Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Walkabout

Back in 1893 Ft. Lauderdale Florida was a village with a store, a few houses and an Army post. Hugh Taylor Birch was an attorney from Chicago who came here to build a home. He bought property along the beach for - - a dollar and acre, (Wanna guess how much it goes for now? $2,000,000) eventually accumulating nearly 4 miles of beachfront property. He decided he wanted to protect his property from the burgeoning development in the area so in 1940 he donated his estate to Florida to be designated as a park, on the condition that it be preserved as a park.

We happened to walk by it on our way to the beach the other day and decided to go there today to check it out. It's an amazing area of dense vegetation, a couple lakes, trails, bike paths, and picnic areas along the ICW, all right smack dab in the middle of a busy portion of the city. We spent a few hours there today with our friends Bill and Ann of old Carlyle Lake days, hiking and talking, and enjoying the crisp fall-like weather. On our way back from the end of the park we walked along the edge of the ICW and I happened to look out and spot the tell-tale circles in the water that signify a manatee was present. We followed him along the wall for awhile and were able to see him well in the clear water. Such an appropriate thing to spot an endangered creature in this environment of a staunch conservationist. It was a beautiful day, and I'm sure that Hugh Taylor Birch would be smiling with satisfaction had he been there.