Winter Park Chain

Thursday, February 12, 2009. The azaleas are in bloom. These are at Kraft Azalea Gardens, at the south end of Lake Maitland. I had a two hour 9-11, four lake, Maitland, Osceola, Virginia. and Mizell, paddle this morning. Lots of anhingas.










More in the cypress trees marking the Winter Park/Maitland border.




Cormorants in the same cypresses.










I saw ospreys, great blue herons, great egrets and belted kingfishers. All in flight, no pictures. The statutes at the Albin Polasek Sculpture Gardens can't get off the ground.

The Polasek Museum is on the south edge of Lake Osceola, just west of the Fern Canal.

In my last Winter Park Chain Tale, I wrote the lakes are excellent for seeing wood ducks. Proved to be so again today.

To kayak four lakes, one must paddle three canals. The Venetian Canal links Lakes Maitland and Osceola.

Fern Canal joins Lake Osceola to Lake Virginia.

Shortest of the three, Genius Canal attaches Lake Virginia to Lake Mizell.

Rollins College is on the northern shore of Lake Virginia.

Full of young people, not a lot of coots like me.