Round two for Kirby Storter. If you missed the first one, you can find it here.
Volcano Pacaya lies 19 mi southwest of Guatemala City, which is about an hours bus ride from Antigua. The volcano sits inside the Pacaya National Park and touts an elevation of 8,373 feet. So far, the last activity reported has been the eruption that peaked on May 27, 2010, causing ash to rain down in Guatemala City, Antigua and Escuintla. Since the last eruption, there have been visible lava flows where hikers can get close enough to cook a marshmallow.
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk is a 2000 ft boardwalk through the Fakahatchee Strand.
Antigua, Guatemala was founded by the Spanish back in the sixteenth century. For over two centuries it served as the capital city of Central America. With it’s European styled architecture, dating back over 300 years, it annually draws in thousands of visitors from around the world.
Located in South West Florida, 14 miles inland from I-75, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary boasts the longest boardwalk (2.25 mi) in any US park. It’s also home to over 200 permanent/temporary birds and has the largest forest of ancient bald cypress in North America. The Sanctuary is owned and operated by the National Audubon Society which it acclaims as their crown jewel of sanctuaries.
Heading south on Tamiami Trail (41) just a few miles past Collier-Seminole State Park is a little access point called the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. The trail has been there for a little while, however recently they have made it more accessible with a parking lot, new signs, and a small lookout tower. I took a quick stop one day to see what it was all about.
The J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is a curious place. Located on Sanibel Island, Florida, it fits in perfectly with the surrounding area. For those that have never been to Sanibel, one of the main things to do is rent or bring your own bicycle. With bike paths along most of the major parts of the island, it’s quite the friendly place for the recreational cyclist. Basically a nice easy way to tour the island, and the wildlife refuge is no different.
Ahh the cobble stone streets of Antigua. Nothing says ankle sprain like walking your date to dinner six blocks across some of the most torrential cobble stones in Central America. Actually, I felt bad for any luxury automobile that had to make its way through this town. But this posting isn’t about the actual construction of the streets, but more so what you will find on them throughout the course of the day. This photo set is comprised of images I took while exploring and walking throughout the historic and beautiful Antigua.
Woke up early one Saturday morning and decided to pick a place on the map I have never been, load up some camera gear and go for a drive. I ended up in the Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, on the Mustang Loop trail in Hendry County, Florida.
When you visit Collier-Seminole State Park, there are three trails for you to choose from. Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. This trail, the 3.5 mile trail is the intermediate trail. It’s great to hike down, and even easier to bike through.
This Spring (2011) we made our way down to Antigua Guatemala for a friends wedding. We spent about 5 days in the city of Antigua exploring all of its little nooks and crannies. During our visit we stayed at the El Convento Botique Hotel . It was definitely one of the most friendliest and accommodating hotels for foreigners I have been to. In between our moments of exploration and events, I managed to take a couple photos of this enchanting little hotel.
“The Holy week in Antigua Guatemala is famous for its Catholic celebration, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The entire city participates in the event, and receives thousands of national and international visitors.” – aroundantigua.com
In the streets of Antigua, walls are everywhere. With its narrow sidewalks and cobblestone streets, it almost feels like you are constantly walking down an alley in some kind of inverted cityscape. From the streets, almost everything is concealed from public view. However, if you pay close attention to the craftsmanship of a door or window, you can get a much better idea of what lays hidden on the other side.
I’ll be honest here, I don’t know anything about the people of Antigua. All I have is my week on the streets and my limited interaction with them. As far as I know, they are kindhearted and hard working people. I just wish I had a bit more time to actually get to know a few before I left.
In the heart of the Everglades, off of State Road 29, there is an old dirt road called “Jane’s Memorial Scenic Drive”. Stretching 11 miles, this road runs through the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve , and ends at the edge of the the Picayune Strand State Forest , the site of the now infamous “Swampland in Florida” scam.
Previously on nickbotner.com, well not previously, but a few posts back I posted a black and white collection of photos from the back alleys of Naples Florida . This posting is from the same collection, however this time it’s in full color.
I was headed down to the Keys for the 4th of July and took the beautiful Tamiami Trail over. It had been a few years since I’ve driven all the way across. So needless to say I was a little intrigued when I passed what appeared to be a new (to me) boardwalk called Kirby Shorter.
Guatemala is know for its coffee. So when you are in Antigua, you best make it out to the Filadelfia Estate and check out their coffee plantation. Oh, and while you are there, hop on one of their tricked out Mercedes trucks and do some high adrenaline zip-lining between mountain peaks. You won’t be disappointed.
One morning I headed out to Keewaydin Island by Kayak. As I sat there on the kayak with the rising sun behind me I noticed how nicely it warmed up the breaking waves. So I spent a bit of time with the telephoto trying to capture the moment.
Located between Naples and Marco Island lies the 9,200-acre Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
