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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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 80th birthday. We were a little early but it was nice to have everyone together.
On September 8th, 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 18th, 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 3rd. 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!
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.
A nice walk on country roads. I saw a rafter of wild turkeys and watched them cross the road. 2 mamas and a bunch of fuzzy poults. Cars were buzzing up the hill and so I cautioned them to slow to allow the family to get to safety.
Moth and butterfly.
Today was an ordinary day. We did not do anything special and certainly nothing blogworthy. We are so accustomed to moving and exploring and seeing new things everyday. To sit here is a bit of a challenge. Trying not to be bored…so a lot of fixing and cleaning and organizing and then lots of reading and relaxing.
Our evening walk took us to the water, This tiny horseshoe crab shell was on the bank.
Hoping for good Jeep news tomorrow…we are ready to start heading home!
I took my walk to the Chewinko School property and back to the campground. It was a gorgeous morning to be out and moving!
We got a text shortly after 9 this morning from Grover. Unfortunately, the supplier sent the wrong Jeep part. Work will proceed Monday.
What to do with our day? We had a very full clothes hamper. Our washer died a couple of weeks ago and there is no laundry here in the campground. The laundromat is about 2 miles away. I thought about using a taxi to take me. Before I could say that out loud. Tim had his own idea. We packed the bike bags and panniers and his bike basket with everything we needed and cycled into town and washed our clothes. You have to work with what you’ve got!
We met this man, Bob, who is a pilot. He had a very fascinating story. He was flying an experimental plane with his wife as a passenger. Something went wrong with the plane…possibly vapor lock in his fuel line. The engine failed. He saw a grassy clearing where he thought that he could safely land. What he didn’t anticipate was the utility wire strung across his path. The wire snagged the plane and sent it plunging straight down. A local veterinarian was out taking care of cows when he heard the plane in trouble. He saw it go down and raced to the scene. He immediately put tourniquets on both legs and an arm. Bob had compound fracturs of three limbs and was bleeding out. The vet saved Bob’s life. Bob’s wife suffered one broken rib and a concussion. Bob had a complicated medical recovery with lots of surgeries in attempts to save his mangled legs. The surgeries were not successful and he had both legs amputated. This man was energetic and smart and determined to have a positive attitude. His goal was to work hard and learn to fly again using his prosthetic limbs. He was able to achieve that goal and continues to work as a small plane pilot. Our conversation made the time at the laundromat pass very quickly. We walked away inspired by his resilience.
As our reward, we went to lunch at the Barnhouse.
This afternoon it was 88 degrees. We spent a quiet day, reading and doing a few chores.
I had a really neat walk through forest, to the mud flats, and along marshes. There was no traffic, only a couple of other walkers. It was peaceful and beautiful.
We went to get a few groceries and then stopped at Grover Tire and Auto. The old guy there did not say much and didn’t promise anything . He only said what we already knew…they had to take a look at it.
We arrived at Chewonki Campground. The host was able to find us a larger site and we moved in and settled.
This afternoon we took our bikes on the backroads to Chewonki. We didn’t realize that we had wandered onto the property of a school. The kids start arriving next week. This is a private school that sits on the point. The curriculum is built on ideas of ecological science, sutainability, and conservation. There is a one semester program where high school juniors and seniors can board and for four months, study intensively in the nearby estuaries and woods as well as working on the organic farm. There are also programs for kids in grades 1-8. It’s a pretty cool place!
View from the campground.
This evening after dinner, we walked back down to the water. The tide was outgoing.
We are near a small municipal airport.
We did hear from the owner of the car shop a couple of times today. They had diagnosed the problems and had parts available to fix the Jeep. They were trying to get us finished today but we didn’t hear from them again before close of business. The website says that they are open on Saturdays…not too sure if they will get done tomorrow or not…staying flexible!
