Jekyll2023-12-21T20:28:58+00:00https://ginn5j.com/feed.xmlginn5j.comrandom musings of a geekJim GinnOsprey2023-12-21T20:00:00+00:002023-12-21T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2023/12/21/osprey<p>This osprey was feasting on a fish and I was able to get within a couple of feet to snap this photo while we were walking on Siesta Beach today.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2023/12/2023-12-21-osprey/IMG_0447.jpeg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnClose-up of an osprey while walking today.Little Talbot Island2023-02-19T20:00:00+00:002023-02-19T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2023/02/19/little-talbot-island<p>Sunset over Little Talbot Island during our last night in Florida on this trip.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2023/02/2023-02-19-little-talbot-island/IMG_0317.jpeg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnLast night in Florida.Blue Spring State Park2023-02-14T20:00:00+00:002023-02-14T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2023/02/14/blue-spring-state-park<p>Spent three nights at Blue Spring State Park near Orange City, FL. Great place to see manatees especially when it is cold outside and you head down to the spring at sunrise. Lots of manatees this morning (official count was 234).</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2023/02/2023-02-14-blue-spring-state-park/IMG_0309.jpeg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnWinter home of the manatees.Manatee Springs State Park2023-01-08T20:00:00+00:002023-01-08T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2023/01/08/manatee-springs-state-park<p>Arrived at Manatee Springs State Park today and saw a mama with a baby in the Suwannee River near the outlet to the springs.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2023/01/2023-01-08-manatee-springs-state-park/IMG_0301.jpeg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnFirst manatee sighting on our winter trip.Hocking Hills State Park2022-10-23T20:00:00+00:002022-10-23T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/23/hocking-hills-state-park<p>The last stop on our trip this month was Hocking Hills State Park in Ohio, southeast of Columbus. It’s a great park with a lot of interesting trails and things to see. It’s a little too popular and crowded on the weekend for my tastes. We didn’t see all there is to see at this park and I think we’ll be back for another stay but during the week instead of over a weekend.</p>
<p>Cedar Falls</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-23-hocking-hills-state-park/IMG_0285.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Ash Cave</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-23-hocking-hills-state-park/IMG_0288.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnLast stop on our October trip.Babcock State Park2022-10-21T20:00:00+00:002022-10-21T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/21/babcock-state-park<p>Working our way back to Indy, we stopped for two nights at Babcock State Park in the New River Gorge area of West Virginia. Jill has limited her hiking on this trip and didn’t do any hiking at this park. I pieced together a 4+ mile hike from the campground using several trails to make a loop. The sequence was:</p>
<ul>
<li>North Slope Trail (from campground via service road between campground and cabins)</li>
<li>Ridge Top Trail</li>
<li>Short Cut Trail</li>
<li>Old Pond Trail (toward Old Pond)</li>
<li>Rocky Trail (follow stream from pond until it crosses the Skyline Trail)</li>
<li>Narrow Gauge Trail (and back to campground when it crosses the service road)</li>
</ul>
<p>Mann’s Creek crosses the service road near where the North Slope Trail starts.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-21-babcock-state-park/IMG_0254.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Ridge Top is a walk in the woods.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-21-babcock-state-park/IMG_0255.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Rocky Trail, on the other hand, is (mostly) a stone staircase built by the CCC and is slowly detiorating.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-21-babcock-state-park/IMG_0260.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Narrow Gauge Trail is the rail bed that ran between Sewell and Clifftop. There are a few places where the bed has collapsed or washed out, making the trail more challenging than expected. At the end, though, you are rewarded with the beginning of the rapids and falls as Mann’s Creek begins its descent into the gorge.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-21-babcock-state-park/IMG_0280.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnA bit of hiking in West Virginia.Hanging Rock2022-10-19T20:00:00+00:002022-10-19T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/19/hanging-rock<p>After leaving RTP, we treked over to Hanging Rock State Park, north of Winston-Salem.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0252.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Moore’s Wall Loop Trail cuts across the campground and I hiked that in the morning to see the view from the observation tower (on the site of the old fire tower) at Moore’s Knob (at an elevation of 2500’).</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0237.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Looking east.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0233.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>South.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0234.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>West. The mountain in the distance with the funny looking top is Pilot Mountain.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0235.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>North.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0236.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>In the afternoon, we hiked to Hanging Rock. Here’s a view of where we went from below.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0251.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>And a view from Hanging Rock itself.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-19-hanging-rock/IMG_0250.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnGreat vistas from Hanging Rock and Moore's Knob.Jordan Lake2022-10-17T20:00:00+00:002022-10-17T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/17/jordan-lake<p>We stayed in the Parker’s Creek and Poplar Point campgrounds at Jordan Lake while in the RTP area this week.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-17-jordan-lake/IMG_0215.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Imagine parked at our Parker’s Creek site.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-17-jordan-lake/IMG_0216.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Sunrise over the lake.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-17-jordan-lake/IMG_0217.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>Here’s a section of the American Tobacco Trail (a rails to trails project in RTP) we hiked one day.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-17-jordan-lake/IMG_0219.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnJordan Lake SRA is a convenient campground while in the Research Triangle Park (RTP) area.Smoke On The Water2022-10-14T20:00:00+00:002022-10-14T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/14/smoke-on-the-water<p>We stayed at Andrew Jackson State Park while in the Charlotte area this week. Our campsite looked out over the lake and the view in the morning reminded me of a certain Deep Purple song…</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-14-smoke-on-the-water/IMG_0213.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnAndrew Jackson State Park is a convenient campground when visiting Charlotte.Linville Falls2022-10-11T20:00:00+00:002022-10-11T20:00:00+00:00https://ginn5j.com/blog/2022/10/11/linville-falls<p>The moonrise at the NPS campground near Linville Falls was gorgeous.</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-11-linville-falls/IMG_0191.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>We also hiked around the falls.</p>
<p>The upper falls …</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-11-linville-falls/IMG_0199.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>The rapids / plunge between the upper and lower falls …</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-11-linville-falls/IMG_0205.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>
<p>The lower falls …</p>
<p><img src="https://ginn5j.com/assets/2022/10/2022-10-11-linville-falls/IMG_0208.jpg" alt="no-alignment" /></p>Jim GinnBoondocking along the Blue Ridge Parkway.