Quick Stop in Ft. Myers

Our decision to make a stop at Ft. Myers was mostly about spending a day at nearby Sanibel Island which is purported to be THE shelling destination. I have brought a lot shells home from Mexico that are currently collecting dust in bags and containers in the office closet. Some have been given away and others are waiting for some, as yet unimagined but nevertheless unique, craft project. Still, while my desire to search for gems on the beach has faded, it is not entirely gone. There is just something exciting about finding an unusual shell and taking it home.

 

Very southern feel to this RV Park.

The RV Park we stayed in had a very “southern” feel too it as it was filled with huge Cypress, Oak and Pine trees, most of them dripping with Spanish Moss. Our site was backed right up to the Popash Creek. Our neighbor assured us that the alligators and snakes stay in the water and do not venture into the campsites. Hmmm. 

 

Popash Creek right behind the RV.

This turned out to be one of Abby’s favorite parks yet with a long walking “nature” path and designated (and fenced) off leash dog play areas. Quite a few of the folks staying there are regulars who drive down from snowy states each year to spend their winters in the sunshine. They love their “second home” and we could see why.

 

Love the great wraparound porch. You can see Ford's home across the yard.

Ft. Myers was the winter residence of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford and the side-by-side homes are preserved and open to the public. What a difference from the Ringling Mansion! Both of these homes were very understated…very much like any home you would see in the Midwest.

One of the guest rooms in Edison's home. Nothing fancy but very homey.

The furnishings are quite ordinary in style even though they were brought from New York by steamship. The Edison home is filled with wonderful examples of his inventions…not the least of which is the light bulb. 

 

I loved this "Rules for Guests" that Edison's daughter wrote.

Chris and I were especially impressed by Edison's workshop. It looked as if any minute Mr. Edison would enter the room and introduce himself.

 

Edison's workshop. Looks like he just walked out for a quick break.

Edison and Ford met early on when Ford was working for Edison and this close friendship continued for the rest of their lives. Thomas Edison imported many unusual plants and trees from around the world in an attempt to discover a workable compound for tires. 

One of the numerous types of fig trees used to develop a rubber compound for tires.

More fig trees.

Chris resting in front of the bamboo.

Clearly he and Harvey Firestone, who was also a part of this trio of geniuses, collaborated from time to time.  

 

Pretty Sanibel Island.

We picked a warm sunny day to make the foray to Sanibel Island. Alas, being the laze-around in the morning people that we are, it was close to noon before we arrived at the beach. It is a pretty, white sand beach and wasn’t too crowded which was a blessing. Clearly, either we were too late in arriving (so the “good” shells were gone) or there was a bit of “false advertising” going on in the literature. All we found were clam shells of a different color than usual. The worst part was that there was a red tide happening so the beach was strewn with dead and dying fish. Had we made the trip a day or two later it would likely have been pretty stinky!

Overall we liked Ft. Myers very much. If we hadn’t had an appointment to meet a friend in Miami I think we would have chosen to hang around a bit longer.

Key West

Our patio at Larry & Penny Thompson Campground.

Chris & I checked in to the Larry & Penny Thompson Campground for a two week stay in Miami. There was so much we wanted to do in southern Florida and this seemed like a good “base”. The campground is a county park with 240 RV sites, paved roads throughout, a lake, tons of shade trees and plenty of amenities (pool, laundry, clubhouse, etc.), at considerably less than most RV parks in Miami. It is a wonderful place to hang out for a couple weeks.

Our cottage at Island Bay Resort.

One of our first “projects” was planning a trip to visit the Florida Keys. RV parks in the Keys cost about $100/night so we decided to drive the PT down and stay in a nice motel. Sort of an extended “date night”. We located a wonderful “in home” dog sitter for Abby and after much research I reserved a room in a small resort in Key Largo. Key Largo is a 2 hour drive from Key West but the closer to Key West you get the more expensive the rooms are. The Island Bay Resort turned out to be wonderful. Each of the 10 individual cottages had its own patio with table/chairs & bar-b-cue and we were just steps from the private beach where two-person hammocks and chaise lounges beckoned. 

Chaise lounges on the beach await!

In addition, a long dock with Adirondack chairs was the perfect spot for guests to gather at the end of the day to watch the sunset. Upon entering our room we were greeted by lovely island décor and Jimmy Buffet singing softly in the background. It was perfect! And very romantic! 

It is hard to get a photo of the beautiful water but I tried!

We rose early the next morning for the drive to Key West. The 98 mile long causeway afforded us long views of the beautiful water between the numerous islands. Road work on the outskirts of town and finding a parking spot slowed us down so it was close to noon before we actually got walking around town. It didn’t seem like that big a place so we opted for the $20 fee for 2 hours instead of $35 for all day. Looks can be deceiving! The only place on our “list” that we managed to locate was the buoy marking the Southernmost Point in the Continental U.S. After taking pictures, a bit of lunch and a little shopping we found ourselves 15 minutes late getting back to the car which required paying the additional $15 in fees. The thought of a long drive back in heavy traffic discouraged us from staying longer.

Here we are...90 miles from Cuba!

That evening over a wonderful dinner we realized that we wanted more. The day was too short and we aren’t likely to be here again so we decided to bite the bullet and bring the RV down for 3 nights.

This is the height of the “season” as well as the beginning of Spring Break so locating an acceptable RV park was a little tricky. After much research I found a KOA on Sugarloaf Key (17 miles from Key West). I read the reviews complaining of noise but thought surely it couldn’t be that bad. Hah! Two of the 3 nights we were there the live music in the bar by the pool (right in front of us) didn’t stop before 10:30. Then…the drunks spent hours wandering around yelling. I didn’t get much sleep but I tried to remember that it was only for 3 nights!

So…we were (happily) close enough to Key West to spend much of two days there. And…we had located a better (and cheaper) parking lot. Life was good!

Eclectic shop seen from the trolley.

On day one, we decided to first take a trolley tour of the town to get the lay of the land. The bonus was that the trolley driver also gave us quite a bit of history about the area.

The Avalon

Southernmost House.

A couple “tidbits”:

11)      Many of the houses and buildings in Key West are not only beautiful architecturally, but they were built in the 1800’s and have survived hurricanes, termites, neglect and the Great Depression. One reason is they were built by shipbuilders who knew a thing or two about making structures that have a bit of flexibility and are made with materials known to withstand storms and parasites. Also, during the 1970’s when many were in serious disrepair, a group of artists, gays, lesbians and hippies purchased the homes for next to nothing and set to work restoring them. In fact, the Gay community is credited with the gentrification of Key West. These beautiful homes (many of which are now hotels or bed & breakfasts) are like the icing on a wonderful, lively cake.

One of the great sculptures at the U.S. Customs House.

Chris being funny with one of the sculptures.

22)      There are very few “beaches” in the Keys and their “sand” is actually more accurately rock or crushed shells & coral. That is because the Keys are protected by a barrier reef and there is no surf…which is what makes sand. The main tourist beaches in the Keys are not especially big and the sand is all imported from the Bahamas!

Captain Tony's Saloon (originally Sloppy Joe's)

My friend, Pat, is a big Jimmy Buffet fan (as are we) and suggested a couple places to visit where he was known to hang out so those were on our list. We located Captain Tony’s Bar (which was, originally, Sloppy Joes’…Ernest Hemingway’s hangout of choice) and went in to have a beer. It was interesting looking at the hundreds of bras hanging from the rafters but the smoking drove us out long before we got that cold drink.

Pat also suggested the Blue Heaven Restaurant (which is the subject of one of Jimmy’s songs) and that was great fun. 

Great local entertainment.

My travel books recommended it for breakfast due to the long wait times (and no reservations) so we showed up early (well…9:30 or so) and only had a 30 minute wait. While we waited we enjoyed listening to some talented local musicians as well as checking out the “interesting” décor and watching multiple chickens running around under the tables. 

"Showers $1.00 To Watch $2.00"

My Lobster Benedict was deee-licious. Of course, once breakfast was over we had to visit the gift shop and drop a few dollars. I hope Pat appreciated the little gift I sent her for her un-Birthday!

More lobster than Benedict. Yum!

Chris really wanted to visit the Mel Fisher Museum and it was interesting tho’ not one of the best museums I’ve seen. Mr. Fisher is the man who found the wreck of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha that went down in 1622. There were some items from the shipwrecks that Mr. Fisher found and excavated and a lot of information about the ship, the reason it sank (hurricane) and how he located the wreck. The worst part for me was that the museum was so dimly lit I had trouble reading the small print.

Hemingway Home

Ernest's Writing Studio

Cat Cemetery at the Hemingway House.

We fell in love with the Ernest Hemingway Home and our tour guide was a real kick. He was from Boston and was clearly a huge aficionado of Hemingway with lots of interesting tidbits about his life and loves to share. The home is beautiful and I was especially awed when Chris & I walked into the studio. Just to think that was where Hemingway worked for 9 hours every day that he lived in that home gave me the shivers. Of course, being the bibliophile that I am, I couldn’t leave without purchasing a book from the small gift shop at the home. I am looking forward to reading A Farewell To Arms and am hopeful that it isn’t depressing as some of his works have been.

The coolest Walgreen's I've seen yet!

Of all the places we have visited in Florida, Key West was the most magical. It is unique and historic and eclectic and pretty and just plain fun. I would love to go back someday and stay in one of the wonderful hotels in downtown so I could enjoy the ambiance 24 hours a day.   

Everglades

When Chris & I drove from the Gulf Coast of Florida to Miami we took the scenic route (as usual), mostly because it goes through the middle of the Everglades. Weather that day was overcast, chilly, windy and showery. The famous (and infamous) critters that we were hoping to see were obviously at home snuggled down with a good book. The only alligator we saw was alongside the road having clearly gotten the bad end of some large motor vehicle. He (she?) appeared to be in three ugly pieces.

Heron (unknown variety)

While the gators were absent, the birds were out in force. Everywhere we looked were birds perched on branches high and low, standing or creeping through the water hunting for lunch or soaring overhead. Trying to identify them was challenging at best, mostly because we were speeding down the road at 60mph. This, of course, also hindered the photographer.

Once we were settled in Miami we decided to return to the Everglades Information Center for some more leisurely observation. The first sunny day and we were off.  

Wonder what the fence is for?

The first alligator I saw looked like half of an old tire laying in the grass. I didn’t want to get my hopes up so that was the assumption I made…it was a tire. Then I saw another, and another and then a really big one. Before I knew it they were everywhere. I don’t know what color I had expected but it wasn’t black, which is what they are.

As we turned into the Information Center I saw 3 or 4 gators in the grass next to the road and intended to walk back for a picture once the car was parked. Not necessary! A very nice boardwalk in front of the Info Center provides a perfect view of many, many alligators just beneath your feet. The park ranger said they don’t feed them or encourage them in any way but they seem to like to congregate there and warm themselves on the rocks.

While the alligators are the real stars of the Everglades show, the birds are pretty spectacular as well.

Sunbathing with friends

The Anhinga looks to be a close relative of Cormorants and they are everywhere. The Everglades is home to numerous varieties of Egret and Ibis as well as Herons, Wood Storks, Vultures and numerous birds of prey. Everywhere you look there are birds roosting, wading or soaring overhead.

Anhinga

The Everglades is most definitely swamp so there are plenty of slithery critters around which made me more than hesitant to traipse along trails through tall grass…and we didn’t. One especially unwelcome reptile that now lives here is the Burmese Python. Unfortunately, a number of idiotic “pet” snake owners let their pythons loose in the Everglades – presumably when they could no longer procure large enough game to feed them. This area is a perfect environment for the big reptiles and they have reproduced rapidly and are now causing widespread devastation. Just before we arrived, the “great Python Hunt” took place and a grand total of 68 snakes were caught. Pretty sad since the estimated number on the loose is 150,000! All but three of the largest ones were killed. The three biggies were fitted with two tracking devices each and released in hopes that they would lead the Wildlife officials to the females before they reproduce. It is currently the breeding season. The saddest part of this story is that they are killing off the indigenous species…including alligators…many of whom are endangered. As if they don’t have enough challenges already. Note: Just "in case", if we ever see one of the pythons we are supposed to call 1-800-IVE-GOT1. I have the number memorized!

Any ideas what kind of bird this is?

In addition to birds and the aforementioned reptiles, a couple other rare animals live in this National Park. One is the American Crocodile. I don’t think we saw any of those but they bear a close resemblance to the alligators so who knows. Apparently there aren’t many of them in America and they are on the endangered list. The other is the Everglades Panther. These beautiful animals are related to, and aside from a few small differences, look very much like the Cougars we have in the NW. There are less than 100 left in the Everglades so they are critically endangered and, thus, the chance of getting a glimpse of one is pretty slim. The only one we saw was stuffed and on display in the Information Center.

Butterfly

I have to say, the Everglades doesn’t exactly look like what we envisioned. The terrain is mostly swamp grass and stumpy trees (Cypress) sitting in lots and lots of water. There are also a very different type of Pine from the ones in the NW and, of course, Palms of all shapes and types. Most trees are decorated with several bird nests and Spanish Moss drips from their limbs.

Clearly development is having a huge impact. Many of the neighborhoods in Miami back right up to border of this unique park and canals have been dredged throughout. Judging from the amount of bone dry land and dead trees in certain areas, it is having a very bad effect on the environment.

The Everglades is truly a unique and otherworldly place and it was exciting to have the chance to see it but I sure wouldn’t want to be stranded there!