The next morning before heading out, we went to check out the springs and the Suwannee River before heading out to our next stop at Koreshan Historical State Park. This is certainly a pretty park, and worth a nice stop on the return trip when I have more time. 

The Koreshan with wonderful campsites, historic buildings and a kayak launch on the Estero River, it was the perfect spot to make camp and wait for check in time at our place in Everglades City.  Stephanie kayaked the river and saw plenty of birds, a river otter, and also a manatee. I met up with my Mom and we hiked the backwoods of the park, where there are wild pigs in the brush, plenty of birds and native plants, and crabs on the mudflats next to the river banks. 

We arrived at our rented house in Everglades City on Dec. 14th and proceeded to unload all the gear.  It was hot and humid out and soon we were wishing for a cool breeze.  The 15th I had some work to get done, so I dropped Stephanie off at at the kayak launch in Chokoloskee. She paddled the bay and parts of Turner River.  That afternoon I drove with my Mom to the airport to pick up Jennifer S who flew in from Nebraska.  We arrived home late, had a quick dinner and spent a few hours catching up before going to bed. 

Staying in Florida is really a funny thing.  In the bathroom alone, there is a flamingo towel rack, a flamingo mirror, a flamingo shower curtain, and a few flamingo pictures.

On Dec 17th Kayaking the Estero River. S We were slatted to pick up yet another member, Colin B who came in from Chicago on the 17th.  Since Estero is so close to the airport, we decided to head out early and kayak the river heading north from the Koreshan Boat launch.  At the boat launch there is a big sign warning about gators in the river, though the park rangers say they have not seen any in a while.  Heading north takes you eventually to Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.  As we paddled we encountered a few kayakers who had rented from the Estero River Outfitters, which are just south of the park where we put in.  We passed homes on the right while the Park was on the left bank. Eventually it all gave way to park and the wildlife came out to play. There were a few fisherman on the banks, but other than that, we had the place to ourselves.  The tide was going out, so we paddled almost to the entrance of Estero Bay before turning around.  We were not sure how much the outgoing tide would slow us, and we didn't want to leave Colin waiting at the airport. Turned out we had extra time, so we headed south and were accompanied part of the way by a very sweet River Otter. We stopped for supplies while we were in the Big City, then headed home to unload and get everyone settled in.

Dec 18th Kayaking Sanibel Island and the "Ding" Darling State Wildlife Refuge We headed up to Sanibel to help in their yearly Monofilament Cleanup.  We were met by Park Ranger Toni who promptly lined us up next to our kayaks to take a photo of us for the local paper. They were very excited to see that our kayaking club was interested in participating. Since we do so many clean ups in Chicago, we all realize how hard it is to recruit!  We were assigned the south east section of Tarpon Bay and we headed out armed with bags, clippers, and instructions to clip all the fishing line we could find.  The water was pretty shallow as tide was out, so a little hard to determine where the boats would come in to fish. At the point we did begin to find line and bobbers tangled in the mangroves. At times, it took three of us working together to remove the line.  "Ding" Darling was an  awesome wildlife area, we all wished we could spend more time exploring.

Dec 19th Kayaking the Turner River, Everglades National Park, Florida
Stephanie, Colin, and Jennifer headed out with guide books to kayak the Turner River.  This river is known for having the longest Mangrove Tunnel at about a mile in length.

Dec 20th Kayaking the East River, Everglades National Park, FL
So this trip boasts a Mangrove Tunnel more than one mile in length, how could we resist?  There was a small part in the guide book that mentioned something called Long Jawed Orb Spiders and also mentioned, that if you had phobias of spiders, this might not be the kayaking place for you.  We all kind of discounted this for some reason, perhaps out of hope, or ignorance, or a little of both. 

The launch site is off a dirt road with no sign, it took us a few trips down 41, back and forth, to find it. When we got back there, we were not sure this was really the right spot.  Stephanie asked a few of the fisherman there and they mentioned something to the effect that they have seen plenty of kayakers and canoeists put in, paddle southeast across the lake, then "disappear"  I should have taken this more to heart. I would have realized that there were probably kayakers still out there,  trapped in enormous spider webs hidden somewhere in in the mangrove swamp. You will see why later....

We pulled in, unloaded, and headed off. We had the place to ourselves. Except for the spiders of course. If you are wondering why I have mentioned them so much, that is because there are so many. This kayak route takes you thru a few nice small lakes, then heads southeast thru a little mangrove tunnel. Very interesting to be kayaking in these conditions.  We had to use our break apart paddles and felt like canoeists trying to navigate with one half of our paddle lashed on board, and the other in hand.  This is a really neat experience and you feel as if nobody has ever passed here before. Everyone imagined what it would be like to have been one of the original explorers. Going thru these routes, bushwacking, and having no idea what lay ahead. 

After we emerged from this short red mangrove tunnel, we found ourselves once again in a sweet little lake, with ibis and anhingas sunning themselves as we kayaked by.  We enjoyed the mangrove tunnel so much, we couldn't wait to see the next and longer of the tunnels.  So we headed in, with Jennifer leading the way. She had agreed to fend of the spiders on this trip (my phobia) if I agreed to run interference with the gators (her phobia)  The guide book mentioned that part way down, you would come around a bend, and with current, you could get swept into an area that contained many gators.  It also said, if you see the gators rush from the land into the water, they in fact are not coming out to eat you, but rather they feel more protected in the water, so it was their natural safety sense kicking in.  So that sounded reasonable to me. Jen would fend off spiders, and I would go first thru the gator trap and have to watch them all "rush me" as she waited behind until it was "safe".  I got the best deal, by far.

We headed into the long tunnel, which was more dense, and closed in.  As we kayaked, occasionally Jen would shout out, " Spider on the right" or "Spider up high, duck" sometimes, if a web was across the path, or my screams got too loud for her to bear, she would clear the web out of the way, so I could pass unharmed and somewhat less tramatized.  The thing was, that sometimes time she did that, the spiders would fall. Sometimes in the water, sometimes on her boat, and a few times, on her. So first she was really nice to these poor spiders. She would help them out of the boat, put them back, I can't really say because I was unable to watch. Sometimes, she would clear them on one side, and I would bump clumsily the other way and end up seeing that I was headed right towards these intricit webs and unable to stop or change direction in time. That of course, caused more screaming, and a few times declarations that I wanted to go back home to Ohio.  That brought laughter from all of my unsympathetic compatriots. 

It was bad enough to feel the webs, but to actually see one, and look into its eyes (yes, they have 8 eyes) was just too much.  Any spider that has "long jawed" as part of its name is a really bad thing, in my opinion.  So ok, it got even worse. As the spider population grew, Jen got more and more spiders falling on her. I had my spray skirt on, long sleeved shirt, big hat, and a bandana around my neck. I was taking no chances. But Jen didn't have a spray skirt on, and some fell into her boat. Then they would go far in, and she could no longer reach them to put them back in their little web homes.  At one point I saw 5 on deck, 3 on her after deck, and a few falling in behind her seat. Then I saw the daddy of them all, crawling on her PFD, up towards her neck and head.  That was just too much for Jen, the Jungle Warrior. Finally I had someone on my side.  We decided that this was clearly not fun anymore for us, and we turned around. Colin, had since gone ahead with Stephanie, and they were faring a little better than we were, but they agreed to turn around for us. 

We made it back to the launch rather quickly and decided to rip out the pages in the guide book that lists this paddle.  It is true to it word. If you have a spider phobia, this is not the kayak route you would enjoy.  And on a personal note, I didn't get a single spider on my boat or on me.  I owe Jen some serious alligator protection next time out!

Dec 21st

Dec 22nd Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Koreshan State Historical Society- Camping
Colin leaves on the 23rd at 6am, so we decided rather than  to wake up at 2:30am, to leave a day early and find some fun things to do around the Ft. Meyers Area.  Our first stop was to the Koreshan State Historical Society where we have camped before. We secured our camp spots and then hit the road to Corkscrew, which oddly enough, is not located on Corkscrew Rd, rather off of Immokalee Road about an hour away. 

Only a small part of this sanctuary is open to the public, and this is through a 2.2 mile long boardwalk that winds thru cypress forests, lettuce lakes, and swamp.  Stephanie, myself, and my Mom who came along had all been here before at least one time, but it was a first for Colin and Jennifer. They said they could have easily spent two full days here photographing and viewing the plants and wildlife.  This Sanctuary is run by the Audubon Society, so if you are a member, bring your card for a discount. It also offers a cafe and a really neat bookstore, plus some educational movies and guided tours. They have more than 100 volunteers that help keep this wonderful sanctuary for all of us to enjoy.  Many volunteers are staged throughout the boardwalk and are there to explain the wonderful diversity in both plant and animal life that is found in the many ecosystems of the Sanctuary. This area is almost free of bugs, and has approx 200 species of birds, and supports the largest nesting colony of wood storks in the U. S! Plus hundreds of alligators and its share of black bear, white-tailed deer, otter, and red-bellied turtles.

Dec 23rd Dog Beach, Estero and Turner River Road Tour - Swamp Buggy Ride! I was so rudely woken up by my Dog throwing up all over my tent. (Chris, aren't you glad I didn't use your tent after all?)  Cleaning that up left me pretty much awake.  About an hour later we were all up to get Colin to the airport.  We made it to the bathroom, then the monsoon started. It absolutely poured!  We got Colin packed up and decided to come back to pack up in hopes the rain would be stopped by then. 

We got Colin to the airport, then Jen and I stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast (the only thing open at 5am!  After an absurdly large breakfast of eggs, biscuits, chicken fried steak, grits, gravy, and coffee, we went back to get Stephanie and quit camp.  It was only two hours later and since Stephanie had smartly stayed behind when we took Colin, she missed on breakfast, so we stopped so she could grab something. I went in with her, while Jen took a mid morning nap.  So here I found myself, a few hours after breakfast, having another breakfast.  We stopped at Perkins, so somehow I thought I needed a piece of apple pie with my coffee. So much for losing weight down here!

We headed to Barefoot Beach in Bonita Springs but were turned away by the gatekeeper for having a dog, so we went over to the Dog Beach, which was just a few miles away.  Lots of fun romping on the sandy beach. This is the first time that the dog has been off leash down here.  Too many gators lurking to let a water dog run free! 

We decided to spend the rest of the afternoon doing a scouting trip for future outings since the weather was so iffy.  We hit the road pretty quickly and headed back home to change and then drove out to the Turner River Road, which is just 1/2 mile west of the Turner River Canoe Launch.  This dirt road heads north for approx 20 miles, passing under Interstate 75 (there is no access there) and offers a campground almost at the roads end. We thought we would check out the campground and also ascertain the quality of the road all the way back in case we contemplated taking the trailer back. 

Driving down the Turner River Road, we saw more wildlife than we saw any other place in Florida.  There were thousands of gators, anhingas, great blue heron, white egret, woodstork, and turtles and fish.  The drive was really not bad. The road quality was far superior to Jane's Scenic Drive, with not near the amount of potholes and mud holes.  We pulled on to the little turn off

Gene, John, and Buster.  Palamino, Debbie?  Kids, dogs, cypress log, syrup, Bustersized, stopping to pee.

Dec 24th Naples, FL
Dropped off Jen at Barnes and Noble and spent the day with my Mom. We went to her new house, which is under construction. Really neat to see construction in an area with Hurricanes.  Huge beams, concrete heads, metal reinforcements. 

Dec 25th - Chokoloskee walking tour and Everglades City Biking. This morning we got up to hear the following weather forecast:
Winds 15-20 miles an hour, increasing to 20-25.  Thunderstorms expected after noon, some severe. Winds are expected to be up to 50 miles per hour. Residents are encouraged to stay in their homes and secure objects outside.  Driving is not recommended, as rains may total 3-4 inches and will reduce visibility to zero.

So no kayaking for us today!  Stephanie and I drove to Chokoloskee and parked at the Big House Cafe, which is closed due to the Christmas Holiday.  We walked over to the Ted Smallwood Store, which is right at waters edge.  We spent about an hour walking around and taking in the sites. On the way home, we turned onto Plantation Parkway to see if there was anything interesting back there.

The first few homes were on large lots, of at least an acre and were hidden from view of the road. About 1/2 mile, it quickly turned to small homes and trailers with Canal Access. Stephanie pointed out that this was where the Halfway Creek Trip (that we are taking tomorrow) will pass before heading out to the Bay. We are thinking of doing only part of Halfway Creek and taking the Left Hand Turner River branch at mile 5.5 (also known as Hurdles Creek) to spend more time out on the water, yet avoid some civilization.  We returned home, had some lunch, and then  Jen and I headed out for a short bike tour of Everglades City. 

We rode along the Barron River and then made our way back over Broadway, past the Rod and Gun Club and headed along the river heading north. We passed Ivy House, which is a Hotel that offers canoe and kayak rental.  The staff was out working outside doing some minor boat maintenance.  Give them credit for working on Christmas!  

Well the wind has really picked up, but no crazy rain or storms yet.  The sky is darkening, and we have a huge front porch from which we can watch the blow come in!

Dec 26th

Dec 27th Kayaked to Sand fly Island, Everglades, Florida and Hiked at Big Cypress off the East Tram Road on Jane's Scenic Drive.

Off we headed for the notorious Sand fly Island.  The launch is at Everglades National Park Office here in Everglades City right next to the town airport which supports mostly floatplanes.  This park is a haven for kayakers.  As we pulled in, the grass parking lot is full of cars with plates from places like MN, VT, ME, and even Ontario!  Plus there are lots of trailers belonging to outfitters, and many canoeists as well.  Certainly a paddling Mecca for the winter.

The dock at Sandfly Island is only about 1 1/2 miles from the launch, almost straight across Chokoloskee Bay.  Checking the tide, and timing the ride out can make a big difference down here. We will find out at a later paddle, that launching at low tide, or close to it, can be a substitute for one of those expensive mud treatments that the local spas offer.

The guidebook says there are channel markers, starting at number 7, that count down to number 1 which is right outside the Sandfly Pass.  Well we found markers 7, then 6 then nothing til we got to 2 or 1. So we are guessing the other channel markers, which should be easily seen, where blown down during the Hurricane last year and never replaced.  My mom says that many of the street signs are the last things to be replaced after a big blow down.  Maybe this applies to the waterways as well?

Anyway, Jen was trying her best at navigating, and she did just fine!  We found the entrance easily then headed into the pass itself.  We immediately spotted the dock, well, you can see the outhouse on the dock, better than anything else. What a landmark!  The current was going out, so a quick ride there, as we waited for one person to get out, the others had a hard time trying to stay in place and not get swept down the pass! 

There is a nature trail on the Island that the guidebook mentions, so we thought to give it a try.  Unfortunately for us, the park service was there doing some work, so we hiked on another little footpath for a while, taking pictures of the many gumbo limbo trees and interesting plants.  I was actually feeling out of sorts a bit, so the girls were nice enough to spend some time with me on the dock, soaking up the sun before returning to the kayak launch at the Everglades Park Station.

The rest did me well, and after we loaded boats, we decided to once again try Jane's Scenic Trail. This is named after a man with the last name of Jane, and the dirt/gravel road runs approx 11 miles north, parallel to route 29.  So while the entrance to the drive was only about a 10 minute drive from our house

Dec 28th Shark Valley, Everglades, Clyde Butcher Photographic Studio Florida, Kirby Storter Boardwalk Thursday night "open mike" at the Bighouse Cafe on Chokoloskee

High winds were on Mother Nature's agenda for today so we packed our lunch and drove out to Shark Valley.  There are no sharks and it is not in a valley so I will leave  you to ponder that one. There is a 14 mile loop road that goes out to a small observation deck in the Everglades.  The road starts out going south east and meanders thru wet prairies, and passes by hardwood hammocks and a few lakes that are teaming with gators.  You can walk the 7 miles out and back, ride your bike, or take the tram. 

I had come here about 10 years earlier with my Mom. We had decided to walk the trail, and as we got out to about mile marker 3, we came across a huge gator along the street.  Now to explain, this street is a biking path, about 10 feet wide, that was paved recently.  Along one side is a canal, (these are all man made and are called Borrowed Canals, because the land that was there, was "Borrowed" to make the road, and thus created the canal.  These are all full of gators, plus lots of other interesting things like Anhingas, Wood storks, Great Blue Heron, Great White Egret, etc.

On the other side, was dense brush.  So as I was saying, we got to mile marker 3 and there was a big gator laying in the road. No way really around him, and I was not about to try out my long jump! 
So a big disappointment to drive all that way and not make it out to the end.  So on this trip, we felt that the tram was the best option.  There were some fees involved with this park. First there was a $10 fee for the parking, which seems really silly we are in the middle of nowhere.  Then there was the tram fee of $14.50 per person, which was reasonable, then there were the overpriced goodies at the store.  We arrived at 10:30 and even though the trams ran on the hour, the 11:00 was sold out, so next available was noon. We hiked around, took some photos, and before we knew it, we were approaching our slotted time.  Our guide this afternoon was Tony.  He is from India, but lives in NYC, and spends his winters here in FL. 

Dec 29th Kayaking Delanor-Wiggens State Park - Naples, Florida and Barefoot Beach, Naples, Florida and Burns Lake Campground where we looked at the house for rent.

A sweet vacation day at the beach. We left our home at 6:45am to trek up to Naples for white sandy beaches and the crystal clear waters of the Gulf. Dolphins, Golfer Tortoises, Pelicans, and all kinds of neat things to look at.  We launched from the official Boat Launch there, which took us thru the backwaters to the gulf.  The tide was right, and boats of all types were cruising by our kayaks.  We immediately kayaked across the busy channel and headed north to Bonita and Barefoot Beach. 

Naples is the high rent district with multi-million dollar homes on the beach. The neat thing for us is that the beach is public, so we can sit in the sand in front of some of these gorgeous homes and have our lunch and enjoy the same beautiful view for a fraction of the price. ($4 entry fee to the park)  This area is classic Florida. White sandy beaches, palm trees, sea grapes, and plenty of shore birds.

The pelicans were my favorite because of the way they would fly out in formation, single line, and dip low to the water, just coasting along effortlessly.  At times, they would go right by us, and it was if they were kayaking right along with us.  Everything in Florida seems so natural compared to Chicago.  I am sure all is not so harmonious here, but to us, it certainly does seem nature and people can coexist. Well that is if you ignore all the horrible destruction that the developers are imposing on Southwest Florida.  In one of the brochures we read about the Everglades, they say that there are 900 new people who move to Florida every day. Hard to keep wildlife habitat with those figures.

Steph hung on the beach and did some bird watching while Jen, myself, and my Mom hiked around a bit. We all spent some time in the water cooling off before getting back in our kayaks for the return trip to the launch.
 

Dec 30th Collier Seminole State Park - Mountain Bike Trail and Nature Trail (Ranger led every Sat and Sunday at 10am) Ice Cream in Everglades City, Shopping at Cocoplum's and a stop at the Bighouse Cafe in Chokoloskee

Internet connection non-existent.  Spent over an hour trying to connect. Need to get into town to find a way to use my phone as a modem.

Dec 31st Kayaking the Turner River and NY Eve at the Rock Bottom Cafe.

Jen, Stephanie, and I headed out at 9am with a guest paddler - my Mom!  'We arrived at the canoe launch to find quite a few trailers with canoes all just putting in. Turns out the National Park Service does a free Ranger led canoe tour here on Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10am.  In order to participate, you simply need to sign up at the Oasis Center on 41, the Tamiami Trail. 

They were heading North on the Turner, so we decided to head south, and do the north branch on the way back.  The canoe launch is very scenic and is on the north side of 41 approx 8 miles east of 29.  You launch into a small backwater area, and in order to head south, you need to pass under 41.  There is not a lot of clearance, and the gators really like to hang out there, so we all speed thru this area.  It is really dark underneath, and you have to duck a little bit while going under.  Well except for us short people!

Jan 1st Hiking and Kayaking Collier Seminole (Crocodiles)

Set out with intentions of hiking the long loop in Collier Seminole State Park, but due to blisters and too much rebel rousing on NY Eve, we decided to do some scouting.  Jennifer and I dropped Stephanie off at the canoe launch of the park and did the short, .8 of a mile Nature Trail there before making our final decision.  So we headed off to Marco to see if we could find a good launch site for future kayaking trips.  We passed by Rookery Bay, a blankety on 951 just south of the Tamiami Trail. We also checked out a canoe launch in the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, which was just a few miles south of the Rookery Bay.   Not much to look at but it might put us out in a nice mangrove area. We then headed to Marco, where we had lunch at the Snook Inn. Since Jennifer's last name is Snook, this was very fun and we took some photos of her in front of the sign. The overpriced burgers were average, but we did get to sit right on the water. there is a dock there for power boaters who want to stop in for lunch. As we sat there, a family, who had rented a power boat, was pulling out of the dock and ran into another docked boat.  They just looked embarrassed and took off.  Glad we didn't pull up in the kayaks. 

On the way back, we stopped at Visitor's Center and I picked up a few books.  Florida's Fabulous Trees and the Everglades Wildguide.  The Everglades Wildguide is the "official" National Park Handbook.  Both are quite interesting. I am gathering a nice collection of books on southern FL and the history of the area. 

Jan 2nd Kayaking Halfway Creek  Shallow lake loop Big Cypress Forest.  XM Radio, Borders for log on and washing of the kayaks! Sigrid called to say she and Alan may not be able to come to FL.

Jan 3rd Stephanie and Jennifer's last day.  Kayaking the 10,000 Islands, Florida. The Low tide today is at 9:31, so we were aiming to leave the launch by 7:00am in order to have an easy launch, and avoid the vast amounts of mud that are present at low tide.  Well we didn't wake up as planned and ended up at the launch site closer to 8:00.  Well, I know some women pay a pretty penny for a mud bath, but we were not having that much fun. Shoes stuck in the mud and had to be pried out by hand. Boats, feet, paddles, legs, clothing, hands, all covered in mud trying to get out of the muck and out onto the water. 

On this trip, we had the help of the tide so we headed thru Sandfly Pass and then out into the 10,000 islands wilderness.  We marveled at the osprey that flew overhead and dove down so hard into the water that the smacking sound could be heard far away. Seeing  them fly off, with bird in mouth, was pretty cool.  We saw some Ibis, and some other small shore birds, but the neatest part of it is the endless sea, sky, and mangrove islands. Thousands of red mangrove islands dotting the horizon. It is really easy to get lost back here. Sometimes a few islands blend into one from a distance.  We made it out to Jack Daniels Key which boasts a sandy beach. One that we could not land at unfortunately.

We headed back this time, back up Sandfly Pass and stopped at Sandfly Island where they have a port o let and a small dock. There is a 1 mile Nature Trail here, but it is still undergoing some maintenance (as it was last week) so we sat on the dock and had our lunch of PBJ and socked up some of the sun.  While we were there, a Park Ranger led canoe and kayak tour stopped in to use the facilities. It was really amusing to watch them launch, and head out the pass with the incoming tide squeezing thru the pass to create a bit of a fast current.  Not long afterwards we packed up and headed back north across Chokoloskee Bay. The northeast wind kept blowing the boats a bit, but not too much. The incoming tide made our crossing easy. 

On Sandfly Island, we were fantasizing about frozen mocha drinks, so we loaded up, returned home for a quick bit, shower, and then off again to the Big House Cafe on Chokoloskee Island.  I tried to get online, once again, but that seems to always prove fruitless here.  I guess another trip to Naples and Barnes and Noble for Internet Access is in order.  We have to leave early in the morning to get the girls to the airport, then it is back home for me to start cleaning up and get ready for the next crew of kayakers!

Jan 4th Drop off Jen and Steph pick up mom and wash bedding

Jan 5th Kayaking the Turner River, Big Cypress National Preserve. Chris and Cheri Arrive - Turner River North and some south. Dinner at Seafood Depot

Jan 6th Kayaking Shallow Pass, Halfway Creek, Big Cypress National Preserve. Sigrid and Alan arrive. Stop at Target Kayak Shallow Pass at Halfway Creek. Drive by the Turner River Road.  Alan made pasta with meat sauce and salad. Drank Wine planning Gulf trip next day.

Jan 7th Kayaking 10,000 Islands, Kayaking the Barron River.    Our first lazy morning. We woke up at staggering times and shifts, a pot of strong black, coffee was starting to brew as I went out the door to walk the dog. While everyone was out on the lanai, I made myself a quesadilla for breakfast, and started chopping broccoli, for broccoli salad that would be eaten later in the week.  Everyone was having a great time outside, enjoying the warm weather and conversation. A second pot of coffee was brewed.

Since we wanted to head out kayaking in the afternoon, that gave us a few hours to kill. Alan had some minor repairs to do on his Current Designs kayak, so I went down to help him, then Cheri came with me to take Bad Dog for one last walk.

We decided to take a quick drive over to Turner River Road and check out the gators. Someone has to keep an eye on them. This was the first time for Cheri, Alan, and Sigrid, being in this location.  We spent about 2 hours driving around, stopping at random points, and taking photos.  Too soon, it was time to head back and collect Chris so we could head over to Everglades National Park to put our kayaking in the Bay, an our paddles in the water.

Pat Owen, from the Southwest Paddlers Club joined us. She lives north of Fort Meyers, so she had quite a long drive to meet us.  Tide was not as high as I had hoped, but we didn't find the "muck" that one a past paddle, had  made life difficult. 

We decided to paddle the Barron River, and circle around Everglades City. We packed up the first aid kit, emergency survival kit, spare paddle, tow ropes, and all the endless quantity of gear we usually take with us.  Pat had her new GPS, so we were glad to have her along, especially since she actually knew how to use it! 

Came thru the pass

Dolphin escort

We had a nice dinner of Chicken Piccata and then we all went outside for a walk. Each night, I take the dog for his last walk of the day and usually Jennifer would join me. So without her, I have been on my own. This night, everyone in the house came, and we really enjoyed the company together and the amazing starts and the last  of the full moon.

Jan 8th Wash kayaks, stop at Saltwater Sports, Kayak Turner River,  Big Cypress National Preserve

We went out to see Jason and Chris at Saltwater Sports to pick up some more kayak tie down straps and a new hatch cover for Alan's Current Designs kayak.  After checking out this shop and chatting a bit, we headed next door to the car wash.  We unhooked the trailer and I drove the truck into one stall, and the trailer got hauled into another.  With many quarters in our pockets, we proceeded to get everything squeaky clean. Ok, so the truck did not squeak.  One last stop at the grocery, and off we headed to have lunch and get out to kayak the Tuner River.

We got to the launch and there was another van with a trailer, but other than that, we had the place to ourselves. I warned everyone about the red ants  lying in wait to snack on their ankles and legs.  We put the kayaks in the water and headed south on the river.  I brought my video camera with us, so I went on ahead and got some footage of everyone as they passed under the bridge, then of course, the alligator who likes to hang out on the right, just past the bridge. 

Since I could not follow everyone into the mangrove, I was at the launch earlier and while I was waiting, a couple from Quebec pulled in and started asking me questions about kayaking the river, and other places in the vicinity. I am feeling pretty proud that I am being treated like a local and that I actually have some info to share with others. 

Dinner was Cheri's world famous lasagna which must weigh 20 pounds or more!  Plus salad, garlic bread.  Glad there are leftovers for another night!

Jan 9th Hiking Collier Seminole State Preserve, Big House Cafe, Chokoloskee Florida and Photo tour of Turner River Road and Jane's Scenic Drive in the Big Cypress Preserve.

Our original plans were to kayak in the 10,000 Islands and kayak over to Jack Daniel's Key.  But, mother nature ultimately made our plans for the day.  As a cold front approached, the wind picked up and was downright inhospitable.  The chill in the air, combined with the wind told us that today would be  much better hiking and doing a photo safari. So off we went to Collier Seminole for a 3.5 mile hike off of the Tamiami Trail followed up by a short .8 mile hike on the Collier Seminole Nature Trail.  I took the video camera since my digital somehow managed to drink some water on the Turner River the other day  and was not feeling well this morning. 

We did bring some sandwiches and had lunch in the park, right by the boat launch.  One of the resident gators came swimming over as Cheri and Chris sat down on the bench. I came over and got some good shots.  Watching him swim away was really incredible, you can see how much they use their tales for propulsion, and their chubby little back legs look so cute you could just pinch them. Well, ok, maybe not. But they are kinda cute.

Frozen Mocha's and lattes at the Big House Cafe then off to do mimic the photo safaris and get some pictures of gator action at the Turner River Road.  We drove the 7 miles north to the loop which eventually goes to Wagon Wheel Road and then to Route 29 and quickly over to Jane's Scenic Drive which is moderately scenic, but there are tons of birds there in the late afternoon that sit right on the road. Occasionally, it is really hard to get them to move, even with the big truck coming thru.  Lots of photo opportunities, and at times, Cheri was hanging out the window taking risks in the name of art. 

Jan 10th Photography at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary afternoon. Free afternoon to do what you want, burgers for dinner, courtesy of Al and Sigrid, late night Pie by Chris S.

Jan 11th Kayak Naples, at Delanor-Wiggens State Park 

Jan 12th Kayak Jack Daniels Key
Kayak with Cherri's Family and Cherri Departs

Jan 13th

Jan 14th Alan, Sigrid, and Chris Depart tonight.

Jan 15th