husband made a comment that the winter cold was getting to him and that maybe we should consider a warm getaway next year.
Inspired by what I had just read about the Society’s efforts and Bartram’s explorations, I immediately went to the computer. I found myself looking at locations to stay in the St. Johns River area. A plan was born.
In February [2025], this pair of retired New Englanders, armed with a copy of Bartram’s America and buoyed by kind emails from Dean Campbell, with whom I had been corresponding, set off to drive south to stay for a couple of weeks in Welaka.
The theme of the trip was birds, botany, and Bartram.
Thanks to the Bartram Trail Society’s website, we visited several sites. A quiet visit to Mt. Royal was enlightening and thought-provoking; having Mud Springs and Sulpher Springs to ourselves was a highlight.
Climbing an observation tower at Paynes Prairie and seeing Sandhill Cranes engaging in their courtship dance was a thrill.
Kayaking up Deep Creek with Ayolane Halusky of Kinship Earth Tours gave us wonderful views of a juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron, the green-eyed fly orchid (Epidendrum conopseu), Bartram’s epiphyte (Tillandsia bartramii), and a lone manatee quietly grazing in the creek.
Our binoculars were always with us. Visits to Dunn’s Creek, the Fish Hatchery, Ravine Gardens, St. Augustine, and Gainesville provided us with rewarding bird sightings.
There was also downtime. Reading our books on the porch overlooking the river, enjoying southern cuisine, and visiting small museums in Gainesville and St. Augustine were other highlights.
And who can forget the vegetables from County Line Produce in Hastings?
Thank you to Dean Campbell and the Bartram Trail Society for guiding us to this special part of Florida.
- Caroline Chapin