Photos

Our Florida Trip - March/April 2003

Click on any photo to see a larger version.  Click here for copyright and contact information.  All photos taken with a Canon PowerShot G2 camera.
First order of business: rest and relaxation.
Meanwhile, Tricia gets told that her Frisbee throwing skills need some work.
The native wildlife (in this case, an anole) watches in amusement.
An endangered Gopher Tortoise lounges just outside his burrow at Turkey Creek Nature Preserve. Everything moves at a slower pace down here.
Another Gopher Tortoise. These guys come out in the late afternoon to feed on what seems to be any plant life within reach.
Sandhill Cranes at the Visitor Center at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is a buffer for the John F. Kennedy Space Center and a hot spot for U.S. birders. Over 300 bird species have been counted here, and during winter migrations the refuge has hosted over 100,000 individuals.
Black Point Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island NWR - more of the peaceful side of Florida.
Great Blue Heron at Merritt Island NWR. The birds here have no fear of man - this heron was on the dirt road next to our car and didn't even blink as we passed by.
Wildflowers (Southern Fleabane) at Merritt Island NWR.
Merritt Island NWR and the Kennedy Space Center are also home to a number of non-avian residents, including over 5,000 alligators, such as this big guy we photographed from the Cruickshank Trail at Merritt Island NWR.
View from the Cruickshank Trail observation tower.
There really is a Manatee in this photo (hey, our camera doesn't work underwater, okay?). There are only around 2,000 of these slow-moving creatures left in the wild; many are injured in boating accidents, and there have been a number of deaths from so-called "red tide algae." This photo was taken in the Manatee Observation Area of Merritt Island NWR.
A closeup of the Manatee's tail while he was feeding. You can see the injuries this individual has already suffered. Most individuals in the wild get similar scars sooner or later.
Wildflowers (Cnidoscolus stimulosus, "Tread Softly") and insect (you tell us the species, you get your name here) near the Manatee Observation Area at Merritt Island NWR.
Boating is a big pasttime in this area of Florida - but it's mostly limited to the calmer rivers and intracoastal waterways, rather than the Atlantic Ocean.
Cape Canaveral National Seashore. Also something of a buffer for the Space Center, this beach remains undeveloped and uncrowded...
...unlike this beach (Indialantic Beach), which is more typical of Florida beaches.
Still, even a "typical" Florida beach can appeal to nature lovers.
Wildflowers near Indialantic Beach.
Launch Pad 39A at the John F. Kennedy Space Center, one of two launch pads used for space shuttle missions. Despite (understandably) stepped-up security, the Space Center welcomes visitors daily and offers bus tours of restricted areas.
The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), where shuttles are assembled on mobile launcher platforms, which then roll the shuttles out to the launch pads. Volume-wise, the VAB is supposedly the largest building in the world. We were told that the Statue of Liberty could easily fit through each of the building's side doors (one of which is partially open in this photo). This building can be seen from miles away, which isn't too surprising when you consider how flat Florida is!
A space shuttle orbiter engine. The Boat-Tailed Grackle on top of it (part of a whole gang that seems to have taken over KSC) would rather you look at him.
A restored Saturn V moon rocket. These rockets were used for the Apollo missions.
The Saturn V rocket continued. Pretty big, huh?
Solid rocket boosters and fuel tank for the space shuttle (no fuel here, obviously!). If you look closely, you may see Mike standing below and just to the front of the exhibit.
A full-size replica of a space shuttle orbiter. Once again, Mike gives an idea of the size of the exhibit.
At the daily "Astronaut Encounter," Astronaut Bill Pogue, the captain of the last Skylab mission in the mid-1970s, talks about his experiences.
The Rocket Garden at the Kennedy Space Center. The (unfueled) rockets here are left over from the early days of U.S. space flight.
Mike gets an idea of what it was like to sit in a capsule for the Apollo missions (hint: cramped)...
...while Tricia finds out what it was like to be a Mercury astronaut (hint: REALLY cramped!).
Boating on the Indian River near the Melbourne Causeway. The Atlantic Ocean is on the other side of the land across the water.\n\nAnd so ends another trip to Florida...watching the water and the wildlife. Hope you enjoyed the visit!

All images are copyright © 2003 by Michael or Patricia Lowhorn, as indicated on individual pages.  All rights reserved.  E-mail photos@lowhorn.org for technical information or for permission to utilize these images for other than personal use.

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