Where Next? #10

It’s hard to believe that our wonderful summer in northern Utah is coming to a close. So where will the four winds blow us next?

First we are headed over to Laramie, Wyoming to visit friends who are volunteering at the Wyoming Territorial Prison State Historical Site. Then south to the Silverton/Durango area in Colorado. A brief stop at Petrified Forest NP to say hi to staff where we volunteered in 2014-2015. Lastly we turn south to try our hand at being camp hosts for the Coronado National Forest at Parker Canyon Lake about an hour south of Tucson, AZ. After 6 weeks there we make an almost straight through drive to Charlotte, NC. We know now that full timing is what we want so no use paying to store things for 15+ years. We’ll pare down to just a few memory pieces.

Then a much overdue trip to see Steve’s family in Chambersburg, PA for Thanksgiving. From there we meander for a month via Alabama, Florida and Louisiana to our next volunteer job at Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. We’ll be there from January-March 2017.

Our path this time looks a lot like a ricocheting bullet, doesn’t it? Thanks for traveling with us!

RV Travels From Flaming Gorge NRA, UT to Hot Springs NP, AR

Where Next #5 – Now For Plan B

With another round of repairs finished we drove eight hours to the Georgia side of Lake Seminole. Normally we don’t drive more than 4-5 hours between stops. We try to follow the 2-4-4 rule. That’s 200 miles or four hours or get there by four o’clock. We took three days just to relax at Eastbank COE campground.

Our next stop was to be another COE campground just north of Atlanta. Not knowing the layout of a campground can make it difficult when choosing a site online. Most of the time we get good sites. Unfortunately while this one looked good on the computer it had a very difficult back in with gullies on either side of the road and a S-curve entry.  Steve said “no way” which is unusual for him. The park was booked for the weekend and we couldn’t find another site. So we left and spent our first parking lot night at Cracker Barrel. It was chilly so we put Opal in the trailer vs. truck while we went in to eat. We didn’t think about the slides being in or that it was completely dark. As we came out of the restaurant we heard a very mournful “Awr-roooo! Awr-roooo! coming from the trailer. Opal was letting the world know she didn’t think much of this. I haven’t commented for a while but really now… they go in where it’s nice and cozy, sit down and have a meal and leave me squeezed in a dark, cold trailer. Who wouldn’t howl?

Then we headed on to McDowell Park in Charlotte for nine days of errands, appointments and seeing friends. By this time the parts for the awning arms were in at our RV dealer in Marion, NC so we headed for their campground. We dropped the trailer off for repair and drove up to Pennsylvania for a short visit to Steve’s family. Thinking repairs were finally behind us we made plans to head to Tennessee.

As we pulled into the Marion campground we saw the trailer was listing badly to the left. What now?!! Steve checked and found that when the mechanics had set up the trailer back on the pad, the locking pin on the landing gear didn’t go all the way through. The weight of the trailer had bent it and the footing had partially collapsed. It was Sunday evening and no one was around. Fortunately Steve is very handy and was able to stabilize things using jack stands. The next day the dealer repaired the problem so we could travel but … a part had to be ordered and would take a few weeks. Here we go again. As we write this five weeks later we are still waiting for the part.

So here’s our new itinerary for heading west to Montana.

Plan B Route Georgia To Montana

The Silver Lining To Being Trapped In South Florida

Observation Tower At Shark Valley in Everglades NP

Before we begin if you haven’t read WHY WE DISAPPEARED go back and look at this post. Things will make a lot more sense to you. As we found ourselves cycling back and forth to the Ft. Myers/Naples area for repairs we had to cancel reservations. Finding new places was a challenge because this was peak season. All of the state parks and COE campgrounds were booked. Finally we were able to get a site at Midway Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve for 10 days, exactly the length of time we needed until our last repair. As it turned out this stop would become one of our favorite places. To think we almost had passed it by.  A silver lining to an otherwise terrible time.

Midway Campground is located on the Tamiami Trail, US 41, between Miami and  Naples. The sites are set overlooking a small pond and are electric with tank water. The odd thing about it is while there are public restrooms there are no showers. To make our water last we used portable jugs for everyday supply, restrooms except at night and “Navy” showers. It worked just fine. The weather in early March was great. Spring was coming and over the period we were there the Cardinal bromeliads hanging on the trees burst into bloom. Big Cypress became a national park site when concerned citizens fought plans to build the world’s largest jet port here in the 1960s. It sits on the western edge of the Everglades.

Handsome Blue Heron

Cardinal Bromeliad In Bloom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cow Horn Orchid Closeup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aluminum Alligator

If we thought we saw birds at Flamingo CG, that was only a prelude to Big Cypress and two other Everglades areas; Shark Valley and Ten Thousand Islands. Birds, bromeliads, orchids, alligators, manatees, flying fish and cypress swamps made this a photographers dream. The two parks have joined together to promote the “Get Outdoors” program. They have the Tamiami Triathalon. This is not a race but a series of three activities you do at your own schedule. To get credit for each segment you check in at the appropriate Visitor Center before and after and get them to sign off on your participation form. The Tamiami Triathalon consists of a 15 mile bike ride at Shark Valley, a 6 mile kayak paddle at Ten Thousand Islands and a 5 mile hike on the Florida Trail from Big Cypress. We did it! Not bad for two mid-sixties folks, huh?

Looks Like A Painting

Steve On The Shark Valley Trail

Limpkin With Apple Snail

We took the tram tour at Shark Valley first and learned a lot. A few days later we biked the trail while decked out with cameras, camel backs and tripods tied to our bike frames. We saw a Limpkin eating an Apple Snail, Roseate Spoonbills, egrets, anhingas, many types of heron and baby gators.

Shark Valley Tram Tour

Roseate Spoonbill And Woodstork

Little Blue Heron

Anhinga Chicks Almost Ready To Fledge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naptime

The next day we took a Ranger led swamp walk at Big Cypress and were treated to a gorgeous wild, Cow Horn orchid in bloom. This was a very special treat as these orchids only bloom this profusely every three or so years. They have become increasingly rare due to poaching. The water came to Steve’s knees but it was thigh high on Chari. Our whole group was well over 55. No rocking chairs for these Baby Boomers.

NPS Ranger Leading A Swamp Walk

Sloshing Through The Swamp

 

Steve On Swamp Hike

We did more than the required paddle trip by going on a Ranger led paddle trip from Ten Thousand Islands. Just beautiful! You felt as if you were on a Caribbean vacation. Combine that with stopping to buy fresh from the boat seafood and you have a perfect day.

One evening we located the roosting spot for several thousand birds. Most of them were ibis with a few egrets and vultures. They flew in by groups of 30-50 for almost an hour. At first the squawking was deafening. As evening settled into night, the noise began to lessen. By nightfall it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. If you think this was some secret place, you’re wrong. It was right along the main highway. Cars rushing by not knowing what they were missing. A real National Geographic moment.

Flying Home For The Night

Closeup of Ibis Roost

It was just the stop to chase our worries away… until…

While we were in Naples getting the truck repaired a storm developed with high winds. When we got back our screen house was damaged beyond repair. The awning had withstood the wind. The next day shortly after breakfast Steve was outside dismantling the screen house when I heard “Come here and help” in an I need you NOW tone. Wind had come up again and this time forced the arm of the awning out of the track! With difficulty we got it back in place. However we were afraid it might pop loose while traveling so we secured it with a rope.

The planned repair was done in Ft. Myers. Rather than wait for yet more parts we made the decision to go to Plan B and head “home” to North Carolina for the awning repair.

So long, Florida!! We’ll be back but not for quite a while.

A River Of Grass – Everglades National Park

A Prairie On Water

Everglades Sunset

After all of our problems in Key West, it was wonderful to pull into a wide open, drive through electric site at Flamingo campground in Everglades National Park. Flamingo CG is located at the southernmost area of the Everglades (about 35 miles from the entrance near Florida City) on Florida Bay. Most of the sites are unserviced and available on a first come – first served basis.  Electric sites (tank water) must be reserved on Recreation.gov. Even in late January which is high season, there were plenty of unserviced sites available. Don’t let the statement that only cold water showers are available deter you. While our loop had only cold showers we learned after two days that solar powered hot water showers were available in Loop A just a quick walk or bike ride away. Plan ahead when you come here and have a full tank of gas and all of your groceries. It’s a long way back out although we drove the road many times. However watch your speed on this long drive as rangers patrol and are quick to pull you over (voice of experience.)

Flowering Tree In Everglades NP

Neither of us had been to the Everglades before and didn’t know what to expect. I was so apprehensive about another bout with biting bugs, snakes and other swamp creatures that I’d made overlapping reservations in case we needed to get out.  Nothing could have prepared us for how beautiful this area is. We absolutely loved it! So much so that we cancelled our other reservations and extended our stay from 7 days to 11 days. That meant moving from the electric site to an unserviced one but with our generators it was no problem. We already had mosquito hats. When we saw mosquito net jackets for sale at the marina store we bought them, just in case. Winter is definitely the time to go to avoid the bug problem. We heard that some evenings at the amphitheater were bad for bugs but the nights we went it was breezy and no problem at all.

Mangroves Along Florida Bay

There are many free Ranger led activities and talks so be sure to pick up a schedule at the Flamingo Visitor Center. We were lucky enough to start our stay off with a talk about manatees. Even though they are nicknamed sea cows their closest relative is the elephant. We joined a 5 hour bird walk during which we saw 41 different species and thanks to a huge flock of coots, an estimated 5,200 birds. We started at the Anhinga Trail. If you do nothing else, do visit this boardwalk trail along Taylor Slough. Take care and follow the directions to vulture-proof your vehicle and cover it with a free tarp. The black vultures in this area attack the rubber around windshields and have been known to pull mirrors off cars. We saw herons, a bittern, a phoebe, purple gallinule, anhinga, wood storks, alligators, a crocodile, spider lilies and even a glimpse of a white crowned pigeon.

Paddling With A Ranger On Nine Mile Pond

Take Time To Tarp

Vulture Visiting An Unprotected Car

Purple Gallinule “Walking” On Water

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Mottled Ducks

Night Heron

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Stork

 

 

 

 

 

Cormorant With Breeding Season Blue Eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spotting A Bittern On The Anhinga Trail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Blue Heron Looking For Dinner

 

 

 

 

Phoebe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Heron Sporting Breeding Plumage

The Flamingo area is all about water. If you don’t have a boat or kayak/canoe they can be rented at the marina. We did paddle trips on Coot Bay, Florida Bay and Nine Mile Pond. Our first time on Nine Mile Pond was with a Ranger. Later in the week we went with some new RV friends, Donna and Jack from Buffalo, NY. There is a marked water trail through mangrove thickets and marsh areas. On trip #1 I was desperate for a bathroom break as I landed when someone called from shore “I don’t think you want to get out there.” My boat was about 4′ from a large gator tail! I said “thanks” and found another spot. When I returned after driving 5 miles to the nearest toilet, Steve was sitting on a picnic table. We put the boats up and headed home. The next day he said “Did you pick up my camera yesterday?” It was nowhere to be found. PANIC! We checked Lost and Found. No camera. We went back to the pond. No camera. We asked a few people if they’d seen it. NO CAMERA. Then we spotted an outfitter’s van. We asked him. YES! He had picked it up and taken it to his office until he had time to turn it in at the Visitors Center. So we followed him back and retrieved not only Steve’s camera but our paddles and our life jackets. How do you spell relief???? With all the bad news in the world it is really nice to know that good, honest people are not an extinct species. We certainly keep our guardian angel busy!

On one of our trips out of the park we stopped at a local market called Robert Is Here. As the story goes, when Robert (owner) was about five years old he set up a stand on the street corner to sell some veggies from his family’s garden. Cars came and went but no one stopped. He was too small to be easily seen. The next day his Dad made a sign and placed it above the stand, ROBERT IS HERE with an arrow pointing down. Robert sold all the veggies that day. The name stuck and the stand has been a busy place ever since. You can get huge milk shakes in many flavors (we had key lime), buy tropical fruits and fresh veggies or shop for gourmet items.

While kayaking on Florida Bay, Steve took some great pictures of a pelican colony and shorebirds. We also took a short boardwalk hike through Mahogany Hammock where we found some interesting lichen and wood patterns we’ve turned into orbs. We’ll end now with our favorite photo of the whole trip. A too cute for words tree frog.

White And Brown Pelicans With Cormorants

Pelican Mom With Chick

Osprey In Flight Over Florida Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palmetto Palm Fan

Mahogany Hammock Boardwalk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orb Of Everglades Lichen

 

Orb Of Decayed Wood

Too Cute For Words

 

 

 

 

Floating Down The Rainbow

Cracking The Whip

Florida Cracker Festival in Dunnellon

Living Off The Land

Posing As A Cracker

When we decided to spend Winter 2014 in Florida one location we definitely wanted to see was the Crystal River area and the manatees who also flock here. This area is known as Florida’s Nature Coast. Well, we never made it to Crystal River but the beautiful spring and river at Rainbow Springs State Park was an excellent choice. Once a privately owned RV park that has been renovated this is one of the few state parks offering full hookups. Our site was roomy, private and had great satellite reception. The RV park is about two or three miles from the State Park. During the warmer months when the river is a popular tubing area a tram runs between them. For now, we’d have to drive, bike or walk. The only problem was we hit a cool, rainy week.

Honoring Florida Pioneers

We were to have met up with friends from North Carolina but last minute illness caused them to cancel. As luck would have it, Steve struck up a conversation with neighbors shortly after setting up. A couple from the Buffalo, NY area, Ann and John became new RV friends and we spent several evenings together. They told us about the Florida Cracker Festival at Rainbow Springs and said it was very interesting. Off we went the next day.

Music Filled The Air

Chatting With Neighbors

The Blacksmith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Biscuits Over The Open Fire

Our thought was that the term “cracker” was a bit of a derogatory term akin to redneck. Not so. People descended from the Georgia pioneers who drove their cattle into northern Florida are proud of their heritage. The term “Cracker” we were told may have come from the whips used to drive the cattle and/or their use of cracked corn as a staple grain. Several living history venues were set up explaining the history of the area, the way food was prepared, how they lived, their music and even the Catahoula Leopard.

Catahoula Leopard

The Catahoula Leopard is a working (herding) dog breed thought to have descended from the wolfhound. Named for a parish in Louisiana they were used by the Crackers to round up stray cattle in the swamp. A common feature of this breed is a “glass eye” where they have one blue eye with a distorted pupil.

We also learned how the Florida Crackers were the main source of beef for the Confederacy during the Civil War. With ports blockaded by the Union imports were limited. The cattle from Florida could be driven back through Georgia to the Carolina’s and Virginia to feed the troops.

Crackers As Cattlemen

Mary Playing The Harpsicord

We strolled around the festival chatting with the participants, bought stone ground grits and listened to two harpsichord players. While listening the husband of one of the players noticed my camera harness and we began discussing photography. Then we learned they are RVers too who spend summers in the NC mountains. Within five minutes we’d made new friends. Soon an invitation. “Would we like to take a ride on the river in his boat?” Yes, yes, yes! The following video is a sample of the beautiful Rainbow River and the many birds and other wildlife we saw. We also stopped at a riverside eatery called the Blue Gator. I had scallops and both Steve and Frank had fried oysters. We ended the afternoon with a visit to his home where he shared photos of their recent trip to China and of NC wildflowers they’d found while hiking.. They were hoping to go to Russia in 2014 but with the current political climate that most likely won’t happen. Once again we find that RVing is much more than the places we go. It is the wonderful people who enrich our lives along the way.

Running Off To The Circus

While in the Sarasota, Florida area we visited The Ringling, former home of John and Mabel Ringling. John Ringling was one of the partners in what is probably the best known of all circuses, Ringling, Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows. We had no idea that the home, gardens, art museum and circus museum were so extensive. We’d allowed only a few hours. If you go, plan for a whole day. We’ll be going back to take in the rest. For this visit we concentrated on seeing the miniature circus.

Howard Tibbals spent an average of twenty hours a week for over twenty years creating this masterpiece. At first you are amazed at the scope of his project. Then you begin to realize the detail and thought that went into each scene. As we were looking at our pictures we noticed details such as a watermelon rind on the edge of a plate where one of over a hundred performers ate in the mess tent. For me our visit brought back very pleasant memories of my parents taking me to New York City to see the circus when I was five. We visited the animals before the show. My Dad bought some peanuts. He placed one in my hand and held me up so I could feed an elephant, I remember the funny texture of the trunk. Was this where I became enamored with animals?

We hope you enjoy our slideshow. “Ladies, Gentlemen and Children of All Ages…”

Roadside Trivia #9

Map Of De Soto’s Route

While in the Bradenton, Florida area we visited the De Soto National Monument. That’s our 89th national park site! I never knew that his trek took him just west of where we used to live in North Carolina. On the map it looks like he went between Gastonia and Kings Mountain.

While there we learned that the Spanish conquistadors had been responsible for the introduction of horses and pigs to the Americas. They were also responsible for the introduction of four breeds of dogs. The dogs accompanied the soldiers not as pets but as war dogs.

Can you name these four breeds? No, Chihuahua is not one of them!

We had a delicious meal at a Diners, Drive-ins and Dives spot called Jose’s Real Cuban Food.

Jose’s Real Cuban Food

Now for the answer to the trivia question………………………….

Dogs Introduced To The Americas By Spain

Best Of Times, Worst Of Times In Key West

Off we go to the southernmost point on the continental US, Key West, Florida. Finding an RV site nearby was a challenge.  We really wanted to stay at Bahia Honda State Park but that’s like winning the lottery. So we reluctantly settled for a commercial park, Boyd’s Campground, on Stock Island just north of Key West. This turned out to be every reason we hate commercial parks: overcrowded, expensive, unpleasant neighborhood and noisy. Had it been just us, we might have cancelled and walked away from our deposit but we had a good friend from Charlotte flying in to join us.

Too Close For Comfort

The site we were given was so tight that it took three park employees to guide Steve in and at least twenty back and forth moves to get in place. At one point our rig was so close to a palm tree that only the fronds kept us from rubbing against the trunk. If the site across from us hadn’t been empty we would never have gotten in. Once in our site, the box on the rear was in the bushes. We couldn’t have gotten our bikes off even if we wanted to ride them. The site was unpaved and unlevel. The “sitting area” barely held three chairs and our slide was only 18″ from our neighbor’s sewer connection. Oh yes, to add to the ambiance we were in the flight path for the Key West International Airport and Boca Chica Naval Air Station where they train the Top Gun pilots. The surrounding neighborhood was industrial buildings mixed with rundown mobile home parks (slums). Finding a place to walk Opal was a challenge for sure.  All this for four time so what we normally pay.

Having gotten most of “the bad” covered, we’ll go on to the “the best” part.

Audubon Print Of White Crowned Pigeon

Original Audubon Print Of A Cormorant

Key West today is geared to tourists but still has the flavor of bygone pirate and starving artist days mixed with “Margaritaville” and grand old homes. When you find a parking place (all are paid spaces) you stay there and walk…and walk…and walk. One of our first stops was the Audubon House. John James Audubon stayed here during his trip through Florida in 1832. At that time the property was owned by a wealthy harbor pilot and master wrecker, John H. Geiger. The property remained in the family for four generations but fell into disrepair by 1958 as the family fortune dwindled. When the last owner, a Howard Hughes type of recluse, died the property was scheduled for demolition. Through the efforts of a local benefactor the property was restored and now showcases life circa 1850 with eighteen original Audubon prints on display. One, the white crowned pigeon, was painted using the tree that still stands in the front yard. This painting had special memories for me as my Mother, an avid bird lover, had this print and the one of wild turkeys in the dining room of my childhood home. The gardens around the house are beautiful and a wonderful introduction to subtropical plants of the area. There is a brief docent lecture then you continue on a self-guided tour. Photography is allowed but no flash inside the home.

Audubon’s Workshop

Orchid In bloom In Audubon House Garden

Backside Of Fern Leaf In Audubon House Garden

Bromeliads In Bloom In Audubon House Garden

Mel fisher Museum In Key West

Stop number two was the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum. Located in an old firehouse near the cruise ship pier it is a must see stop for anyone who has ever dreamed of finding buried treasure. Two ships of the Spanish treasure fleet, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and the Santa Margarita were enroute from Havana to Spain in 1622 laden with gold and silver bars, coins and wealthy colonial passengers.  Their treasure was desperately needed by the royal treasury to offset the cost of the Thirty Years War and Court expenses. The two ships carried over a million and a half pesos which in today’s dollars would be over 400 million. The Atocha was fitted with twenty cannon and sailed in last position.  The fleet sailed in September, six weeks late, at the height of hurricane season. Caught in a storm just off present day Key West they sank taking their treasure with them. Of 265 passengers only five survived. The Atocha treasure would not see the light of day until relocated by Mel Fisher and his team on July 20, 1985, sixteen long years after the search started. If you want to read more about Mel Fisher or the treasure ships visit http://www.melfisher.com. If you are a certified scuba diver perhaps your bucket list would include the vacation package to dive The Atocha.

Photo Of Diver At Atocha Treasure Site

Drawing of Mel Fisher At Work

For us landlubbers, a visit to the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum must suffice. There you will find conserved artifacts of gold, silver, porcelain, emeralds and religious items along with maps and photos of the recovery site. But we went further than just seeing the artifacts behind glass. We took the behind the scenes tour to the conservation lab. It costs ten dollars in addition to museum entry and is offered Monday-Friday. Schedule your visit ahead as only small groups are taken into the lab on each tour.

Artifacts In Conservation Lab Tank

A Cast Being Made From A Horseshoe

Tour Guide With Brain Coral Encrusted Hammer Artifact

No visit to Key West is complete without playing tourist as you stand in line waiting to take a picture of yourself at the Southernmost Point in the USA Marker. While there we learned about the cable hut in the same location. This was transported to Key West by Flagler’s railroad. Its job was to protect the connection between the land line and the 125 mile underwater telegraph line between Key West and Havana, Cuba.

Old Town is filled with funky shops, restaurants, sidewalk vendors and the ever present Key West chickens. Everyone gathers at Mallory Square and Sunset Pier for the spectacular orange sky sunsets.

Chari And Steve At The Southernmost Point

Telegraph Cable Hut

Key West Lighthouse

KW Street Musician (aka “No, I don’t know where you can get pot!.”

Hustle And Bustle In Old Town Key West

Pier At Mallory Square In The Evening

Jet Skis Along Harbor In Key West

Old Town Key West Evening

Key West Cigar Store Indian

View From Sunset Pier

Everyone Crowds Sunset Pier

Chari And Steve Swimming In January At Bahia Honda SP

Steve At The Wharf

To give ourselves a break from walking, we took a day and drove to Bahia Honda State Park. This is the closest state park to Key West and Florida’s most visited state park. The water temperature was listed as 73 but oh it felt a lot cooler than that going over your stomach. However we were not going to come to the Keys and not go in the water. Mind over matter!! Once in it wasn’t bad at all. We drove over to the campground and checked it out for future visits. On our way out we asked the gate volunteer for a restaurant suggestion. He said a place called The Wharf was good. We can second that. After a relaxing day on the beach a good meal on an outdoor terrace was the cherry on the sundae. We even watched an iguana have dinner on leftover veggies from the restaurant.

Iguana Joined Us For Dinner

More sightseeing took us to the Truman Little White House and Ernest Hemingway’s home. The Truman Little White House is located in the Truman Annex neighborhood of upscale homes and condos in Old Town Key West. Originally the home was built as officer quarters for a submarine base. Although it bears Truman’s name because he visited here more than any other President he was not the only President to come here. President Taft came enroute to his inspection tour of the Panama Canal. Taft was known for his love of driving the countryside. Each year the museum crafts an original Christmas ornament. One year it used the car Taft drove loaded with presents.  Thomas Edison stayed for 6 months while developing new weapon systems. FDR visited here several times. The Department of Defense was created here by the Key West Agreement. President Eisenhower stayed here to recuperate from his heart attack in late 1955-early 1956. President Kennedy visited twice in 1961 and 1962. The base was closed in 1974. Other Presidents who have stayed here after their term of office include Presidents Carter and Clinton. The property was deeded to the State of Florida and opened as a museum and historic site in 1990. A list of the most popular Presidents was posted and Truman ranked #5 after Lincoln, Washington, FDR and Teddy Roosevelt. Rounding out the top ten were Kennedy, Thomas Jefferson, Dwight Eisenhower, Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Regan. Bringing up the five least popular were Harding, Harrison, Pierce, Andrew Johnson and  Buchanan. We were given guest passes because of our connection with Dr. Watson that we mentioned in an earlier post. The tour was very informative. Having read Truman’s biography, we enjoyed our visit very much.

Truman At Dedication Of Everglades NP 1947

Truman At Little White House

Kennedy And McMillan Meet In Key West

The Carters Spend Christmas At Little White House

Our last sightseeing stop was at the Hemingway House. This was the best tour we took. The stories the guide told were funny and informative. Hemingway was an enigmatic character: handsome, hard drinking, outdoorsman and philanderer. His books are classics as are the movies made from them. His home is also the home of over thirty six toed cats. One of the stories told is about the cat’s water bowl. Hemingway was a frequent face at Sloppy Joe’s Bar. When the bar moved from its original location he brought home a urinal from the bar stating “he’d pissed enough of his money down it to buy it.” His then third wife took it and after cleaning it up made it the cat’s water dish. Another story relates to a penny buried in concrete at the home. When his wife (can’t remember if it was number 2 or 3) installed a pool over his objection he threw a penny into the concrete saying she now had his last cent. This visit made me want to read more about Hemingway and his books.

Portrait Of Hemingway At Age 35

Hemingway’s Writing Studio

The Hemingway House In Key West

A Painting Of Hemingway’s Old Man And The Sea

The Unique Garden Fountain And Cat Water Bowl

We decided to have dinner at Sloppy Joe’s and enjoyed the fish tacos and nachos but the key lime pie was terrible. It was prepackaged and the sugar wasn’t dissolved giving it a granular texture. Find your key lime pie elsewhere. Be sure to locate the web cams and call a friend who can go online and see you.

Restaurant Poster At Sloppy Joe’s

Sloppy Joe’s Is A Key West Icon

Painting Of Hemingway Fishing

Mounted Sailfish At Sloppy Joe’s

Now we return to “the bad” part of our visit. Steve had realized that Boyd’s Campground was so crowded we would not be able to exit following the proper direction of the road. That should speak a bundle about the poor design and crowded conditions at Boyd’s. We spoke to two employees who after looking at the situation agreed we’d need to go out the “IN” route. They said “don’t worry, we’ll get you out OK. We do it all the time.” The next morning when we were ready to leave we got them to assist us. One man drove a golf cart ahead to make sure no one entered while we were exiting. The other employee walked ahead of our RV and at each and every turn faced our rig and gave Steve verbal and hand signals to ease us through the tight turns. We’d made it to the last turn but there were times we’d missed cars by just inches. The last turn took us out of the campground and past the office. There were two RVs parked on the left in the waiting area and another car parked on the right at the laundry. This forced us to make a sharper turn than we would have preferred. At no time did the employees try to open up space by asking the RVs to back up, move the parked car or ask campers to move the cars in front of their rigs parked just inches from the road.  Any one who knows anything about trailers knows the tighter the turn the more the rear end of the trailer will swing. We were 90% through the turn when we heard the sickening sound of metal scraping. The right corner of the box on the back of our trailer had sideswiped a car. We stopped of course. Police were called but no citation given because the accident occurred on private property. We claim that we were under the direction of the park employee and that the park is at fault for not giving enough clearance for safe exit. They are claiming no responsibility. How this will end is unknown. We can only warn anyone considering a stay at this park, DO NOT COME!

Running The Gauntlet Through Boyd’s Campground

RVs To The Left Of Us

Cars on The Right Of Us

All We Needed Was A Few Inches To Get Through Safely

Roadside Trivia #8

As we travel across the USA (and later on we hope Central and South America and Europe) we come across tidbits of information we know you just must know. So here’s another nugget to stash away. Who knows, it might just be the Final jeopardy question one day!

Where can you find the smallest, fully operational post office in the USA?

You might guess in the middle of a desert in Utah?   NO.

OK, it’s got to be in the wilds of Alaska then?   NO.

On an island in Lake Superior?  NO.

May we have the envelope, please?

It is zip code 34141 located on US 41 in Ochopee, Florida.

The Smallest Post Office In The USA

This building was an irrigation shed for a tomato farm. It was pressed into service in 1953 when a fire destroyed the Ochopee general store and post office. The structure has been in continuous service for portions of three counties (including delivery to Miccosukee and Seminole Indians) and as the ticket office for Trailways Bus Lines. It is one of the most photographed post offices and visitors from around the world mail themselves postcards for the Ochopee postmark.

Lake Okechobee, Palm Beach And Old Friends

West Palm Beach Panorama

Lake Okeechobee and South Bay RV Campground

Next stop on the Florida Snowbird Express was South Bay County Park at the southeast corner of Lake Okeechobee. As with most of the country, winter has been cooler than normal this year. Here we were in south Florida but many mornings were still in the 30s. however daytime temperatures were a pleasant 60-70 degrees. Florida has a network of County Parks and these can be an alternative to staying in the all too popular state parks plus most allow stays longer than two weeks.

South Bay was a very well kept park with large well spaced sites and offers full hookups. Just across the street is a levee for Lake Okechobee with a walking/biking trail at the top. During our stay the weather was too windy and cool for kayaking on the open water. We’d hoped to see if the bass were really as large as they say but that will have to wait for another time. The surrounding area is primarily agricultural (sugar cane growing and refining) so the downside is you must drive an hour or more to sights and attractions.

We did use the biking trail twice for 10-11 mile trips. On the second trip we were on our way home and enjoying seeing pelicans and ibis roosting in trees along the lake. All of a sudden I heard Steve call out “whoa!” and swerve to the right into the grass. Right on the path in front of him was a snake. I past by on the left about three feet away. Steve missed the critter by inches and as he went by it lifted its head six inches, opened its mouth to show fangs and the classic white roof of its mouth. It was a cottonmouth. Way to close for comfort. Neither of us had a cell phone and it made us think a bit about carrying one.  How would we have gotten help if he had been bitten? So from now on we’ll be more prepared. 

We’d come here primarily to see friends recently relocated from Seattle. They have found many activities here and keep very busy. One place they spend a lot of time is the Life Long Learning Center at Florida Atlantic University. They were taking a four week course on the War of 1812 from Dr. Robert Watson. They invited us to come along and we were able to attend as guests for a small fee. Dr. Watson is a most knowledgeable and dynamic teacher. If we lived there we’d be regulars for his classes. In fact we enjoyed the first week so much we returned for the following week. Steve told him the story about his brother and the USS Constitution and was able to send him a copy of the inscription in the Java Bible. In turn when he learned we were going to Key West he told us to see if a friend of his who was the Director at the Truman Little White House would give us a tour.

Flagler Museum in
Palm Beach, Florida

Having seen what Henry Flagler built for other people we planned a visit to his Palm Beach estate, Whitehall. This 75 room, 100,000 square foot mansion was built for his third wife in 1902. We strolled the grounds and main floor while waiting for the next docent led tour. If you go definitely take one of the free tours. You will learn so much more than touring on your own. After Henry Flagler died in 1913 his wife moved back to St. Augustine. Upon her death the property was owned by a niece until the mid 1920s when it was sold and converted into a 300 room hotel with a second building  consisting of ten floors attached to the rear.  The original home was used for dining, bar and card rooms. The hotel operated until 1959. By then the once gracious mansion was in severe disrepair and threatened with demolition. Henry Flagler’s granddaughter organized a non-profit corporation to restore the property and opened it to the public in 1960. Through her efforts 90% of the original furnishings and artwork have been recovered. With rooms copied from the Vatican and Versailles this museum is a must see for anyone visiting south Florida. If you visit on a Sunday afternoon you may hear the largest pipe organ ever installed in a private home being played. During the winter “season” the museum also holds classical music performances in the grand ballroom for an addition fee. Enjoy a tour via our photos until you have a chance to visit yourself.

Entrance Hall At Whitehall

Grand Staircase To Second Floor

Whitehall Architecture

One Of The 75 Bedrooms

Grand Ballroom At Whitehall Copied From Versailles

Grand Ballroom In Use c. early 1900s

Tiffany Lamp At Whitehall

Delicate Sculpture Called Lady In A Veil

Flagler’s Private Railroad Car

Oldest Home In Palm Beach Where The Flagler’s Stayed While Whitehall Was Built.

Tropical Plant In Bloom At Whitehall Gardens

We also spent time enjoying two locations along the Florida Birding Trail: Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach and Loxahatchee NWR in Boynton Beach. We visited the later on twice, once walking the boardwalk and another taking the volunteer narrated tram tour. Here we spoke to two volunteers who encouraged us to pursue workcamping at NWR sites.

Loxahatchee Air Plant With Baton Rouge Lichen

Butterfly At Loxahatchee

Loxahatchee Great White Egret

Flowering Plant Along Loxahatchee Boardwalk

Young Fern Unfolding

We learned about the Wakodahatchee Wetlands from another passenger on the Loxahatchee NWR tram ride. Not having anything planned for the afternoon, we decided to visit. What a wonderful surprise! This wetland is created by the county water authority from the discharge of treated sewage.  A mile plus boardwalk has been built through the wetlands allowing birders, photographers and nature lovers to be up close and personal with hundreds of shore and wading birds. Here are some photos from our visit.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands Boardwalk

Wood Stork

Female Anhinga On Nest

Great Blue Heron With Reflection

Purple Gallinule

Anhinga Chicks Sibling Rivalry

Very Patient Green Heron

Mottled Duck

Common Gallinule aka Moorhen

Anhinga Feeding Two New Chicks