820 October 15-16, 2022 Loop Road At Night

I had some walking company on Saturday morning.  I am happy to report that I was moving much more quickly than this little guy…despite the heat and 96% humidity.

There were thousands of mayflies on the RV this morning; piled on the windowsills and clinging to every surface.

We went to Monument Lake to publish the blog.  We met a guy who was fishing.  He had been sitting in this chair when this 8-foot alligator crept out of the water.  The fisherman “really liked his chair” and was waiting for the alligator to go for a swim.  Alligators can move at speeds of 20mph on land and this was no little gator!

If you look closely…it looks like he is smiling!

We traveled 43 miles to Naples so that we could get produce and water. On our way back, we stopped in Everglades City and went back to City Seafood for lunch.  We both liked what we had the day before so much that we ordered the same wraps again!

I took another walk in the afternoon.  My hawk friend was eating something in the roadway.  I watched him take off and fly.  I heard and felt the air from his wings as he passed about a yard from me.  He landed in the tree.

We watched these crows fight over a banana peel…we are so easily entertained!

When the sun had set, we decided to go explore Loop Road.  We have been wanting to do this but there have been thunderstorms every evening.  It was a little spooky.  It was even creepier when the thunder and lightning began.  This area has several apex predators; panthers, bears, snakes, and alligators.  They live in Big Cypress and were lurking somewhere in the darkness.  I saw one set of eyes in the water among the cypress knees.  Tim saw one small alligator.  We also saw a rat-like creature scurry across the road.  We might have seen more if we had gotten out of the Jeep to look…but it was nighttime and raining and that was way outside our comfort zone!

Sunday morning was slow and lazy…like Sunday mornings should be! 

Morning walk.

It promises to be a day filled with sports; NASCAR and Ravens football.  I might have a little self-spa day!

819 October 14, 2022 Everglades City

I walked loops around the campground and was lucky enough to have enough cell service to talk with my good friend, Vicki, and my mom. 

This hawk lives here. 

We decided to ride into Everglades City today.  We took our bikes but didn’t do much.  Tim is nursing a sore hip.  We did drive through the ravaged town.  Furniture and debris are in great piles along the curb…people’s belongings…

The grocery store is closed.  The hotel has been gutted.  The post office is operating out of two mail trucks. 

Hurricane Ian caused a three-foot surge to flood streets, businesses, and homes.

Only a couple of businesses were operating.  We went to City Seafood for lunch.  I made the mistake of saying that it looked like they were one of the “lucky ones.”  The woman behind the counter said that they were not lucky at all.  They had major flooding and damage to their kitchen equipment; fryers and coolers.  A lot of food was lost.  They have however been able to recover quickly.  Today was the first day that they were serving a full menu. 

This community is constantly exposed to dangerous wind and weather.  In September of 2017, Hurricane Irma swept through leaving incredible damage in its wake.  The blue line on the wall represents the water level during Irma.

On a beautiful day like today, it is hard to imagine what it must have been like here during the storm.

Our thoughts are with these folks as they attempt to recover…again.

We went to Monument Lake where we knew we would have good cell service and therefore WiFi.  I sat in the shade, working on the blog with a beautiful view.

818 October 13, 2022 Shark Valley

We got up early and drove to Shark Valley.  We were the first to pass through the gate at 8:30. 

This is absolutely my favorite place to ride bikes.  It is such a privilege to be able to ride into the Everglades. 

It was so quiet this morning.  We could hear small plops as frogs slid into the swamp, the only evidence of their presence, the tiny ripples in the still water.

We passed dozens of herons and egrets standing still as statues at the edge; a few allowing us to pass without taking to startled flight.

We could hear the chirping of baby alligators calling for mama.  They are easy to spot with their rings of yellow.

And other gators…

I tried to notice the small things…like dragonflies

And grasshoppers.

Lots of flowers are in bloom at this time of year.

Ahead on the path, we watched this 8-foot big bull alligator crossed.  He slipped away with almost no trace.  We did find his wet footprints on the asphalt.

We spotted this beautiful turtle.  He ducked his head in as we approached and we waited patiently for him to emerge again. 

We saw researchers performing some kind of testing or survey.

After 8 miles, we came to the observation tower.  From the top, everything you can see is the Everglades.  The water slowly makes its way from here to Florida Bay and the Gulf more than thirty miles away.  This is where we encountered the first other tourists of the day.

Another couple of hatchlings, this time the mother alligator was close by and watching us.

We have biked here before.  We are earlier than usual.  It is still the wet season here.  Big Cypress gets 54 inches of rain each year.  Most of that falls between June and October.  The water is plentiful and the temperatures are hotter.  The alligators like to be in the cooler and deeper water now.  The migratory birds have not yet arrived.  Each time we come here, it is a new adventure and we love it!  We hope to be able to ride here again this week before we leave this area.

The storm clouds were gathering as we left the park.

And then the rain came.  It rained on and off all afternoon and evening…filling the glades in preparation for the dry season ahead.

817 October 12, 2022 Big Cypress National Preserve

We did our morning exercise and then packed up and got out on the road.  We dropped down through the center of south Florida.  We took roads that we had never taken before and it was an interesting and easy ride.  We passed US Sugar Company and lots of sugar cane fields.  We saw egrets sitting atop cattle.  We passed a citrus processing plant and acres of lemon and orange trees.  We saw a few isolated roseate spoonbills, their bright pink plumes a stunning contrast to the black soil.  There were alligators floating in canals.  The roads were decent and there was very little traffic.

We turned onto 29 and passed through the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.  As many times as we have visited this area, we have never seen a panther.  I believe they move around more after dark.  

We stopped at a HP Williams Roadside Park and walked the boardwalk.

We arrived at Midway Campground in early afternoon.  We are here for 5 nights. We have an electric site for 15.00 a day! This sign is directly in front of our site!

It was 91 degrees and stifling.  We didn’t venture out until later in the day.  We drove the Jeep to Shark Valley to check trail conditions.  We hope to ride bikes there tomorrow morning.

816 October 11, 2022 Lake Okeechobee

I walked circles in the campground alternately stopping in the laundry room to switch clothes.

I also drove into Belle Glade. I wanted to get more drinking water before we head south.

We got a late start on our adventure of the day. We took the Jeep and bikes and drove to Pahokee. We biked only a short distance today; it was 90 degrees!

Pahokee has a nice marina area on Lake Okeechobee. This is the third largest inland freshwater lake in the lower 48 states. It is 36 miles long and 29 miles wide at the widest point. Okechobee was named by indigenous peoples. It means big waters. The lake is alligator infested with about 30,000 American alligators.

This lake has been repurposed as a flood control measure. With mutiple pumps, canals, dikes, and dams, as well as the immense berm and levee, the lake serves as a collection point for floodwater. This water is then strategically released into the Everglades and surrounding farmland. There is a wonderful walking and biking trail along the top of the levee but it is often interrupted by construction and service work on the equipment necessary to control water flow. Recreation here is incidental and not the primary use of the lake.

We traveled along the eastern edge, through Canal Point and Port Mayaka before turning back.

We discovered a taco truck and purchased chicken quesadillas for our lunch. We took our meal back to Pahokee.

This evening we had a light meal of avocado toast with soft boiled eggs and pistachios…YUM!

We drove up onto the berm for one last Okeechobee sunset.

We have enjoyed being here and biking every day. We are headed to Midway Campground in Big Cypress tomorrow and will stay for five nights. We may not have good cell service or WiFi so we will post as we are able!

815 October 10, 2022 Clewiston

When we got up this morning it was already quite balmy…78 degrees and 100% humidity! A nice morning for a walk. I was glistening when I finished my 2.5 miles.

We took the Jeep and drove to Clewiston with our bikes. We had wanted to continue riding on the LOST or the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. We got to Clewiston Commerce Park and unloaded. The trail though, was blocked because of construction. We ended up riding through neighborhoods and along canals. We logged 8 miles.

We got back to the park and rested in the shade of this southern live oak tree. Grackles cackled and called from the branches above us. Tim may have thrown out a handful of peanuts. A dozen or more grackles swooped in to get a tidbit. It is fair to say that these birds are accustomed to being fed!

While in town, we picked up a prescription, got groceries, and found the local post office.

The afternoon was a bit too soupy and warm, 86 degrees with 81% humidity, to enjoy being outside. We stayed in and rested in the AC.

This evening, we packed our dinner and drove to Paul Rardin Park.

We watched the sunset from the levee path.

814 October 9, 2022 Scout Island Park

I began the day with a good three mile walk in the campground.  We are seeing lots of birds in the area; hawks, osprey, wood storks, egrets, herons, and ibises.  All beautiful!

We packed our bike bags with some water and snacks and took the Levee Trail about 3.75 miles to Scout Island Park.  There was a nice paved trail there.

These are Florida carpenter ants or sweet ants.  They look pretty intimidating but they do not bite or sting.

We climbed the observation tower.

On our way back to the campground, Tim spotted this green iguana.

The rest of the day was spent inside.  It rained all afternoon.  Fortunately, there was NASCAR and football to keep us entertained and as always, a list of chores to accomplish.

813 October 7-8, 2022 South Bay Florida

On Friday, we journeyed from Ruskin to South Bay.  Our route took us inland away from the storm ravaged coast and the city of Fort Myers.  We thought that we were going through Arcadia, the area inland that flooded when the Peace River overflowed, but we were re-routed.  We saw some vestiges of Hurricane Ian; blue roof tarps and large swaths of broken and downed trees but the area we crossed was largely unscathed.  It’s amazing what a difference just a couple of miles make.  As we were coming from Georgia, we saw lots of power company trucks headed north and took that as a good sign that power was being restored to those in need.  We also saw tons of trucks with building supplies; roof shingles, plywood, pipes.  We saw trucks carrying generators.  Our thoughts go out to those who have suffered devastating loss.

We stopped in Clewiston to gather groceries and supplies.  We arrived at South Bay RV Park in late afternoon.  It was 89 degrees in the RV and so we ran AC for a while.  We prepared a simple dinner of grilled chicken, asparagus, and raspberries.  We need to get back into a healthier eating routine.

We rode our bikes out onto the levee and watched the sunset.  It felt really good to be moving; cycling.  There  was a nice breeze in our faces as we road out and that same breeze pushed us back to the campsite just before dark.  The moon was almost full and very bright.

First gator sighting.

We had such a quiet night.  We had a few mosquito companions…

In the morning, we tried out the new washer with positive results. 

I walked about 3 ½ miles in and around the campground. 

We packed lunch and cycled 6 miles to John Stretch Park. This flock of cattle egrets flew in front of us for a couple of miles. They would light on the asphalt path and then as we approached they would take off and land further along.

While enjoying our lunch in the shade of a big live oak tree, Joel and Emily called so the we could FaceTime with June. It was such a great surprise and we were all happier for the chance to talk!

Our trip back to the campground was a little more labor intensive as we encountered a head wind. It was good hard work and we were tired after riding 12 miles. If I look a little bedraggled…I had just fought the wind!

This evening we took the Jeep to check out the nearby towns of South Bay and Belle Glade. We ended up riding through farmland; acres of of sugarcane.

We took our dinner back to John Strectch Park. There was a Latin American family having a huge party with live music just across the lake. We enjoyed listening to their celebration.

It was too cloudy to enjoy the sunset. We had also hoped to see the launch of Spaceex Falcon 9 but the clouds would have made that impossible as well.

We are getting back into our groove.

812 August 24– October 6, 2022 Time With Family and Friends

Our time in Maryland was short but packed with lots to do.  We had lots of evening meals with Kyle and Allison and an Orioles game and nice morning walks.  We also helped with some mowing and garage cleaning and a dump run. 

We were able to see a few friends.   We enjoyed an evening with Terry Brothers.  We hadn’t seen him for a long time and it was so nice to reconnect.

We had ordered a new washer for the RV.  It arrived and Tim and Kyle wrestled it into place.  Installing it was a bigger job than I imagined.  The wood trim had to be removed and Tim had to invent a way to stabilize the stackable units.

Our last mission for the time we had at home was to find a replacement for the Jeep.  The old Jeep was proving to be more and more trouble.  The way we travel, we must have something dependable.  On the very last day at home, we found a Rubicon that suits our needs.

We had a lovely party to celebrate Mom’s 80^th birthday.  We were a little early but it was nice to have everyone together.

On September 8^th, we left home and headed south.  We stopped in Clayton, North Carolina to see my dear school friend, Lee Anne.  We had a beautiful visit.

On Friday we traveled the rest of the way to Atlanta.   We were happy to be with David and his family.  The first week, we spent doing errands and ordering a new bike rack, tow hitch, and door shelf for the new Jeep. 

Oliver had a couple of half days and we were able to spend some time with him.  We surprised him by going to the Fernbank Museum and he was so happy!

We went to a Salsa Festival in Decatur Square.

We took the boys to swimming lessons. They have made a lot of progress with their swimming skills!

On Sunday the 18^th, we all went to an Atlanta Braves game.  It was very hot so the boys were tired after 3 innings.  Dre and I took them home and Tim and David were able to stay and watch baseball together.

Later, the kids were really excited to play real baseball in the backyard!

We went to Savannah with David and his family the following week.  We had fun walking along the river, eating out, playing on playgrounds, taking the trolley, riding on the river ferry, and going to the beach on Tybee Island. 

David and Dre got a date night.

We went to the Children’s Museum of Poole and the boys loved every minute!

Fun with friends.

When we got back to Atlanta, Tim and I helped to do some painting.  We didn’t get very far, but there is always next time.

Austin and I made ziti together.

We left Atlanta on October 3^rd.  As usual, we were sad to go and the boys were sad as well.  As they get older, it gets harder to leave.  We just have to squeeze as many memories as we can into the time we have together.

We met my childhood friend, Joanne, in Warner Robins, Georgia on Monday evening.  We had fun catching up.

Tuesday, we traveled to Yulee, Florida and we were able to spend an evening with Tim’s cousin Curtis and his wife Janice.

Wednesday, we drove to Ocala and stayed overnight at a Harvest Host site.  The Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing was pretty cool.  The Garlit family has carefully preserved many of Big Daddy’s race cars.   There was also an entire building filled with over 90 antique cars.

One last visit with my Aunt Mary and Nabi in Sun City Center. We had a great, authentic Italian dinner at Vineyards in Apollo Beach. it was a beautiful time spent together and over much too quickly.

We are on our way now to Lake Okeechobee. Let the adventures begin!

811 August 22-23, 2022 We Got Her Back!

Monday, we spent all day waiting. I walked in chilly morning mist.  Then, it was overcast and gloomy; another good day for cleaning and reading.  There was a chance of rain all day and we waited for the rain and we waited for a call about the Jeep.  At 3pm Tim called.  They might get it finished before the end of the day.  When they took it for a test drive though, the brakes were spongy. 

Tuesday morning they were going to bleed the brakes. 

We did our morning exercise and then packed up and drove the RV to the car shop.  They had just finished and were ready to take it for a spin.  Tim went along and was satisfied that everything was running well.  We paid and hooked up and drove south on 95.

Instead of taking 95 all the way through Boston and New York City, we chose an alternate route.  We took 90 west to 84 west.  There was still a lot of traffic and around Waterbury, it started to pour with thunder and lightning.  Then there was a 34-minute area of red.  A traffic accident had things snarled for miles.

We got out of the traffic mess and the rain stopped.  We were looking forward to stopping at the New York Welcome Center but it was an Unwelcome Center…not clean and crowded and no place to walk. 

We had a lot of trouble finding a place to stay.  There were very few campgrounds and the state parks were not accepting same day reservations.  We looked for a Cracker Barrel or a Walmart but there must be some ordinance up here that prevents Walmart from allowing overnight stays.  We stopped in Middletown, New York.  We found a Red Lobster within walking distance and got some dinner. 

We finally settled at a Sam’s Club that allows RV parking. 

We will be home in a day or two and so this journey is coming to an end.  We saw a lot, we learned a lot, and we loved Canada!  We plan to stay in Maryland for a week or two and then we will spend some time in Atlanta.  The blog will be suspended until we begin traveling again in late September. 

Thanks for riding along with us!