Emerson Point Park

Whenever possible we love to ride our bikes to the park at the end of the island.  It is full of gorgeous paths, old Indian mounds, mangrove swamps and a tower that allows you to see the bay to the north and the river to the south.  Being a beautiful Sunday afternoon, it was full of visitors of all ages. The end of the island was populated with people fishing.  We chatted with a Canadian Snowbird who wasn't at all disappointed that he hadn't caught fish.  He was just enjoying not shoveling snow!

Very nice entrance sign. to the park.

This is Terra Ceia bay from the tower.  The Spanish meaning is Heavenly Land.
After a transatlantic crossing I imagine any land would look like a heaven sent gift.

The same tower but facing a different direction gives a sweeping view of the Manatee River.
Yea, we have seen manatees here even in the club marina.

The tower is several stories tall and completely made of wood.  I am sure it is
challenging to maintain in the local environment.

One of the drives.  If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see our trusty bikes on the right.
After our last trip, David completely rebuilt them.  All gears and brakes now work like new.  We have
put several thousand miles on them over the years and we appreciate the travel flexibility and
exercise they provide. 

There are winding trails all over the park with offshoots to water overlooks.  You could
easily spend hours here.

The end of the island with a handsome man.

Sensitive low spots have bridges to avoid damage to plants.

On the ride to the park we came across this huge dead oak full of vultures.
It looked light something straight out of a horror movie.

This yucky green slime in the drainage  ditch along the road is the
result of homeowners using chemicals on their lawns which runs off into the
water.  Mulching blades folks!!!!!

I love the weird looking little bird with the long, orange bill.  Ibis are all over
south Florida.  While I like them, I really don't get the ancient Egyptians calling them sacred.