On The Way to Everglades

March 22nd - Monday 71 degrees = Rain at 9:00 am

After saying goodbye to our neighbors and thanking our coffee hosts, Ralph and Irene with promises of seeing them in nine months, we left Key West at 9:00 in the rain.

We drove in rain most of the way and arrived in Florida City around noon, we stopped at “Roberts” for fresh fruit and veggies, let me tell you it was no bargain, I was so hungry for a fresh local tomato, and I paid $1.50 a pound, they also had fresh sugar and cream sweet corn and it was $7.95 for six years, Jerry, we sold it too cheap!! I also bought apple bananas and they were $1.50 a pound, and they are delicious.

As we drove into the Everglades, I was amazed at the huge fields of produce. Migrant workers were at S&B beans picking string beans, great fields of tomatoes, summer squash and corn. After seeing the prices, Lou and I decided maybe we had better enlarge our garden this year.

We arrived at Everglades National Park, Long Pine Key Campgrounds, around 1:00, and were told we could pick out our own site, which was a nice way of doing it. We have a really nice site, with lots of green grass and a paved spot for the RV. See the above picture. Estee has good boundary lines and stays right in our yard.

We quickly got settled and had some lunch and we were off exploring. I can tell you folks, the Everglades at this time of the year it not at all what I expected. It looks more like Africa, and I told Lou I expected to see a Hippo or an elephant bathing her baby instead of a gator.

The owner of “Roberts” suggested that we go to Royal Palm and take the walking tour, so that was our first stop, and it was wonderful. I took many pictures of the birds, soooo many different kinds and at one place in the sunshine we counted 21 alligators are basking in the sun. The way these tours are set up are with huge board walks going out into the mangroves and cypress areas so you can see exactly what everything is and how they live in their own habitat. We have seen fish and birds with freshwater habitat and plants and trees that live in the Hardwood hammock and also the birds and animals that live in the saltwater habitat.

We were told by one guide that the Robins usually leave here in March; however, they are still here, so that tells him that the north can still expect more cold weather, sorry about that guys.

The one thing Lou and I wanted to see is the Florida Panther. We see signs along the road warning us of their crossings, but we have yet to see one.

Kris and Sue they have Kite birds here, but I wasn’t able to get a picture of them. Lots of Wood Storks, Michelle you will remember we saw one of those at Uncle Scott’s house. In fact he took a picture of it. My favorite was the roseate spoonbill, he is pink and huge. Kris, I took pictures of many of the airplants for you, I wish you could have seen them.

We ended up back at the campsite after dark and you can’t use the generator here after 8:00, so we had to use the gas stove and heated water for tea, and made some soup for dinner, There are no restaurants here, in fact, no nothing. Very primitive, and very poor reception on the XM radio. Cell phones are very quiet. We were both really tired last night and were in bed at 10:00. It was also much cooler here, we changed out of short and into jeans again.