The Everglades

18^th Feb – Travel to Chokoloskee Island

An 80 mile drive took us further south, through Everglades City and across a causeway to Chokoloskee Island which is part of the Ten Thousand Islands Wildlife Refuge and within Everglades NP boundaries. From our campsite on the waterfront we could see the edge of Big Cypress National Preserve just across the bay.

19^th Feb – Chokoloskee and Everglades

As the Island is about one square miles it didn’t take too long to explore.  There was an interesting original building that used to be the “local store” which was set up as a local museum and where a local writer signed one of his books that Alison bought.

We also paid a visit to the Everglades Gulf Coast Visitor Centre and Paul did some fishing.

20^th Feb – Eastern River

The big freeze in the northern states tried to catch up with us.  Last night it was barely above freezing.  So we waited until it had warmed up in the afternoon before taking the kayak out to paddle the Eastern River trail in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. 

This whole area is protected with a series of different Reserves, Preserves, and Parks.

The river took us through mangrove tunnels to little lakes and then more mangrove tunnels.  It was quiet an exploration never knowing what we might come across.  We saw one alligator and many wading birds.  The trail goes all the way down to the Bay (up to 6 hrs paddle).

21st Feb – Boat Trip

 
It was too windy to attempt taking the kayak across the bay to the canoe trails in the Preserve. However, one of our neighbours, Scott, invited us to join him fishing on his boat. 

The Bay is one absolute maze of mangrove islands and inlets and we were glad Scott had GPS as we had no idea where we were.  Paul had some luck fishing – some Ladyfish which went back as not good eating, a flounder that also went back and a nice big Sea Trout which didn’t go back in.  Alison bird watched.  There were so many Osprey around – at least a dozen – as well as Heron and Egret.

22^nd Feb – Travel to Midway Campground

My, how the weather had warmed up in 48 hours!  Our next campsite was only 30 miles away and was right in the middle of the Big Cypress Preserve, and only 15 miles from the Everglades NP border.  It had a large pond where Paul had a go at fishing, without any luck. 

The view of the lake in the morning mist was stunning.

We spent the afternoon at the Oasis Visitor Centre where we got our first real encounter with large Alligators which were sunning themselves in the water canal just below the boardwalk.  There were also Gar fish, turtles and more wading birds. 

 

23^rd Feb – Loop Road

We drove the 26 mile scenic Loop Road stopping at regular intervals to watch the wildlife which was plentiful.  We hiked some of the Gator Hook Strand trail and encountered some beautiful clusters of dwarf cypress trees with air plants (mostly bromeliads) growing on them. 

Big Cypress is about one third cypress trees, most of which are the dwarf pond variety.  Most of the large Bald Cypress were logged in the first half of the 20^th century as the wood was not prone to rotting.  Completion of the Tamiami Trail (road between Tampa and Miami, hence the name) in 1928 meant access for logging companies and oil exploration in the region.

 

As the Loop road finished near the edge of the Everglades we drove down for a quick visit to Shark Valley.  We walked along the small canal and saw so many alligators and birds.  In order to build roads above the water level, trenches were dug resulting in parallel canals.  The winter is the dry season here and so wildlife was congregating near this water.  The opportunity for visitors and alligators to get so close to each other was surprising but I guess for the alligators living here it is like growing up next to a highway – you get used to continuous traffic and learn that if one veers off towards you, then you get out of the way fast.  So although the ‘gators look asleep as soon as a tourist gets too close they move – very quickly.  We were surprised at how close some people would get for a ‘photo opportunity’.

24^th Feb – Shark Valley – Everglades NP

At Shark Valley we listened to a Ranger talk and took the Tram ride on a 15 mile loop to an observation tower.  We saw some alligators and many birds.  Armed with a bird book we can identify nearly 20 different birds and tell the difference between a Great Egret, a Snowy Egret and a Great White Heron and a Little Blue Heron (which is white before it goes blue!).  The central region of   With up to 60 inches of rain in a 7 month period the banks of Lake Okeechobee, to the north, flood and the water begins its slow journey south through the Everglades and out to the Gulf of Mexico. Water management systems and water quality from outside the parks are of serious concern.  Water from Big Cypress also feeds into this area. 

southern Florida is a valley with the West coast at an elevation of around 18ft and the East coast around 26 ft above sea level.

25^th Feb – Turner River Scenic Drive

The Turner River Drive did not take long.  At our lunch break at the Visitor Centre we saw Manatee in the river which was at least 8 miles from the Bay.  We continue along the Tamiami Trail visiting the various points of interest.  One was a boardwalk through a grove of Old Cypress Trees that survived the loggers.

Tomorrow we would leave the Everglades and head for the Keys.

Fort Myers

11 Feb – Travel to Fort Myers

We said our farewells to the numerous friends we had made throughout our 2 month stay and then headed over the Skyway Bridge (having been under it during our cruise) and travelled 200 miles south on the I-75 to Fort Myers. The temperature increased by about 5 degrees – lovely!

12 Feb – Sanibel Island

Our camp site is just a mile from the causeway over to Sanibel Island.  This Barrier Island is approximately 11 x 2 miles, was exceedingly crowded with visitors and holiday makers. 

 

We eventually found refuge from the crowds at the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge and followed the 4 mile Wildlife Drive along the shore.

We saw many birds such as White Pelicans, Ibis, Cormorants, various Herons and Egrets.  With the binoculars we could see a couple of dolphins on the far side of the bay.  At one spot we walked along a boardwalk where a dozen Ibis were settling in for the evening barley 10 feet away from us. 

 

Other visitors stood quietly taking photos and one bird snatched a quick meal of a black crab climbing up the tree.

The moment was rather special – with the exception of the woman talking loudly on her cell phone just 12 feet away!

We left the Preserve just as everyone else was leaving the Island.  There is only one way on and off the Island which is the causeway bridge.  After spending half an hour barely moving a mile in the traffic we stopped of a meal in a local restaurant to wait out the traffic queue. 

13 Feb – Lovers Key State Park

Although Sanibel Island had other activities of interest we were not prepared to get caught up in the traffic again, so we headed south onto Fort Myers Beach barrier island and down to Lover’s Key SP.  From here we launched the kayak and spent several hours fishing and exploring the waterways in peace and quiet.

When we were packing up a white heron and an egret appeared nearby.  As Pauls ‘live bait’ was no longer of use the birds were treated to some easy pickings – they clearly had experience of fishermen at the end of the day.

Again our drive home through the town on Fort Myers Beach meant we got caught in traffic.  At least the queue kept moving but even the pedestrians walked faster than us.

14 Feb – Edison & Ford Winter Estates and Museum

Thomas Edison (of the Light Bulb fame) bought some riverfront land here at Fort Myers in 1885 and built a house and laboratory where he could escape the cold winters of the north. 

Henry Ford worked for Edison Electric Co for 5 years before establishing his Ford motor company. 

He became friends with Mr Edison and bought adjoining property in 1916.  Here they entertained other notable friends of their time such as Mr Firestone.  One particular project they worked on together was finding a source of rubber that could be grown in USA. 

We perused the buildings open to the public and wandered the gardens, laboratory and museum.  It was interesting to note that although he made a fortune from his Electric Company he continued working on all sorts of ideas and was granted a Patent every year for 65 years.  There were many notable trees in the grounds as well as Mangos and orchids.  Of particular note was a huge Banyan tree and Mysore Fig. Mr Edison had commissioned the planting of hundreds of Royal Palms along the side of the roadway outside the property.

15/16/17 Feb – Bunches Beach

This was a Holiday weekend as Monday was Presidents Day.  So we stayed at home on the Sunday and then on the Monday took the kayak out on the waterways at Bunches Beach which was only a mile and a half from the camp ground.  We followed another couple and weaved our way through the Mangrove tunnels to a quiet little lake.  The other couple tried to find another route back to the launch site but we sat and fished for a while and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

We explored through other Mangrove tunnels and spotted hundreds of the black tree crabs.  They would hide themselves on the opposite side of the branch whenever we got near making a photograph impossible. 

Paul had little luck fishing but we did see a fisherman catch a good sized Sheep-head fish from the beach and also watched an Osprey eating a fish lunch on the top of a nearby tree.

On the Tuesday we had a quiet day and walked down to the beach again where the Osprey was still perched on his tree top.  It seemed an anomaly that some people were sunbathing in swimwear whilst others sat wrapped up in fleeces and blankets.

Final Days in Clearwater

18^th Jan – 10^th Feb

This has been the longest we have ever been in one place – 2 months! 

Alison very much enjoyed the line dancing and Saturday night dances and even found a partner, Rafael, for couples dancing. 

We both entered the Euchre Card Tournament, and Alison won a booby prize for 2^nd lowest score (Oops!).

We took part in the Pot Luck dinner and a Saturday Breakfast and learnt how to play the popular outdoor game of Shuffle Board.

30 Jan – John’s Pass Village

We drove out to John Pass Village down by the beach; a pleasant shopping and dining area with a boardwalk along one side of the bay.  The sun was shining, until we stepped onto the sand and then it went behind the clouds for the rest of the day.  We had lunch on the deck of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co and watched dolphins below us.  When we walked along the boardwalk some fishermen were filleting their catch and we watched the pelicans fight over the scraps.

 

1 Feb – Heritage Village & Botanical Gardens

The Heritage Village Museum and Botanical Gardens were a short drive from our RV resort.  We spent several hours wandering around and still did not see it all.  The ‘Village’ had been created by relocating historical buildings from various nearby locations and represented the early days and growth of this peninsula.

Throughout the years 1763 to 1783, Florida was an English colony.  During the American Revolution Loyalists flocked to British Florida to escape the fighting.

5 Feb – Victory Ship

Not the best of weather on this day, so we drove into Tampa to visit The America Victory Ship.  The ship served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam as a cargo vessel and had circumnavigated the world twice.  For every 40 tons of cargo the ship lowered 1 inch further in the water. 

 

 

 

We were free to explore the 455 foot long ship on a self-guided tour. It was an interesting ship but in need of a great deal of restoration.

7 Feb – The Villages, Ocala

We visited a couple of Alison’s friends, Sue & Ian, who had emigrated from UK many years ago.   There were numerous golf courses and the golf buggy was a common form of transport.  Some were designed to look like cars and people whizzed around in designated golf buggy lanes (each year there are 6 or 7 fatalities). 

They now live in The Villages which is a recent development primarily aimed at the over-55s and golf mad.

Each of the three Downtown centres had different themed architecture, such as Mexican or Western and it created a fun atmosphere.

8 Feb – Fort De Soto

Fort De Soto Park is a designated historic and picturesque recreational area and an ideal place to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon eating ice cream.  There was not much left of the original Fort originally established during the Spanish-American War of 1898. 

 

Hurricanes and beach erosion over the years had resulted in the demise of the wooden buildings.  Tampa Bay was chosen as an embarkation point for troops heading to Cuba, during the conflict, as it was a natural deep-water bay with rail access. 

10 Feb – Last Day in Clearwater

We played our last game of 10 pin bowling in the morning and then went out with our friends,

Charlie and Dee to see Manatees.

There are many areas along the Florida coastline were Manatees seek out warmer waters.  The Big Bend Electric Company is situated on the eastern edge of Tampa Bay and water from the bay is used to cool one of the Units and then returned to the bay – clean and warmer.  Since 1986 Manatees have been congregating here in the winter.  From the viewing deck were could easily see more than 200 manatees just floating like logs near the surface of the water.  You could have walked on their backs across the waterway like stepping stones.

These are the West Indian Manatee.  They can be up to 10 feet long and can stay under water from 3 to 20 minutes.  As non-territorial vegetarians they have few predators and it is estimated up to 30% fatalities each year are caused from collisions with boats.  Many showed scars from contact with propeller blades.  Other causes of death can be due to the cold as they require a water temperature of 68F.  A recent count in 2010 revealed only 5000. 

 
Tomorrow we head south to Fort Myers.

2015

28 - 30^th Dec 2014 – Clearwater

Alison had contracted a mild chest infection after the cruise so the next few days were spent recuperating and enjoying the sunny weather with temperatures in the mid-20sC.

31^st Dec – New Year Eve

We drove the RV down to Kissimmee to meet up with our friends, Tony, Nicola, Tash and Tish who were over from the UK for some winter sun.  We parked the RV at a campsite and then joined the Underwood family to see in the New Year with a delicious roast dinner (and a bevy or two!).

1^st Jan 2015 – New Year Day

Busy shopping .......

After some bacon and eggs for breakfast and some phone calls back to family in UK we all piled into the rented people mover vehicle and Tony drove to Downtown Disney for some shopping.  We were introduced to so much Disney merchandise!! 

Afterwards we all played crazy golf. 

2^nd Jan – Kissimmee

A quieter day for us and then we met up with Tony and Nicola for a meal in the evening and then said our farewells to the girls as we were returning to Clearwater in the morning.

3^rd – 17^th Jan – Clearwater

We returned to our campsite in Clearwater.  Sadly all the Xmas decorations had been taken down.  Many people decorate their rigs with Xmas lights and the place has looked very festive during our evening strolls.

 

Having been surrounded by ‘infectious’ people, Paul finally succumbed to the chest infection and spent the next 10 days feeling poorly.  Alison took a trip out to see the Salvador Dali Museum in St Petersburg.  The museum also had a temporary exhibition of some of Picasso’s works.  The two Spanish artists were both friends as well as rivals, despite a 23 year age difference. 
Dali spent 8 years in the USA during WWII and met and worked with Walt Disney and the Marx Brothers.

The rest of the time was spent enjoying the RV Park’s activities including another Red Hat Ladies Luncheon. We still have a constant visitor to our home, Oreo making himself very comfortable thank you.  




We paid a visit to the RV Show at the Tampa Fairgrounds and looked at many new RVs – priced anywhere from $6000 to ‘silly money’.  Not that we were in the market to buy as we have booked our return to the UK in April and hence have put a FOR SALE sign in the RV …………..