Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center Volksmarch - Sat., Aug. 19, 2017

Fifteen minutes from Grand Island, Nebraska is the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center on the Platte River. This is the location for either a 5k or 10k walk today. Crane Trust has opened its tall-grass prairie along the Platte River to us for our walk and mowed trails through the tall grasses.

According to Crane Trust's brochure:

"The Crane Trust and its Nature and Visitor Center are dedicated to the protectection and maintenance of critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds through leading science, habitat management, community outreach and education."

At the Nature and Visitor Center, you can see:

• Guided Crane Tours (during migrations) 
• Genetically pure bison herd
• A movie about cranes
• Educational displays
• Miles of natural hiking trails
• 35-foot observation tower
• Hornady Art Gallery
• Crimson Crown Gift Shop

Normally, people flock here in the spring to view the sandhill crane migration, although temperatures can be 20 degrees below 0 Fahrenheit. Even Jane Goodall shows up for VIP tours. 

When we arrived at 8 a.m., we checked in for the walk and headed out to see what we could see. Since it is two different 5k loops that start at the same point, we will decide halfway through if we will do the second loop. The initial part of the trail is paved and passes informative displays on sandhill and whooping cranes. 

Sandhill crane info

Whooping crane info

Whooping crane migration facts

I hope you took time to read these if you are into birding. The information is so interesting. 

Sandhill cranes are one of the oldest avian species in existence. Each year, approximately 500,000 sandhill cranes pass through the Platte River Valley in mid-February on their northward migration. They spend 4-6 weeks resting and replenishing energy reserves before continuing northward to Canada, Alaska, or Siberia. There is also a fall migration.

The whooping cranes are much bigger and much rarer. Whoopers stop over from 2-3 days to rest and feed. Both can be seen at Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center during migration times.

Our path took us past a few more plaques telling about the genetically pure bison herd, the riverine wetland, and plants and animals that we might (or might not) see. 

A 35-foot observation tower loomed over us on the left. I was the only one in our group who went up to see the view of the Platte River. Turns out, it was the best view of the walk!

Volksmarchers at Crane Trust

View of the Platte River from the observation tower

Pedestrian bridge across the Platte River
from the observation tower

Pedestrian bridge from river level

Reading an interpretive sign

The Platte River at Crane Trust from river level

The cranes roost in the open in shallow sandbars of the river. During the day, a single meadow may contain 100,000 birds. Bird concentrations as high as 10,000 birds per 1/2 mile are not uncommon. Unfortunately, they are not here at this time of year. Although, we did see one sandhill crane standing in a different river on our way back to the motel.

From our first 5k trail we did not see much more of the river. We heard from others later that the second 5k portion did go along the river for a way.

One last view of the river before we walked through
the tall-grass prairie

As we walked along the river, I heard bob whites but never saw them. The trails were mowed through the tall meadow grasses. If they hadn't mowed, we would have been up to our waists or shoulders in grass!

A gentleman walking through the mowed meadow

I was surprised by the number of wildflowers we saw, many of them were new to me. Here's a sampling. (Sorry, I don't know the names of all of them.)

A type of goldenrod

Goldenrod

Woolly verbena (?)

Purple loosestrife (?)

Snow on the Mountain

Wild bergamot flowers

Rocky Mountain bee plant

Below are some pod plants that remind me of "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers" movie I saw when I was a child.

Pod plants

Once we were in the meadow there was very little shade and no more views of the river. Other notable sights were the old windmill and a pond. No bison were in the meadow today. (That is a good thing.)

A very large toadstool

The windmill

A pond we passed toward the end of our 5k walk

It was hot and we decided not to do the second 5k walk. We met up with some more walkers on the bridge and stopped for a photo.

Once we had our Volksmarch books stamped, we spent time in the Visitor Center watching the movie about cranes, looked at the animal displays, and spent time in the gift shop.

Sandhill cranes (photo captured from the movie)

Sandhill crane artwork

Another beautiful piece of art

Visitor Center lobby and gift shop

Mural above front entry desk

It was lunchtime so Susan asked the ladies in the gift shop where would be a good place to eat. They suggested Runza, which is a local chain. A Runza sandwich is a large pieroshki (meat/vegetable filling wrapped in an enclosed bun). They were okay, but not our favorite. I've had home-made ones before that were much smaller and much tastier.

Our activity tonight was supposed to be a star party out in the country. A number of people were going to set up telescopes on a ridge and they invited everyone to come out to see the Milky Way, planets, and whatever else they could find. We found out at the end of our walk this morning that the Star Party was canceled due to a forecast of inclement weather. Oh, well. That's okay. We made the most of it.

After lunch, I took a two-hour nap and then Susan, Darren and I went to see "Logan Lucky." It was a fun movie about a couple of hillbillies who decided to rob NASCAR. All of us enjoyed it. It was a smartly done, tight, robbery movie with a lot of hijinks and "dumb" criminals. I can see a sequel coming. 

We had the evening free, so I worked on photos and blogged. The thunderstorms hit around 11:00 p.m. The rain pounded on my motel room window. 

Time for sleep. Tomorrow we have a 10k and an 11k walk. 

Lights out.

A Day with The Wandering Camels - Sunday, February 8, 2015

On a foggy Sunday morning, we headed south to Port Aransas, Texas, to meet up with our friends Faye and Dave. A year ago, we walked in Corpus Christi with Faye, Mui and Erin. We didn't actually met Dave until this visit. Faye writes the blog, The Wandering Camels.

As we drove toward Port Aransas, the clouds burned off. But the day wasn't exactly warm.

Guess what? Silly me...I forgot to bring my camera. All I had was my cell phone, so there are some photos I took in the blog, but the high resolution photos are courtesy of Dave Malouf (all appropriately attributed to him, photos without attribution are mine).

When we arrived at Gulf Waters RV Park, Faye and Dave walked us around the sites. What a nice park!

At Gulf Waters the lots are privately owned. When the owners aren't there, the sites are rented out to RVers traveling through. Some of the sites are huge, upscale and have outdoor kitchens, bars, and sheds with a large refrigerator (probably to store all those fish the herons don't eat, oh, and happy hour food and drink!). We were very impressed.

The park is across a sand dune from the Gulf of Mexico. Dave likes to spend his mornings fishing from the beach where he has caught everything from red drum to a stingray. His morning fishing companion is a great blue heron who likes to steal fish from his bucket.

After the park tour, we drove three miles into town to start our Volksmarch at The Tarpon Inn. The Tarpon Inn was built in 1886 with lumber from Civil War Barracks. It survived a fire in 1900 and a devastating hurricane  and tidal wave in 1919. When the Tarpon Inn was rebuilt, it was reinforced with pilings placed in concrete, extending up through the entire structure into the attic. Because the building is so well built, it has served as a storm shelter for many years. It has also been headquarters for the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and military units.

By the way, in case you're wondering how The Tarpon Inn got its name, all you have to do is go in the lobby. There is a large tarpon hanging on the wall behind the front desk.

Front desk clerk showing us a tarpon.
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

From the Tarpon Inn, we walked through town, stopping to read some history markers in front of the museum.

Faye checking out the dolphin sculpture.
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Bob, Susan, Faye and David in front of a historical marker.
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

The historical marker is about Mustang Island -- where Port Aransas is located -- which is one of seven Texas barrier islands. Wild mustangs from shipwrecks and Spanish expeditions once populated the island. The first humans on the island were the Karankawas, nomadic groups who stayed on the islands in fall and winter, then moved inland during spring and summer.

When we walk, we never know what we'll encounter. Today, we saw a gentleman making a sand castle in front of a restaurant. Beautiful work!

Sandcastle photo from my cell phone.

The walk took us into the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center where we might catch a glimpse of Boots and Bags, two resident alligators. The day turned out bright and sunny, but with a cold wind dogging us. Here's what we saw at Leonabelle Turnbull...

Young nutria swimming (they're basically huge rats)
(from my cell phone)

Boardwalk as seen from Observation Tower
(from my cell phone)

American Coot
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Blue-winged and green-winged teal
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Roseate spoonbills
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Bags (or Boots) not sure which--No head in photo
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

White pelicans
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

11 turtles sharing a hummock with young nutria
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Turtle and two nutria
(Photo courtesy of Dave Malouf.)

Our next stop was the Joan and Scott Holt Paradise Pond. Not many birds were out, but we saw a Western Kingbird and an Eastern Phoebe.

Faye and I at Paradise Pond
(Photo courtesy of Bob Alton.)

When we finished scoping out all the wildlife, we were hungry. Faye and Dave suggested Drop Anchor Bar and Grill which was on our way back to The Tarpon Inn. As we waited for our lunch, we read the history of Drop Anchor Bar from our menus. The original Drop Anchor was in Dominica in the Eastern Caribbean. We opted to sit outside on the upper deck. We didn't wear coats, and as we sat eating our lunch, we were all getting quite chilled. Brr!

The food was delicious! The burgers and fish sandwich were super good, but their "curly fries on steroids" (as Bob calls them) were superior.

Burger with hefty curly fries.

Dave and Faye loving the look of their lunches

Drop Anchor Bar & Grill partial menu

With bellies full of good food, we finished up our three-mile Volksmarch back at The Tarpon Inn. We gave hugs around as we bade farewell to Faye and Dave. They headed back to the RV park and we took off on the ferry toward Rockport searching for the elusive whooping cranes.

On the Port Aransas ferry waiting to leave the dock.

With Faye's excellent directions in our minds, we drove right to where a pair of whooping cranes were whooping it up with the sandhill cranes. The location is at Goose Island State Park near The Big Tree, a coastal live oak. My little cell phone camera failed miserably trying to take a photo of the whoopers. I have no zoom on my cell phone.

In the photo below, there are two whooping cranes and about 15 sandhill cranes. You'll have to take our word for it.

The small white speck just about dead center is
where the two whooping cranes are.

While we were in the vicinity, we went to see the Goose Island Oak, AKA The Big Tree. It's part of the state park.

The Big Tree - a coastal live oak, over 1,000 years old

Offspring of The Big Tree...glorious.

One more stop before heading back to San Antonio. We wanted to see the main part of Goose Island State Park and check out the campsites. First off, you have a choice of campsite locations: next to the water or in the trees. If you're next to the water, you get all the wind and salt water spray, not to mention the stench of rotting seaweed at certain times of the year. If you plan to camp in the trees for more protection, be sure to watch out for low-hanging branches. The road in, and many of the sites, have trees with very low branches. If you have a motorhome or 5th wheel with high clearance you will have to be very careful where you go amongst the trees.

While at the main part of Goose Island State Park, we found the Goose Island State Park Fishing Pier, which we walked to its end. There were many people out fishing, even in the cold wind.

Goose Island State Park Fishing Pier

Bob walking down the pier past fishermen

Fishing must be good here

The sandpiper in the water enjoys fishing too.

Tide's coming in. Love the artsy rock spit of land.

Looks like Bob just climbed out of the Gulf waters!

What they're fishing for

With that, our day trip to the Gulf Coast faded into the setting sun as we drove back to San Antonio. What a wonderful day spent with friends, and out in nature.

Travel Bug out.