The expanses of the west, Midwest, the rustbelt were gone. The Northeast was in a word – crowded. The 600 miles from Buzzard Swamp to Woodshole Massachusetts’s should have been a 10 hour drive. However torrential rains in the Vermont and the Palisades New York area created chaos. Roads were destroyed or blocked with boulders and landslides, bridges were closed., and traffic was a mess. The 10 hour drive took 15.

I caught the last ferry to Martha’s Vineyard. It had been a long time since I had been on the island. The crowds were pervasive. The single family homes down main street had been botique-ified. Many of the homes had been upgraded to attract the summer vacationer. That said, the Mememsha harbor seemed unfazed, the Edgartown Lighthouse beach still hosted nesting pipers and plovers. And the harbor was remained full of summer yacht-club boaters.

Mute Swans and signets at Felix Next Nature Sactuary

Baby piping plover (IUCN Redlist) – Edgartown Beach  with only 8000 of these tiny birds in the wild conservation efforts like those made on Edgartown Beach are helping them make a comeback.

Can you find the nesting sandpiper?

Great Crested Flycatcher – Jordan Lake State Recreation Area

My time on the island was brief, but it was a joyous visit with my cousin his family and my Aunt. Funny, witty, sharp, and keen with observations the nature of humanity our conversations were rich and time flew by.

Down the coastal flatlands of Maryland to North Carolina, I was surprised to see so much farming. The temperature and humidity started to rise as well. A drive through and under the Chesapeake bridge tunnel was fascinating. Part Bridge and part tunnel, the route took me over the water then under the water so boats could pass, then back up out of the water an onto a bridge again. I had never seen anything like it.

One of the best parts of the Eastern was visiting my brother and dad. Spending some quality time with them was long over due. I got to visit William B. Umstead State Park, Ebenezer Church Recreation Area, and Johnston Mill Nature Preserve, as well as my dad’s favorite restaurants.

The weather got warmer and more humid as I drove through South Carolina, Alabama, and Mississippi. The mercury was near 100 every day, but the heat index climbed to near 115. A midday walk in Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge was very warm. However I did get a brief glimpse at the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (IUCN Redlist). This woodpecker is found only in the South East United States and its populations are falling as the old growth white pine habitats it needs also disappear.

In Alabama I got to hike the Pinhote trail near the Bull Gap junction. I started at 5:30am to avoid the heat, but by 9am it was already close to 100. I tried to imagine my incredible brother who runs 100 mile races and ran right through this trail.

A brief note about car camping. My minivan was nothing special, no high tech security and not-so-great mechanical systems. However it worked. To keep things economical I would frequently just find a quiet place pull over and sleep in the back. However, at times it was nerve racking. A few years ago, I had some harrowing overnight experiences in the Cascades in Washington. While not unsettling as that one, I didn’t sleep well. I found an old forest dirt road got there a little after sunset. There were no homes or destinations down that road, yet several cars during the night would drive by mine down the road. One even parked near me for several minutes then drove off, then came back later. I exercised caution wherever and whenever I could, but times like these did make me second guess some of my choices.

Still unsettled from last night, I hikes through some fire-lane roads through the Talladega National Forest, but with gunfire in the distance and my car just parked on the side of the road, I decided to move on.