We left Sarasota and our dear friends Erika and Achim ...they rode us out of town for a while on the Legacy Trail to Venice:
Not too far down the road, when it was just James and I again for a few miles, one of us realized we left some very practical items at the house back in Sarasota and after a good old downpour we checked into a sweet little Motel on the side of the road. We called E and A and they promptly showed up by car to bring us the stuff. We launched on the comfy beds and then E and I left in search for dinner. Our favorite Publix got us both inspired and we came back with 10 one serve bags of Margaritas including two cups full of ice and two big containers of our favorite ice cream. The guys were not really that thrilled, but dinner was served and we dove in....Another good bye well done!
The next day we landed on Estero Island...quite fancy....and though we should be off season for this area (in case you don’t know: Florida get’s unbarably hot and humid in the summer) tourists were swarming. The bus stop was just barely sufficient to shelter from the hard downpour that afternoon and while we were hanging out, some interesting guys started up talking to us. One of which was Leon, who lives on his boat anchored off shore near by. He had a wealth of information about where to go and what to do if you don’t fit the category of “main stream” tourist.
Lucky for us......after we checked the Red Coconut Campground on the island where they wanted to charge us $65 smackaroos to set up tent.....we headed to the place Leon described to us and if it wasn’t for the bugs (mosquitos and noseeums) it would have still been tough just because of the heat and humidity. Under the circumstances it wasn’t easy to enjoy this beautiful free camping spot, but it helped....
Naples came next and after an enormous electrical storm (we found shelter in front of a Publix, but the thunder came split second after lightening, was so extreme, I could feel the sound waves in my chest and I actually screamed out loud, crawling up on James to hold me) then we entered the Everglades.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everglades_National_Park
The plan was just to blast through it - 72 miles and be done with it since we anticipated more of the above reasons for discomfort - but then we heard about the State Parks along the way. Parks that actually allowed tent camping for a reasonable price.
We spent two nights in the Everglades. Not once did we detect an alligator, but we really wanted to see a Florida Panther which is supposed to roam around in this national park.
Airboat rides were advertised and available almost around every bend on the road through the Everglades - with all the protection balancing the sensitive ecosystem I don’t quite understand why this extreme form of noise pollution is excepted....and I can’t find an answer. We saw some awesome bugs and creatures
and beautiful swamp water reflections....
that’s it..no alligator, no panther.
And then we were in Miami - rewarded with a county park to write home about! Interesting story:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_and_Penny_Thompson_Memorial_Park
$16 a night, swimming pool, no bugs and an air conditioned dining room open until 9pm. Enough to wanna stay for a week, but two nights helped us recover quickly and the not-so-far Trader Joe’s let us replenish our dwindling supplies. I have to say, it was only 57 miles from our last camping sight and riding in traffic, the extreme heat and impatient drivers left us somewhat cranky. Entering the park, “smelling the barn” I sped up a bit only to come around the next bend to surprise two brown, young men standing in the middle of a single track path of the park at a “happy hour” lunch act which consisted of a very private, very intimate sexual act ...or about to...I was so close and not able to stop in time, so I yelled out: HELLOOOOOOO!! Which made them jump apart from each other ...the one in front of the other hastily pulling his pants up and the one behind..behind....all he had to do was zip up his fly and hide his private parts quickly enough, that, when James came around the bend all looked decent....we are talking seconds!
I kept on riding.....James missed the scene entirely, but for me, the image followed me for days ....pending between shocked and entertained and I’ll leave it at that.
