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| Sometimes you feel like a nut |
According to the brochure, Hammock Park, located in Dunedin, Florida, “is an ancient 90-acre mixed hardwood forest with more than 300 native species of trees, shrubs, ferns, wildflowers, and small animals. In addition, over 100 species of birds inhabit the preserve throughout the year.” We had no concept of how the park would look when we saw its entry in our guidebook, but it sounded like a neat place to visit, and coupled with the city’s Fine Art Center, gave us another reason to spend the day there.
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| Volunteers decorate the trees for Christmas. |
As it was during the week, we had the park mostly to
ourselves. We ate our lunch in a covered
patio, enjoying the pleasant December warmth while watching the birds frolic in
the trees. A stream meandered past, just a few
paces away. Had we arrived on the weekend, we could have
rented one of the kayaks locked up nearby.
While this would have reinforced the skills we learned at Brevard Zoo,
we looked forward to our stroll through the park. Over 150 years ago, a U. S. Geological Survey
team defined Hammock Park as a Wet Swamp, and the city mobilizes volunteers to
protect the flora and fauna that call this park “Home.”
There were many more “attractions” we could have visited, and
most visitors would have likely ignored Dunedin’s Hammock Park. When we travel, we enjoy seeing how people live there, rather than just flocking to the highly touted attractions. At the Fine Art Center, a volunteer told us
that the city’s name was not pronounced “Dune-a-din,” as we had thought, but
rather “Done Eden.” After visiting
Hammock Park, we returned to our condo in St Pete Beach with smiles on our
faces. We’d had a wonderful day, and
truly felt as if we had “Done Eden.”
If the angel with the flaming sword still stands guard, I’m
glad he let us in.
Dragon Dave
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