2-24-2009
In our continuing 'stay-cation' mode, we are visiting places close to home for day-trips, or just revisiting Florida tourist attractions that might be a little off the main highways. This trip was to take a friend out for her birthday and we stopped first on Marco Island, then took the back roads to Everglades City, where we had lunch at the historic (1864) Sportsman's Rod & Reel Inn.
Everglades City is a place we used to only visit from time to time by private plane or stop off for lunch on our way to the Keys. This time we decided to do all the tourist things and just join in the fun. After lunch, on the recommendation of our waitress, we went for an airboat tour of the area (one hour) which turned out to be the high-point of the trip, then headed on into the Everglades to a place called Shark Valley State Park. Unfortunately after a long leisurely lunch and the airboat tour, we arrived too late (4:00) to do the two hour tram tour in the park, so we just did a walking tour and pretty much saw want we wanted to see: alligators and animals.
We didn't take any photos on Marco Island because we just rode around looking at the big hotels and waterfront home and didn't get out of the car. Marco is pretty much the west coast mini-Miami Beach, with new buildings. Not the laid-back off-the-beaten-path we wanted to visit, but an interesting side-trip unto itself if only for a great beach visit.
This trip is in search of the old Florida 'funk', not the 'flash': below is our route from Ft. Myers, to Marco, Everglades City, and the Shark Valley Park.
Everglades City and the Rod & Gun Inn
Note the percent tax on the gas from this turn of the century gas pump used for boats. Pray the politicians don't get hold of this idea.
Inside the old (Established 1864) Rod & Gun Inn, the old preserved bar, lobby, pool room, front-desk area. The main part of the Inn is not operative, but the restaurant and bars are fully functional. Many famous sportsmen, politicians, outlaws, and locals have pass through these doors and it's seen more than its share of historical figures.
While eating lunch on the porch, we keep seeing the airboats come by, with pelican's perched on the bow...so what's that all about?
Airboat Eco Tour
The guys on another airboat, stopped and pulled up a crab trap to take a look. It was loaded with 'blue crabs'. The seafood industry is a major source of income to the locals: blue crabs, stone crabs, and frozen bait are the main catch. Obviously airboat eco-tours are big too.
The pelicans know if they land on the boats, the drivers will toss them bait. They stay with the boat and ride on the bow until the boat is moving too fast, then they take off. What is amazing is to see them fly straight in toward the bow and land like a jet on an aircraft carrier, stalling out on the fore-deck and watching the driver like a hawk to see if he raises his arm to toss bait their way.
These 'wild' birds are two feet away from the camera, up close and personally interested in nothing but 'bait'. Sometimes there was only one riding, and other times four or five jockeying around for a hand-out. The older birds are darker, and have dark eyes. The younger ones have a lot of yellow on their heads and blue eyes.
Above is an Osprey (very similar looking to an Eagle) sitting on a limb, looking right at us, with a fish in it's claws, which is draped over the limb.
After slowly touring around looking at the wild-life, we put on the headsets to block the noise of the engine, and went 'flying' through the mangroves at about 40 miles an hour...like riding a roller-coaster in a tunnel and pure fun. The photos do not do justice to the speed or the rapid motion of the boat banking around turns, within inches of the mangrove roots...you had to be there.
Now that we are back from Mr. Toad's Wild-ass ride in the mangroves, guess who is baaaaaak?
Shark Valley Park
After leaving Everglades City, we headed down US-41 toward Miami to Shark Valley in the heart of the Everglades, which is very dry this time of year, which concentrates the alligators and other animals into where there is still water available.
There is one huge gator laying up in the grass here
The circular splashes on the left are from Bluegill perch feeding on the surface, in the middle are two 3 ft. long Garfish, and on the bank... just the tail of of a gator waiting on the fish to come by...or a tourist.
It's 5 PM and we are headed back to North Naples for dinner at a great restaurant and we have 92 miles to cover.
