Name: Jeff and Juliana McFarland
Letterbox Name: Bald Cypress Letterbox
Date Placed: May 20, 2001
State: Florida
County: Duval
City: Jacksonville

Clue Text:

"Redwoods in Florida? You are going to see one, though it might not fit
your conception of a redwood.

There are 15 species of redwoods worldwide. There are only four native
to North America. Two are in the western U.S. (the California Redwood
and the Giant Sequoia) and two are in the eastern U.S., though one of
the eastern trees is found primarily in two counties in southern Texas.

The other of the eastern redwoods is prominent in swampy regions, like
your destination. The Bald Cypress is a large tree, often surrounded by
cypress knees, which are little projections from the root system.
Oddly, the Bald Cypress is a deciduous tree, unlike its redwood
counterparts. Common mature Bald Cypress trees are large, growing to
heights of 120 feet or more and with large diameters. The National
Champion Bald Cypress is 83 feet tall and a whopping 54 feet in
circumference (or 17 feet in diameter). It is found at Cat Island,
Louisiana.

The tree near your destination isnt THAT big, but it is a large
beautiful Bald Cypress in a somewhat suburban setting, though a bit off
the beaten path. Follow the clues to find this tree that began its life
shortly before Ponce de Leon discovered Florida.

Jacksonville is home to two four-year universities. Each has an animal
mascot. Only one of them could use our Bald Cypress as a resting
place. Proceed to the school having this animal as its mascot. Use the
entrance that is farthest from the ocean, and park in the first parking
lot on your right (just past the booth).

There is a system of trails here. The trails are named after plants.
Choose the trail whose inedible plant includes the varieties
blue-stemmed, sweet and showy. Start at the southerly entrance to
this trail which also serves as an entrance for another of the trails.

The walk is a short, easy one, and particularly pleasant from Fall to
mid-Spring. You will walk through a mixed forest, gradually
transitioning to pine flatwoods. When you see the isolated Sabal Palm
Tree on your right, you are halfway there.

Soon, the two trails you have been walking diverge. Do not deviate from
the designated trail. Approximately 1/10th of a mile beyond this
divergence, you will again come to a fork in the trail. If you choose
the correct path, you will see a wooden bench within 10 to 15 paces.
Straight ahead of you, facing about 80 degrees (magnetic) is the Bald
Cypress. Depending on when you visit, you may have to view it from a
distance, since a small swampy creek normally separates you and the
tree.

When it is swampy in this area, you could easily lose a shoe (or a leg)
trying to walk across the sucking mud. Accordingly, the letterbox is
not located beneath the Bald Cypress (though there are some great hiding
places). Instead, while facing the Bald Cypress and standing at the
edge of the creek, turn approximately 100 degrees to your left. You
will see two good-sized trees approximately six feet away from you, on
the same side of the creek as you. The trees are a foot or so apart.
The one on the right has very light bark (almost white) and appears to
be a maple tree. The one on the left has dark bark (almost black in the
forest shade), and appears to be an oak tree. This oak tree has a wide
base, with several outstretched legs. At the base of this tree, on
the opposite side of where you are standing, you will find the Bald
Cypress Letterbox. Ironic that the Bald Cypress Letterbox appears
beneath an oak tree having legs, but not knees.

Please stamp our book (or write a note) and place the contents back
where you found them. If anything is missing (book or stamp), please
e-mail us at julianam@mediaone.net. Good luck, and well look for your
letterbox in the Jacksonville area."