Canaveral National Seashore

We visited Cape Lookout National Seashore in May. It was windy and warm, salty and secluded.  It was magical.  So in an attempt to find the state of Bliss that we experienced on the shores of North Carolina we headed to Canaveral National Seashore.

 A quick call to the Visitor's Center reserved us 1 of 2 beach front walk in sites; the only other campsites are accessible by boats and located in the backcountry.  Seagrass and shells lined the beach, a boardwalk guided us over the dunes, and fishermen greeted us on the ocean side.  The lagoon side of the barrier island was filled with dolphins, birds, and more fishermen!

We stayed a total of 5 nights. The main difference between here Cape Lookout is accessiblity.  Cape Lookout is isolated and requires a ferry ride and at least a 1/2 mile walk; while Canaveral is on the edge of a tourist town and a 1/4 mile walk from the parking area.  If we forgot something we could walk to the car or drive to the store at Canaveral.  There was also a difference in wildlife, as in we saw a lot more at Canaveral.  Here comes a list:

1. Dolphin
2. Gopher Tortoise
3. Armadillo
4. Butterflies
5. Birds
1. Osprey
2. Gulls
3. Pelicans
4. Terns
5. Cardinals
6. Scrub Jays
7. Willets
8. Roseatte Spoonbills
9. Ducks
10. and many more
6. Man O'War Jellyfish
7. Oyster Reefs
8. Raccoons
9. Manatee
10. Alligator
11. Ghost crabs
12. Fish
1. Pompano
2. Blue fish
3. Mullet
4. Whiting

Oh and I almost forgot...a baby scorpion! It had been living under our tent! Arghh! T wanted to pick it up, I wouldn't let him. 

The sand is so hard and I, Anna, refused to carry in a sleeping pad.  I slept on and off all night but I would awake to waves crashing, stars in the sky, and beautiful sunrises. Okay if we are being honest the HARD sand woke me a few times but the no see-ums and mosquito bites woke me up every night. Florida insects are vicious!  By dusk we had to be in Love Dove with the windows shut and stay there until after dark, otherwise, we were eaten alive.  So we made dinner and hung out then walked back to the tent by the light of a new moon. Which means we used our headlamps and our senses.

Our nightly walks afforded us the opportunity to see Ghost crabs.  Ghost Crabs come out at night and they lined the beach at Cape Lookout.  Here they were less plentiful but still funny and evasive.  E, our resident kid sized Bear Grylls, picked them up with no fear.  He generally likes the things that fascinate but creep me out.  On the first morning I awake to a brilliant sky. E woke up shortly after and we each sat quietly on the beach memorized by the rising sun.  We both felt compelled to be silent and just observe.

I definitely had more fear of the ocean during this trip.  Each fisherman told of catching sharks. Most don't want sharks as they are time consuming to reel in and tricky to prepare well.  Nonetheless it isn't hard to catch one.  There are also so many beautiful and graceful jellyfish.   The fear certainly stems from scary media stories and lack of knowledge. I strongly believe a little fear is a good thing as long as it is little and keeps you safe but not sheltered.

Finally on our last night, after days of watching the fisherman, we became fisherman.   At the local hardware store we purchased 2 reels, licenses, and bait and then headed back to the ocean.  We had a great system and a lucky first night. I would bait the hook (shrimp, clams, or sand fleas, aka mole crabs), James would wade into the surf and cast, and the boys would watch the lines.  Much to our chagrin--NOT!, we caught 4 Pompano, 2 Blues, and 3 Whiting.  It was fun, fast paced, and rewarding!

 



 I cleaned and filleted the fish in the bus because the mosquitoes were in full force.  The Pompano is an easy to fillet fish, the other 2 were trickier. I had never filleted a fish before but thanks to Google and James' Dad we had mostly bone free fish for dinner and enough Pompano fillets to take back to Grandma and Grandpa Raven's house.  The next morning reality struck; fish don't always bite and sometimes they just steal your bait.  Didn't catch a thing and neither did the other fishermen. It was a good short run and we will try fishing again in the Florida Keys.

All in all it was a lovely 5 days on the beach. We did a side trip to Daytona Beach, where we got the bus stuck in the sand! The beach patrol had us out in 3 shovel scoops.  We also spent a day exploring a Melbourne climbing gym and Merritt Island National Wildlife Preserve.   If you are looking for beach camping without too much work, Canaveral is the place to go. If you want more secluded then Lookout has more possibilities.

Happy Birthday Mom :)