Sunshine Skyways

Today in the U.S. it's Thanksgiving, a federal holiday, meaning many working-class Americans, like myself, have a day off. We decided to take advantage of the nice weather and explore the Emerson Point Conservation Park in Palmetto, Florida. At the Park is the Portavant Temple Mound; the 1200 year-old Indian mound is the largest in the Tampa Bay area. The Park "contains a variety of native ecosystems including beaches, lagoons, salt marshes, mangrove swamps, extensive underwater grass flats, tropical hardwood hammocks, tropical stands, and upland wooded areas. With these diverse communities that area provides a rare opportunity to view numerous native Florida plants and animals" (Park Handout).