Hypoluxo Scrub

We really enjoy our visits to our county natural areas, and this one was no exception. Right at the small parking lot, there's an observation tower, which is a great place to get an overview of the entire area.

If you have any curiosity about the barefoot mailmen, you can learn all about them here. Fascinating history!

After getting educated, we were ready to start hiking. 

After picking up the hiking brochure, we realized there were three types of trails, a paved 1/4-mile "nature" trail, a 1 1/2 mile "regular" trail, and the perimeter "access" trail. We decided to take all three loops, one after the other. First up was the nature trail.

Next was the regular trail, walking through beautiful timbered areas, and even a little pond.

Finally, we took the sandy perimeter road. This wasn't quite as shady, but it was still beautiful.

A gopher tortoise came out to meet us. We also saw lots of butterflies, but they didn't stay still long enough for me to get a picture of them. The spider and great blue heron did, though. 

And so did the flowers. Even in the summer heat, there was a great variety. The prickly pear cactus flower was my favorite this time, but I was also intrigued by the gopher apple plant which I'd never noticed before. (Here's a long list of plants found in this natural area; it would take a long time to match them all up in person! I found the link through this site. Too bad I didn't see it before we went, then we would have known to take a lunch because there were picnic tables available.)

It's August, so it was quite warm and humid, but we still had an enjoyable time!