Jarvis Creek Park, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

This big boy was the first to greet us....he's wasn't the least bit shy.  We spotted him very near the walk way which had me a bit un-nerved.  My friend, and the awesome photographer; Margaret said she's seen him before on a previous visit to Jarvis Creek Park.  We choose to go the opposite direction, by the way.  He seems to like to station himself near the small fishing dock; so please be aware folks.  Through out the park are plenty of signs indicating the presence of alligators with warnings to all NOT to feed them.

Jarvis Creek Park and Fitness Trail in Hilton Head, is just off highway 278, William Hilton Parkway at 50 Jarvis Creek Road.  It's a 53 acre park with much to offer.  There are nice restrooms, picnic areas, play areas for the kids, lots of wildlife to enjoy and pretty scenery.

Margaret zoomed and got some really nice photo's of the wild life, while I kept a look out for gators!  She took some photo's with her cell phone and others with a nice camera with a good zoom lens.

This "duck" intrigued us, as we were unfamiliar with it.  Turns out it's not a duck after all, it's a Common Gallinule, (Gallinula galeata) sometimes referred to as a Common Moorhen, especially in older field guides.  After our walk, Margaret did some googling and thought she'd found what it was, and I sent the picture to a blog friend, birder, David who confirmed it.  Please visit his blog for lots of interesting information and wonderful wildlife photo's.

This Blue Heron was hard to see, he was so close to us; but the camouflage was great and we only saw it when it moved.  

The Turtles were all clustered together getting some sun, apparently not minding being all bunched together.

In additional to the pretty scenery and wildlife, there is a pro-WEllness area with 10+ pieces of equipment stationed behind a large Old Live Oak with directions on how to use each piece of eq1uipment.  I confess....I did not see this as we walked, but their website says it's there.  This exercise area was built by Hilton Head Island and Bluffton Chamber of Chamber of Commerce.

The walking path is smooth and wide and flat (about a mile loop), so very accessible to all.  Regular Park Hours are 6 am til 9pm, but winter hours (in effect when daylight savings time stops) is 6 am til 6 pm.

PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me. AND remember, leave your name and url and not your google+ profile link or your blogger profile link. Name and url takes me right to your blog post so I can reciprocate the visit. Profile pages do not.

Traveling Through

This is a different kind of travel, one I've posted about before.  I do a lot of walking, put a fair number of miles in those travels.  I often see interesting things when my feet take me traveling.  I don't remember until recent years people decorating so much for Halloween, do you?

I have several walking routes through the neighborhood with options to hit 3 different city parks.  Most of the routes are between 4-5 miles.  The skeletons on a picnic was cute.

Another Skeleton themed decoration.

This is perhaps the most elaborate set up with the number of tombstones and even a gate to enter.

Do you decorate?  I don't.  Do you see many decoration in your neck of the woods?  

It's been beyond ages since I've blogged so this is just a quick post to get things rolling again.  Next post will be about a week we spent in South Carolina, do do come back.   

PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me. AND remember, leave your name and url and not your  profile link. Name and url takes me right to your blog post so I can reciprocate the visit. Profile pages do not.

Marriott's Ford Colony, Williamsburg, Virginia

The outside of our building at Marriott's Ford Colony in Virginia.  All the buildings are very Colonial in appearance, which is of course most appropriate given it's Williamsburg.  Well sorta.  Let me give you a mini amount of background.  This area just a short 10-ish minutes from Historic Williamsburg was previously known as Middle Plantation, but not the historic Middle Plantation.  Historic Middle Plantation is what became Williamsburg.  This area, Fords Colony is a premium planned community that really only came to be in about 1983, when in 1982 Middle Plantation Community failed.

The land originally was part of the territory of the Powhatan Chief (father of Pocahontas).  The area was involved in many conflicts/wars; but how it was passed from The Powhatan Chief to Middle Plantation and then Ford's Colony, I don't know.

All units here are 2 Bedroom, 2 bath units with a screened porch.  On this particular trip, our unit is the first floor you see there on the left.  Buildings face each other in this section with a nice courtyard in the middle.

Walking around the corner (our building is the one to the right of the sidewalk), you see well manicured lawns and landscaping.  It's a very pretty resort with a warm comfortable feel to it.

This is the office where you check in.  Again you see the well manicured and maintained public spaces.  

Small, but well appointed kitchen.

The bar area separating the kitchen from the dining room.

Lovely living room with fireplace on the right and out the sliding door is the screened porch where we spent a good deal of time.

You can see why we spent a good deal of time on the porch.  It was quite peaceful to read, knit, and or have our evening cocktails.

The 2nd bedroom with 2 closets, and sofa between.  Leading into the 2nd bedroom is the washer and dryer in a closet, next to the bathroom.  The suite is very nice with plenty of room.

Master bedroom.  A desk to the left of the bed, dresser to the right and a 2nd dresser not visible in the picture was the left of the end window.

Nice double sinks in the Master Bedroom.  There's both a jetted soak tub, and a separate shower in the Master Suite.

A bit blurry as I zoomed in to get hubby getting out of his golf cart.  Marriott's Ford Colony is situated right on a golf course.  Many of the Villas have a golf course view, though this trip; we didn't.  I was out walking when I spotted him.  There are 60 clubs with tennis and golf being very popular activities in Ford's Colony Planned Community.  You're close to Historic Jamestown as well, so plenty to do in the area.  However, it's also a good place to just relax, which is what we did.  We've been to both Jamestown and Williamsburg on other trips and just enjoyed the peace during this Covid trip.  We were able to cook in our villa, stay socially distant from other people and just enjoy our time away from home.

I walk almost daily.  Try to get 5 ish miles a day.  The walking and or biking path here is beautiful and mostly shaded.  The loop is about 4.5 miles and is scenic.  You're walking around the golf course.

And the gated housing community of Ford's Colony.  I walked, but bikes are available for rent through Marriott's Ford Colony on a daily or weekly basis.  They even have those trailer attachments for families with young children.

We enjoyed our time at Marriott's Ford Colony and plan to return.  As a Marriott Timeshare Member, golf is included with your stay.  You get a punch card with a number of free games.  On our first stay here, many years ago the number of games you got depending on your membership level.  This trip we got free golf daily.  Hubby played 4 or 5 times during the week, and I'm a non golfer.  You do need to rent a cart; but still it's a good deal.

PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me. AND remember, leave your name and url and not your google+ profile link or your blogger profile link. Name and url takes me right to your blog post so I can reciprocate the visit. Profile pages do not.