Yoda’s summer house, I found.

Yoda’s summer home, I found. Deep within the remote river swamps of the Apalachicola National Forest, he lives. Magnificent and beautiful, the area called to me, in a dark force sort of way.

Signs warned of alligators and bears. On high alert, I was, watching, mindful ever.

Yoda’s friends, I glimpsed—lizards and swallowtail butterflies. Hidden, alligators and bears stayed away.

Luckily, lost, I didn’t become.

No, Yoda, I never saw with my own eyes, but watched and listened and waited, I did. His presence, I felt.

Okay, end of my Yoda-speak…Leon Sinks just outside Tallahassee is a geographical wonder. I can only take so much perfect, pristine white sand and throngs of people, before I need to walk in the woods. So I did. I shut my eyes and listened to the sounds all around. The swarming of bugs. The slithering and ker-plunking of critters. A dragonfly variety I’ve never seen before—too quick for a picture. At times I felt like I was back home in the Ozarks, but then I’d spy sand on the trail and the occasional palm tree growing deep in the forest.

The pinecones were huge!

Like larger than a ladies size 7.5 huge…

Here’s one of the actual sinkholes. Sinkholes are collapsed caves, often deep and fed by underground aquifers. The topography in this area is karst, meaning formed as groundwater dissolves the limestone or other soft rock. Fragile in the geographical scheme of things, but looks like it’s been there since the Land of the Lost.

The sinkholes were cool, but really, the swampy area fascinated me more. Because, Yoda and all.

Luminous, it was.

Leon Sinks in the Apalachicola National Forest is a great place for hiking in Florida. Well-groomed trails and bathroom facilities, too.

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]I found Yoda’s summer home deep in the swamps of #ApalachicolaNationalForest @floridahikes #LoveFL #LeonSinks[/tweetthis]

Musical Pairing:
Fresh Swamp Music