Winter Doesn’t Have To Be An Off-Season
When it comes to construction skills, male Anhingas are slackers. Oh, they’re good at pulling together nesting materials, but that’s about it. Instead of turning the sticks, twigs, and leafy greenery they collect into a nest for their mates, they stash the materials in trees and let the females build the actual nest.
You might not see this behavior when you visit Everglades National Park or Big Cypress National Preserve next door, but walk down the Anhinga Trail in Everglades and you’ll no doubt pick up on some other behaviors specific to the species. For starters, you’ll likely see some of these odd birds roosting in trees with their wings spread wide apart.This is how they dry off after swimming underwater – yes, underwater – in search of a meal. And once they spy a fish, they don’t grab it in the traditional way with their sharp, pointed bills. They spear it.
Winter is the best season to look for Anhingas, and other wildlife, in Everglades. But it’s also a great season to head to Point Reyes National Seashore in California to watch for the arrival of thousands of elephant seals for their breeding season, or to the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River in New York and Pennsylvania to scan the skies for bald eagles. The fact is, the winter months are a great time to find yourself in the National Park System, whether you’re in search of wildlife, a great hike, or to seek out some solitude.
In our winter guide to the parks, we offer articles that can help you choose your destination. There are road trips that will not only keep you free of snow and ice but also take you back in history.
And while many national park lodges close in winter, there are many other lodgings where you can call it a night, as we note on page 12. You can begin planning next year’s vacation by turning to page 28 to read about international park travel, to page 10 to consider renting a home inside Yosemite National Park for your getaway, or begin making plans for a trip this winter by scanning our list of both warm and sandy and cold and snowy destinations. The point is, there is no down season in the National Park System.
By Kurt Repanshek in National Park Advocates, LLC
32 pages, published 11/1/2014
National Parks Traveler Essential Guide, Winter '14, outlines how to enjoy the national parks in winter, whether you prefer snow and cold or sand and warmth.
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Comments
The snow is flying in Acadia National Park today already, so perfect timing to read the article about cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Acadia, in the Essential Park Guide, Winter '14.
It's on the bucket list, and we'll be sure to blog about cross-country skiing along the groomed carriage roads of Acadia at www.acadiaonmymind.com.
We've cross-country skiied Yosemite before, and it was nice to be reminded of that trip with the article about Yosemite in winter.
Let the snow fly!
UPDATE 1/16/15: Winter conditions are excellent right now with freshly groomed cross-country ski trails. Bookmark this for your trip to Acadia in winter, with links to activities, year-round lodging, outfitters and live Webcams to check snow conditions: www.acadiaonmymind.com/2015/01/winter-secret-wonderland-acadia-national-...