Update Archive
Archive 12/29/2005 - 1/3/2006:
12/29/2005 - (171 miles – 4 hours - L:63F – H:85F) We left the Keys today. It’s definitely a place I would like to visit again. I already miss it. Our new camp is about 6 miles outside of Naples, FL, which is on the Gulf side. We hit a bit of rain on the way over, but nothing to worry about. 12/30/2005 - (104 miles – 4.5 hours – L:52F – H:76F) We drove around, getting a feel for the place. I had forgotten that holidays are a bad times to play tourist. Traffic was hideous! We drove down to Marco Island, which is only about 15 miles away. There are houses, condos, motels or resorts everywhere you look. They have a few public beaches on Marco Island, but pets are not allowed. We turned around and headed north, toward Ft. Myers. It’s a pretty drive, but there again, everywhere you looked – houses, condos, motels, resorts or outlet malls. I took the road closest to the coast but couldn’t see any water until we hit Bonita Beach. Lover’s Key and the state rec area there looked promising, but there were so many people! The whole area is so crowded for the New Years weekend. We went up to Ft. Myers Beach and then turned back toward home. Traffic on I-75 was crazy. I think I’ll hide out for a few days and let all the tourists go home :o) 12/31/2005 - (L:55F – H:80F) I thought about washing the truck and trailer…. Maybe tomorrow…. 1/1/2006 - (L:F – H:F) Naw…. Maybe tomorrow… 1/2/2006 - (41 miles – 5 hours - L:F – H:F) I left Max at camp and headed to a nearby marina for a boat tour of the Everglades / 10,000 Islands area. It was a three hour tour…haha.. Anyway, the folks running the tour were super nice and we chatted for a while before the other guests arrived. We saw manatee, alligators, osprey, dolphins, a bunch of different birds and some of the 10,000 Islands. It’s a beautiful area, consisting mostly of huge clumps of red and white mangrove trees surrounded by the waters of the Gulf. Further inland where the manatees were, the water is a combination of fresh and salt and is reddish in color due to the high tannins from the mangroves. It was a great tour, after which I headed home. 1/3/2006 - (122 miles – 6 hours - L:F – H:F) Once again I left poor Max at camp and headed to the Shark Valley Visitor Center in the Everglades. There is a 15-mile tram ride that takes you out to an observation tower and back. The park also rents bicycles so you can ride the trail and you’re also free to walk it. I’m lazy these days, so took the tram ride. It was fantastic, taking you through the swamp and marsh, with a very knowledgeable guide pointing out birds, crocodiles, plants and interesting tidbits about the local ecology. The ride took several hours but was well worth it. New Pictures: FL