Eldora State House
New Smyrna Beach, Florida Canaveral National Seashore
12 04 2020
1:00 PM EST
28°54"N 80°48"W
72° F, 22° C
69% RH
S 8 mph
State House, town, uninhabited
National Park, museum, boating, fishing, bird-watching
We make our way by car on the North end of Canaveral National Seashore, underneath a cloudy blue sky, heading toward a picnic table hidden along the water bank. We kayaked here in July and recorded sounds in Mosquito Lagoon. The temperature is now around 70 degrees although it's December. We are used to cooler temps in our hometown this time of year.
We spread our food out on the table; capicola, salami, provolone sandwiches, oil and vinegar packets, and two bags of chips.
We eat and watch large birds in the water. They are grey with extra-long beaks. Once they dive, they do not come up for air for several minutes.
We finish our lunch and head to a parking lot. Exiting the car, we quickly spray our clothes with bug spray. Mosquito Lagoon is a very accurate name for this place; the no-see-ums are always unbearable. We walk the trail to the statehouse, the last remaining home from the Eldora community established in 1876. We pass a shaded boardwalk blocked by two orange cones and a truck with a motor that sounds like an air compressor.
We spread our food out on the table; capicola, salami, provolone sandwiches, oil and vinegar packets, and two bags of chips.
We eat and watch large birds in the water. They are grey with extra-long beaks. Once they dive, they do not come up for air for several minutes.
We finish our lunch and head to a parking lot. Exiting the car, we quickly spray our clothes with bug spray. Mosquito Lagoon is a very accurate name for this place; the no-see-ums are always unbearable. We walk the trail to the statehouse, the last remaining home from the Eldora community established in 1876. We pass a shaded boardwalk blocked by two orange cones and a truck with a motor that sounds like an air compressor.
Our meanderings become a listening exercise. We pass a large group of Devil's Tongue, commonly called snake plants. We have never seen this many at one time, a wild garden among the overgrowth.
We come to a trail with a large sign that says Authorized Personnel Only. We stop to take photos and record sounds. Suddenly we hear a loud rustling. It becomes more consistent as we stand very still. We expect an animal to dart out from the palms and into our path. The trees shake with movement as we tiptoe closer. Something large and furry dips in and out of our view quickly as a white truck comes around the bend. A ranger comes to a stop beside us and rolls down the window. He tells us to leave the area and we ask if there are animals nearby; he lists wild pigs, bobcats, and raccoons.
As he pulls away, we turn to head back to the car. As we walk, we glance back in the opposite direction. We are still hoping to catch a glimpse of what we heard in the brush.
We come to a trail with a large sign that says Authorized Personnel Only. We stop to take photos and record sounds. Suddenly we hear a loud rustling. It becomes more consistent as we stand very still. We expect an animal to dart out from the palms and into our path. The trees shake with movement as we tiptoe closer. Something large and furry dips in and out of our view quickly as a white truck comes around the bend. A ranger comes to a stop beside us and rolls down the window. He tells us to leave the area and we ask if there are animals nearby; he lists wild pigs, bobcats, and raccoons.
As he pulls away, we turn to head back to the car. As we walk, we glance back in the opposite direction. We are still hoping to catch a glimpse of what we heard in the brush.