Florida Trip 2025
Kim and I took a trip to Florida to visit friends and family, and along the way, I had plenty of opportunities to photograph the incredible wildlife. This blog highlights some of my favorite shots from the trip.
Our first stop was Lake Tarpon, where we stayed with my sister Heather and her husband John. Their home sits right on the lake, and I was amazed by the sheer abundance of wildlife. Bald eagles, ospreys, herons, anhingas, and many other birds were everywhere—it was a photographer’s dream.
One day, we took a scenic walk through John Chestnut Sr. Park, which sits along the shores of Lake Tarpon. The park features beautiful boardwalks that wind through the forest and extend out along the lakeside. As we explored, we encountered an incredible variety of wildlife.
We reluctantly said goodbye to John and Heather and headed south to visit Laila and her new baby. We had a wonderful time playing with the kids, though our visit was all too short—just a few hours—before we had to continue east, beginning our journey back home.
Once we settled in at our sister-in-law Shelly’s place in Orlando, I took the opportunity to spend a few hours at one of my favorite spots: the Orlando Wetlands. This place never disappoints. There’s always something new to see, especially this time, as I was visiting a few months later than usual.
The first highlight of the day was a pair of Sandhill Cranes with their two newly hatched chicks. Everywhere I looked, nests were filled with baby birds of all kinds. The vibrant pink Spoonbills were as stunning as ever, their colors absolutely breathtaking. I even captured a Great Blue Heron in the act of swallowing a snake—an incredible sight!
On our last day in Florida, we made sure to set aside time to visit our great friends, Paul and Claudia. We had a wonderful lunch together at Loughman Lakeside Restaurant & Bar, enjoying the beautiful view over the water. Ospreys were everywhere, soaring overhead and diving for fish—clearly having just as much success with their lunch as we were. We also spotted a few other birds, making for a perfect final wildlife encounter before heading home.
After lunch, we began our journey north, stopping for the night at a hotel in South Carolina before finishing the drive back to West Virginia the next morning.
Looking back, it was a fantastic trip—filled with time well spent with family and friends, as well as incredible wildlife encounters. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.