February 7, 2008
A timely FEDEX delivery helped Barb and I avert a financial challenge and with new Visa cards in our possession, we left Marathon just after noon on Wednesday. It was just over a hundred miles to the next site. We steadily drove north over the long bridges and left the Keys to enter the mainland. It was another southern turn and a drive of about 50 miles to the tip of Florida, Flamingo, in the Everglades National Park. The Key
s turned into mainland farmland, then to marshy grassland as we neared the park. At one point, the National Park Service displayed a road sign, “Rocky Reef Pass, Elevation 3 feet.” The highest points in the Everglades is 7 feet. The campground is located in a grassy field boarded by Florida Bay to the south and the Everglades on the other 3 sides. We pulled into a campsite next to Bud and Alyce (see Canaveral Blog) who we have now encountered 3 times. Bud, at 84, has been out in his boat fishing in the bay every morning in their two weeks here.
This is the largest campground that I have ever seen. It is $8 a night, no hookups, cold (tepid) showers and toilets are provided. The campsites are huge and show little sign of the 8 feet of water that covered this area during Hurricane Wilma and again Katrina. The large National Park Lodge, Restaurant, and motel-like tourist housing stand empty, victims of the storms and the unwillingness of the Feds to renovate them. It is too bad. Now one must have an RV or tent to enjoy more than a day long visit to the beautiful biome. The marina and the National Park offices are still functioning. Motorhomes, trailers, and tents dot the massive campground filled to about 10% capacity during this most pleasant season of the year. Still, there are about 60 motorhomes here, running their generators to power the microwav
es and the TV. The temperature stays around 80. It is 7:30 pm as I write, it is pitch dark, the crickets are chirping, an owl is hooting, and the temperature is 77 degrees.
Barb and I have booked several outings in our 4 days here. Today, Thursday, we drove 9 miles to Nine Mile Pond to join a Ranger led canoe trip. As we drove into the parking lot at the pond, we could see 3 alligators (gators) lurking near the shore. As we launched our canoes we traveled near the banks where several more lay basking in the morning sun. Occasionally we paddled within 3 feet of them; one was over 15 feet long. As we left the pond into the glades, we p
addled in water 1-3 feet deep. During the 3 ½ hour trip, 90% of the time was spent in water 2 feet deep or less. Unique bird life and plant life dominated the trip. Only occasionally, and when they were present they received 100% of our attention, did the alligators dominate our attention. The sun was our greatest enemy beating down on us the entire 3 ½ hours. The mosquitoes and other insects were seldom encountered.
The canoe trip tired us and we returned to the RV for lunch and a nap. The afternoon found us sitting with Bud and Alyce to hear of Bud’s recent fishing exploits and giving us a chance to “pick their brain” for more Florida information for our trip up the western (gulf) coas
t.
Late afternoon found us riding our bikes around the area, looking across Florida Bay at the Keys, and looking for crocodiles which also inhabit this area.
Evenings without electric hookups finds us sitting in the RV with the battery fed lights illuminating our activity. We write, read, and listen to the crickets. The generators stop at 8 pm (curfew) and the heavens fill with the
stars that I have rarely seen since sleeping on the lawn as a kid. It is quiet without the hum of air conditioners and televisions. It seems so natural. Kind of like the cold showers. Natural.
I don’t know when I can post this. We have no cell signal or WIFI here. Perhaps tomorrow, as we travel north for another outing, we may receive a signal.
A timely FEDEX delivery helped Barb and I avert a financial challenge and with new Visa cards in our possession, we left Marathon just after noon on Wednesday. It was just over a hundred miles to the next site. We steadily drove north over the long bridges and left the Keys to enter the mainland. It was another southern turn and a drive of about 50 miles to the tip of Florida, Flamingo, in the Everglades National Park. The Key
s turned into mainland farmland, then to marshy grassland as we neared the park. At one point, the National Park Service displayed a road sign, “Rocky Reef Pass, Elevation 3 feet.” The highest points in the Everglades is 7 feet. The campground is located in a grassy field boarded by Florida Bay to the south and the Everglades on the other 3 sides. We pulled into a campsite next to Bud and Alyce (see Canaveral Blog) who we have now encountered 3 times. Bud, at 84, has been out in his boat fishing in the bay every morning in their two weeks here.This is the largest campground that I have ever seen. It is $8 a night, no hookups, cold (tepid) showers and toilets are provided. The campsites are huge and show little sign of the 8 feet of water that covered this area during Hurricane Wilma and again Katrina. The large National Park Lodge, Restaurant, and motel-like tourist housing stand empty, victims of the storms and the unwillingness of the Feds to renovate them. It is too bad. Now one must have an RV or tent to enjoy more than a day long visit to the beautiful biome. The marina and the National Park offices are still functioning. Motorhomes, trailers, and tents dot the massive campground filled to about 10% capacity during this most pleasant season of the year. Still, there are about 60 motorhomes here, running their generators to power the microwav
es and the TV. The temperature stays around 80. It is 7:30 pm as I write, it is pitch dark, the crickets are chirping, an owl is hooting, and the temperature is 77 degrees.Barb and I have booked several outings in our 4 days here. Today, Thursday, we drove 9 miles to Nine Mile Pond to join a Ranger led canoe trip. As we drove into the parking lot at the pond, we could see 3 alligators (gators) lurking near the shore. As we launched our canoes we traveled near the banks where several more lay basking in the morning sun. Occasionally we paddled within 3 feet of them; one was over 15 feet long. As we left the pond into the glades, we p
addled in water 1-3 feet deep. During the 3 ½ hour trip, 90% of the time was spent in water 2 feet deep or less. Unique bird life and plant life dominated the trip. Only occasionally, and when they were present they received 100% of our attention, did the alligators dominate our attention. The sun was our greatest enemy beating down on us the entire 3 ½ hours. The mosquitoes and other insects were seldom encountered.The canoe trip tired us and we returned to the RV for lunch and a nap. The afternoon found us sitting with Bud and Alyce to hear of Bud’s recent fishing exploits and giving us a chance to “pick their brain” for more Florida information for our trip up the western (gulf) coas
t.Late afternoon found us riding our bikes around the area, looking across Florida Bay at the Keys, and looking for crocodiles which also inhabit this area.
Evenings without electric hookups finds us sitting in the RV with the battery fed lights illuminating our activity. We write, read, and listen to the crickets. The generators stop at 8 pm (curfew) and the heavens fill with the
stars that I have rarely seen since sleeping on the lawn as a kid. It is quiet without the hum of air conditioners and televisions. It seems so natural. Kind of like the cold showers. Natural.I don’t know when I can post this. We have no cell signal or WIFI here. Perhaps tomorrow, as we travel north for another outing, we may receive a signal.
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