I Came to Admire the Wildlife, Not Join the Menu

One of the things I love most about traveling is looking at the skies. Clouds, changing light, wide-open spaces. There's always something worth looking up for.

Unfortunately, in certain parts of the country, looking up isn't necessarily the best survival strategy.

I've encountered a few warning signs during my travels that reminded me to pay attention to what was happening a little closer to the ground.

Child crouching beside a red Be Snake Awake sign warning that rattlesnakes live here and to stay on the trail, along a paved trail in Colorado.

While hiking with Devon in Colorado, I encountered one of those signs that makes you reconsider exactly where you're putting your feet.

Florida park caution sign warning that alligators are present along the trails and waterways, posted on a wooden fence beside the water.

Then there was Florida. Beautiful scenery, lovely skies, and a reminder that some of the local residents have considerably more teeth than I do.

Blue rest stop sign warning that poisonous snakes and insects inhabit the area, with boulder-covered desert hills behind it.

And somewhere along the road, possibly at a New Mexico rest stop, another warning. This one even included scorpions!

Apparently, watching where I walk isn't enough. I need to know what's crawling, slithering, and waiting in the neighborhood.

Now, I appreciate wildlife. I really do. I enjoy seeing animals in their natural surroundings, preferably from a comfortable distance.

But I have one firm rule when traveling:

I do not want to become part of the food chain.

I came to admire the wildlife, not join the menu.

And on that note, I think I'll keep one eye on the sky and the other on the trail.

Happy trails. Watch your step!

#CampgroundComedy#CampingHumor#TravelHumor#WildlifeSafety#SituationalAwareness#SoloTravel#BackRoads

I Came to Admire the Wildlife, Not Join the Menu

You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

In the End, We’ll All Become Stories