Thursday, February 28, 2013

Flamingo - 02/28/13

Thursday – February 28, 2013

Thursday – February 28, 2013

We spent a very peaceful and restful first night at the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park. We are both enjoying the convenience and added comfort of the electrical hookup at our campsite. There were frequent rain showers throughout the evening, providing a soothing patter of raindrops upon the roof of our trailer.

A cold front from the north is approaching southern Florida, producing a chilly evening and morning with the temperatures in the low 60’s. As the day evolved, a partially sunny sky produced a temperature in the mid-70’s. We decided this would be a good time to explore the area on our bicycles.

We explored our campground first, Loop T, followed by the Loop A, B and C campgrounds. Loop T has 65 campsites restricted to trailer or motorhome campers. No tent camping is allowed on any of these sites. Sites 1 through 41 have electric hookups. Loops A, B and C are available for tent, trailer or motorhome campers. There are no electric hookups at these campgrounds. Loop A has 55 campsites. Loop B has 59 campsites and Loop C has 56 campsites. Loop C was closed due to low campsite demand. We then followed the road out of the Flamingo campground that took us past the campground entrance. A short distance from the entrance, another road veers off to the right that takes the visitor to the Walk-In camping area located adjacent to the Florida Bay.

The Walk-In camping area resembles a vast manicured grassy wasteland. The area is dotted with palm trees and small deciduous trees overlooking the vast expanse of the Florida Bay. The camping area contains 65 sites and is about one football field wide by two football fields long. This area is designated tent camping only. Campers park their vehicles in the designated parking areas and walk a short distance to their tent sites. This is a very popular area for tent campers as well as the favorite area for all campers to view the gorgeous sunsets over the open water.

At the end of the Walk-In camping area, there is a paved walking / bike path that terminates at the park Marina and Visitor Center. This is about a one-half mile, winding pathway that hugs the shoreline and presents the visitor with numerous visual delights. A highlight of our trip on this pathway was spotting a huge Osprey nest at the top of what appeared to be a dead tree. There were two restless young Ospreys in the nest testing their wings for their maiden flight.

Visitors to the Marina Center have the opportunity to enjoy two tour boat options. One tour traverses the Florida Bay and the other tour traverses a canal through the Everglades. Both tours are narrated and provide the visitor with opportunities to view an abundance of wildlife and beautiful scenery.

We returned to our campsite contented from our day of exploring this sub-tropical paradise.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Walk-In Tent Camping Area in Picture Below

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Flamingo Campground - 02/27/13

Wednesday – February 27, 2013

Wednesday – February 27, 2013

We had a few rain showers last night and awoke to an overcast sky this morning. It is time for us to depart the Long Pine Key Campground in the Everglades National Park.

We departed the Long Pine Key Campground at 10:25 a.m., traveling southwest through the very scenic Everglades National Park. We arrived at the Flamingo Campground at 11:10 a.m. We had previously made reservations for an electric site here and were assigned campsite #4 upon our arrival. This is an end site and is the first site on the second row. It is a very spacious site with several shade trees. We will definitely request this site on our future visits. It will be very nice to have an electric hookup for our seven nights stay here.

The Flamingo campground is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and the Gulf of Mexico on the west. Boat access to both oceans is through the Florida Bay, located at the southern tip of the Everglades National Park. Non-electric tent, trailer or RV camping is available in camping Loops A, B and C. Electric and non-electric trailer or RV camping is available in Loop T. Non-electric Walk-In camping is available on the beachfront area by the Florida Bay.

Loops A and B campgrounds have restrooms with flush toilets and solar powered warm water showers. Loops C and T campgrounds have restrooms with flush toilets and cold water showers.

Camping Fee: $15.00 per night with our Golden Age Passport.
Campsite: 4

Total miles traveled today: 36

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Monday, February 25, 2013

Under The Weather - 02/25/13

Monday – February 25, 2013

Monday – February 25, 2013

Well the flu bug finally got us. I got hit with it on Monday, February 18. After a couple of bouts of nausea and total fatigue on Tuesday, followed by a coughing spasm on Wednesday, I was finally on the road to recovery on Thursday.

Sharon got hit with the flu bug on Thursday evening, February 21. She obviously contacted it from me as a result of our confined living quarters in the trailer. Fortunately, Sharon did not experience any bouts of nausea and is feeling much better.

We chalked up our speedy recoveries to getting our flu shots back in September 2012. At any rate that’s our story and we’re sticking to it!

There is a 14-day camping limit at National Park campgrounds. After 14 days, campers may stay additional days at the discretion of the Park Ranger. We exceeded the 14-day limit on Wednesday, February 20, 2013, at the Long Pine Key Campground. We have reservations for an electric hookup site for seven nights at the Flamingo Campground starting on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. The Flamingo campground is located 34 miles within the park from our present campground. Since the Long Pine Key campground has never been filled up during our stay, the park ranger has granted us additional days on a day-to-day basis.

The weather here in southern Florida has been exceptional, sunny days with temperatures in the mid-80’s. It feels good to be feeling better so we can enjoy the outdoor lifestyle here.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Sunday, February 17, 2013

EverGlades NP - 02/17/13

Sunday – February 17, 2013

Sunday – February 17, 2013

We are really enjoying our ten-day stay here at the Long Pine Key Campground in the Everglades National Park. We were scheduled to depart on Saturday, but we decided we would extend our stay for another four days. We will now depart on Wednesday and spend eight days at the Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park.

A cold front from the north arrived in southern Florida Friday evening, producing high winds with thunderstorms throughout the night. The temperature plunged from the mid 80’s to the high 50’s. Frequent rain showers and windy conditions prevailed throughout Saturday, and the rain finally subsided in the late afternoon. The temperature dropped to the mid 40’s Saturday night so we fired up our electric heater to keep our Casita trailer nice and toasty.

Today was a sunny day with the temperature in the low 60’s, and a bit windy. Not that bad, considering the alternative of being back home in Chicago, enduring the cold February weather there. It will be another cold night here with the temperature in the low 40’s. The forecast for this week is the temperature will be in the low 70’s on Monday and then to the mid 80’s for the rest of the week. I think we can handle that!

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Nikie Missle Base - 02/12/13

Tuesday – February 12, 2013

Tuesday – February 12, 2013

Another beautiful sunny day with the temperature in the low 80’s here at the Long Pine Key Campground in Everglades National Park. We decided this would be a nice day to do the Nike Missile Base tour that is located within the park, nine miles from our campground.

The Nike Missile Base tour starts at 11:00 a.m., every day of the week. The tour takes 90 minutes to complete. Visitors meet at the Daniel Beard Center and a park ranger provides a 20 minute introductory lecture on the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. This crisis created the urgent need to establish a Nike Missile Base in southern Florida. The Army had to obtain special authorization to place the base on National Park land.

Following the lecture, we boarded our vehicles to follow the park ranger for a one-mile trip to the Nike Missile site. Even though this is a decommissioned missile site, two locked gates restrict access to the site. After the park ranger provided our group entry within the restricted area, we could see in the distance the outline of three missile barns. Because of the high water table in southern Florida, the missiles were housed in these barns instead of underground silos. During the period of the cold war, each of these barns contained three missile launchers, with four Nike missiles mounted on each launcher. In the event of a missile attack on the U.S., the missile launchers would roll out of the barn on tracks to their individual launch pads to be launched.

Once our group was on the missile base, we parked our vehicles to begin our walking tour of the base. The park ranger conducted the walking tour accompanied by a very informative lecture on the buildings and the large earth berms that dotted the landscape on the base. Security was very tight here when this base was active. There was a dog kennel that housed the German Shepherd guard dogs that roamed the perimeter of the base with their handlers. Security guards were under orders to shoot any trespassers that violated their orders to stop. The base was deactivated in 1974 with the land and buildings returned to the care of the National Park Service.

Each missile barn is bordered on one side by a large earth berm. Each berm contained a concrete bunker room, approximately 10 feet wide by 20 feet long by 7 feet high. The berm served two purposes; one was to protect Army personnel dispersed throughout the base from an accidental explosion from within the barn. The bunker itself provided a shelter for the launch personnel located within the barn.

The highlight of the tour was when the park ranger unlocked one of the missile barns and allowed all of the visitors inside to look around. There was one deactivated Nike Missile on display inside. It was mounted on its launcher surrounded by equipment that was required to launch it. It was a very impressive and deadly display of the weapons technology the U.S. had available during that era. Thankfully, we never had to use it.

The tour was over at 12:40 p.m. We were a bit hungry, so off we go to the Gator Grill, located about 9 miles from our campground. We had passed by it several times on our trips into Florida City, and it was always busy. It did not disappoint! We each ordered their 1/2 pound hamburger with all of the trimmings. They were absolutely delicious and definitely worth a return visit.

We decided to wash the hamburger down with a milkshake from a vegetable market called "Robert Is Here," which is located about one mile further north from the Gator Grill. Sharon had the fresh strawberry and I had the fresh papaya and passion fruit. OMG, the calories we consumed today. Oh well, we’ll do better tomorrow.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Friday, February 8, 2013

Long Pine Key CG - 02/08/13

Friday – February 8, 2013

Friday – February 8, 2013

We met some interesting fellow campers today. One couple is from Maryland and another couple is from the Rockford, Illinois area.

The couple from Maryland are embarked on a five-week camping expedition in their new-to-them, 30-year-old Scamp 16-foot trailer. They purchased this trailer about a month ago. They had previously owned a fiberglass boat, so they were familiar with maintaining the finish on fiberglass. It showed too, because their Scamp fiberglass exterior looked brand new. This was their first time camping in a trailer so they were interested in learning about the modifications we had made to our trailer to make camping more comfortable and enjoyable. We were happy to share this information with them.

The couple from Illinois have a 2007 Casita Trailer, Freedom Deluxe model. They had passed our campsite earlier in the day and were intrigued with all of the modifications we have made to our trailer. They stopped by for a visit and show-and-tell. We were only too happy to accommodate.

It is always so nice to chat with our fellow campers and share traveling adventures. You never know, we just may see them again in our future travels.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Everglades NP - 02/06/13

Wednesday – February 6, 2013

Wednesday – February 6, 2013

We departed the Midway Campground in the Big Cypress National Preserve at 8:45 a.m. It is a bright sunny day with the temperature in the low 70’s, making for a nice day to travel. Our destination today is the Long Pine Key Campground in the Everglades National Park. This is one of our favorite campgrounds in southern Florida. The campsites are very spacious and offer a fair amount of privacy between campsites. We spent 10 days here in January 2013 and will spend another 10 days here on this visit.

We arrived at Long Pine Key at 11:00 a.m., selected campsite #96 and proceeded to set it up with the amenities we desire while camping. This campsite is quite large and very nicely laid out. We decided this would be our preferred campsite on our future visits.

Late afternoon arrived; hunger pains were setting in. Time to refuel the body as well as our pantry. The closest city to Everglades National Park is Florida City, about 15 miles to the east, so off we go! Our first stop is to the Cracker Barrel Restaurant. We each had the chicken fried chicken with three sides. Our bodies sufficiently refueled, we then headed over to the Walmart, a few blocks away, to pick up a few supplies.

We arrived back at our campground around 6:30 p.m., exhausted from the day’s activities. Time to kick back and relax with a nice glass of wine.

Camping Fee: $8.00 per night with our Golden Age Passport.
Campsite: 96

Total miles traveled today: 73

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Exploring Big Cypress - 02/02/13

Saturday – February 2, 2013

Saturday – February 2, 2013

Another beautiful sunny day with the temperature in the mid-70’s. Time to go exploring in the Big Cypress National Preserve in southern Florida!

Big Cypress refers not to the tree but to the size of the swamp, over 2,400 square miles in subtropical Florida. This is a land of sandy islands, slash pine, mixed hardwood hammock (tree islands), prairies, cypress domes and strands, marshes, and estuarine mangrove forests. Its beauty beckons numerous visitors into the knee-deep water. Air plants, both bromeliads and orchids, perch on the cypress and hammock trees like strange bird nests.

Big Cypress is about one-third covered with cypress trees, mostly the dwarf pond cypress variety. Broad belts of them edge wet prairies, line the sloughs where deeper water prevails, and dot the horizon like hills on a vast plain. The great bald cypresses are nearly gone. Today’s few remaining giants embody antiquity; some are 600 to 700 years old. Their bulbous bases flare downward and outward to root systems loosely locked in rich, wet organic peat. Their girths outstretch the combined embrace of four adults. Thankfully, these hovering giants are now protected from exploitation, from those who would harvest them and turn their wood into commercial products.

Sixty inches of rain fall in an average year, beginning as clouds stacked up over the Gulf of Mexico. The rain falls every afternoon during a season of thunderstorms that usually begins each year in May. The rains flood Big Cypress before flowing slowly to the south through Everglades National Park. It is a slow drainage upon which creatures great and small depend. The land slopes only two inches per mile to the Gulf of Mexico, causing a delayed drainage of the wet season’s watery bounty. The gradual drainage extends the wet season by two to three full months after the rains taper off in October. The swamp provides vital water for several southwest Florida cities.

Our first stop was to the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery, located 1.5 miles west of the Midway Campground on US-41. Clyde Butcher and his wife have lived at this location for the past 16 years taking extraordinary landscape pictures, on black and white film, of the Big Cypress swamp. He captures these landscapes on film using 8x10", 11x14" or 12x20" view camera. The large format camera allows him to express in elaborate detail the beauty of the landscape. Clyde’s photography has been exhibited in museums in the United States and Europe. His photographs sell for several hundreds of dollars for a size 8 inch x 10 inch print up to $125,000 for a size 5 foot x 8 foot print.

Upon entering the gallery, the visitor is immediately immersed in and surrounded by immense black and white landscape photographs mounted on the walls. The serene beauty and artistic detail of these photographs draws the visitor into the scene as though they are entering an out-of-body experience into the actual landscape itself. Words alone cannot adequately describe the artistic quality of Clyde Butcher’s photographs. We felt privileged to have witnessed this wonderful display of the artist’s photography.

Upon our departure, we purchased one of his many books of photographs; Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades. This book cost $40.00 and contained many of the same photographs that were mounted on the walls in the gallery.

Our next stop was at the W. P. Williams Roadside Park located on the north side of US-41 at Turner River Road (FL-839). The canal forms a large shallow water pond approximately four feet deep by thirty feet wide at this location. The water is crystal clear with lush green vegetation that provides a scenic underwater wonderland for fish, alligators, turtles, snakes and water birds. The pond is bordered by a dense mangrove forest on one side and a nicely landscaped picnic area on the other side. This is the perfect spot for a visitor to have a picnic while observing a wonderfully scenic wildlife habitat.

Our next stop took us to the Big Cypress Swamp Visitor Center located on the south side of US-41 at Seagrape Drive. Behind the visitor center is a very large pond fed from the water flowing south through the Big Cypress swamp. A boardwalk, approximately 50 yards in length, runs along one side of the pond providing a safe and close-up viewing area for the visitors. A park ranger provides very informative on-site lectures on the wildlife that inhabit this area. We were fortunate on this visit to view a manatee grazing on the vegetation in this nutrient rich pond environment. A short distance away was an alligator floating near the surface of the water, seemingly oblivious to the mammoth-size mammal invading his space.

We decided our next stop would be to Everglades City for a late afternoon lunch. The entrance into the city is on FL-29 south of US-41. This is a small town of 459 residents with a mixed housing and entertainment environment. There are elevated and non-elevated single family homes, some very nice and some not so nice. There are a few condos and motels, waterfront restaurants and airboat ride operators. On our tour of the town we discovered a beautifully landscaped RV Resort (Everglades Isles) that is probably a private ownership community. There was also a boat dock located adjacent to the property. Most of the sites were vacant and those that were not vacant were occupied by very expensive, upscale motorhomes.

As we continued our tour of the town searching for a restaurant, we stopped to chat with a couple that had just come out of a restaurant we had just passed. We solicited their recommendation for good restaurants in the area. They informed us that most of the restaurants were casual style; meaning you placed your order with the cashier and picked your order up when your number was called. Seating was usually at picnic-style tables. They directed us to the City Seafood Restaurant, which they said was the number one rated restaurant on Trip Advisor.

City Seafood was just around the corner from our location. It occupied two buildings, one was the restaurant and the other was their retail seafood store. It was 4:00 p.m., the parking lot was full (always a good sign from our many years of dining out) so the decision was made. In we go! We were not disappointed. I ordered the fried grouper sandwich ala carte and Sharon ordered the fried grouper finger basket, which came with french fries. We seated ourselves at a picnic table facing the water and enjoyed our deliciously prepared grouper. While we ate, we were treated to the sight of numerous boats, cabin cruisers and commercial fishing boats, moored at the dock. In addition, airboats were transporting passengers through the Big Cypress swamp, the roar from their aircraft engines penetrating the surrounding airspace.

We returned to our campsite at the Midway Campground in the Big Cypress National Preserve, content from a full day of wonderful exploration.

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

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