Stephen C. Foster State Park

This Georgia State Park is within the Okefenokee Wildlife Refuge. We arrived yesterday evening after a drive that seemed to take us to the back of beyond. It is wonderfully peaceful here and it's difficult to find relevance in the news on NPR. Everything in the "real" world seems very remote.

We took a boat trip into the swamp. The driver and guide, a young woman, recited her monologue fairly well, but questions threw her off. She knew the answers but got distracted from her memorized routine and often had to go back to the beginning of the paragraph and repeat it in its entirety to work her way to the next bit she wanted to say.

There were lots of small alligator lying still as logs. On the way back to the dock she somehow spotted a new born turtle, beautifully camouflaged in the floating grasses. It was difficult to find
it even after she pointed it out.

We then went on the "Trembling Earth Nature Trail", mostly on a boardwalk. There were interpretive signs, but nothing to explain the name which actually refers to the unstable bits of floating bog that form in the swamp and eventually become grounded by plant roots and turn into land.

Among the interesting plants growing in the swamp is the Bladderwort, which is carniverous. Small critters get caught in the floating "arms" on the surface of the water and are consumed by the plant.

Near the end of walk, I found this little green anole posing for pictures.

Next, we walked back to our campsite by following the "Up'land (sic) Nature Trail" along a wide grassy path. It was mostly shaded and very easy walking. There were more interpretive signs, but of a more general nature, not pertaining to anything in particular along the trail.

Miles walked today, about 3