Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  This morning it was rather cloudy, but it quickly cleared off to reveal a pristine blue sky.  Breezy—but then it usually is down here.  And, oh, it was so nice and warm last night.  Think the low was 70.  That’s what we’re talking about!  After lunch we made our first foray into Key West.  Parked in the lot by the old sub base and walked through Truman Annex and up to the Tropic Cinema to see J. Edgar.  I thought it was really good.  Probably Academy Award nominations for DeCaprio and his co-star.  Think it was 76 today.  A gradual warm-up is on the way.

Chickens of Key West

The iconic Marilyn Monroe
Metal sculpture in front of the Tropic

W. P. Franklin Corps of Engineers Campground, Ft. Myers, FL, to Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf, FL:  Left this morning at 9:00.  Instead of taking I-75, we took Rt. 78 east to 80 east and then Rt. 29 south through the beautiful Big Cyprus National Preserve—which is the last refuge for the beleaguered Florida panther.  Not sure how many of them are left.  Picked up I-75 east and then turned off on I-27 south.  My back was killing me, so I pulled off at about 12:30 and Mike took over driving.  Got on the Florida’s Turnpike, gassed up at one of the service centers, and then got on Rt. 1 down into the Keys.  Worked our way down through the beautiful, turquoise waters of the Keys.  We crossed over the 7-mile bridge and put a Howard Livingston CD on and rocked on down. When we got onto Big Pine Key a Key Deer ran across the road in front of us and we almost hit it!   Pulled into Lazy Lakes at 3:00.  6 hours!  Asked if there were any sites down from us where we could turn around, and they said there were a couple on the lake side.  So we pulled down and tried to back into one of the sites down from us and turn around, but there was no room.  So, Mike had to back all the way back around the loop and we finally turned around and backed all the way in.  The problem is Craig’s motor home across from us which doesn’t allow us enough room to pull in and back into our site.  We have to either turn around or back all the way in.  Poor Mike!  We finally made it into our site by 4:20.  An hour and 20 minutes!  We weren’t set up until 5:20.  Then we headed to Mangrove Mama’s for several drinks and dinner.  We’re finally here!  Yes!  And we have full cable for the first time in a month.  We’ll let cable wash over us tonight.  69 when we pulled into Lazy Lakes. 

Bon Appetit!

W. P. Franklin Corps of Engineers Campground, Ft. Myers, FL:  Chilly this morning, but bright and sunny.  The river was so calm it looked like glass.  The cattle in the pasture across from us were happily grazing away, and the eagle was on his lofty perch surveying it all.  Beautiful morning!  But it wasn’t to last.  The clouds rolled in, the wind picked up, and it definitely chilled down.  We meet some interesting people when we’re out doing this.  The guy in the motor home next to us sets up his rowing machine and rows for an hour every morning.  Needless to day, he’s in great shape.  The couple on the other side of us are from Maine.  They fly down here several times a year, pick up their car and camper in a storage place in Tampa and spend about 6 weeks in Florida.  They do this several times a year.  He works from home, so I guess anywhere he has an Internet connection he can conduct business.  His wife no longer works.  And, they’re pretty young.  Then we got talking to a woman walking her cute little Pomeranian.  She’s originally from Switzerland, met her husband at Yale (she has a nursing degree from Yale) who ended up a speech writer for several presidents—from Reagan on down to Bush.  They lived in St. Thomas for a while and have several homes. Left here around 2:30 to have dinner with Ron and Jan.  Ron grilled some steaks and Jan made a potato salad, followed by strawberry shortcake for dessert.  Very nice!  Drove back and stopped to fuel up.  Tomorrow morning we leave for the Keys.  Low 70s today.  

See the eagle way up there on his perch?

River was like glass this morning.

Another view of that beautiful ranch across the river from us.

W. P. Franklin Corps of Engineers Campground, Ft. Myers, FL:   Sunny, chilly, and windy today.  We spent the morning taking care of our taxes and other things on-line.  Sat outside reading for a while.  Before dinner we walked over to a ranch across the road from the entrance to our park.  They have llamas, donkeys, and miniature ponies.  They were so friendly, running over to the fence and allowed us to pet them—in fact, demanded that we pet them.  Except for the llamas.  They were a little aloof.  Supposed to get pretty chilly tonight.

Cute little donkey

Miniature ponies came running up to get petted

W. P. Franklin Corps of Engineers Campground, Ft. Myers, FL:  Drove down to Sanibel Island around noon.  We were going to take the bikes and bike the island, but nixed that when I woke up with a headache that wouldn’t quit.  Besides the wind really picked up and it was pretty blustery.  We got on the island around 1:00 and dined al fresco on the back deck at Doc Ford’s Rum Bar and Grille.  Doc Ford is the main character in the novels by Randy Wayne White (say that fast three times).  Randy is a well known author here in Florida and his stories center around various locales in southern Florida—but mostly in Sanibel.  In fact, he used to sell fish from this very building, as he used to run fishing charters out of Tarpon Bay Marina, just up the road from what is now the restaurant.  The food was very good.  I had coconut-encrusted, pan-seared yellow tail snapper served over rice pilaf with a medley of julienne vegetables.  Washed down with an Island Mojito—rum, mint, lime juice, sugar and soda water.  Mike had a pork chop with cheese grits, which had the consistency of mashed potatoes.  After lunch we drove back on McGregor through the older section of Ft. Myers.  Stopped at a produce stand to pick up a few things just as the rain started. A couple of guys in a sailboat tied up to the pilings in the river just in front of our site.  Just in time too, as it started raining pretty good—the eagle keeping a watchful eye on them.  84 when we got to Sanibel.  73 as the front came through.

Eagle was back this morning--crows didn't like it.

Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille--Sanibel Island

Coconut-encrusted, pan seared yellow tail snapper, served on a bed of rice pilaf and julienne vegetables

Ft. Myers is called the City of Palms--McGregor Blvd. is lined on both sides with Royal Palms

Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton, FL, to W. P. Franklin Corps of Engineers Campground, Ft. Myers, FL:  Left Lake Manatee this morning under clear blue skies.  Only about a 2 hour drive to Ft. Myers.  We were all ensconced by 12:00.  My brother, Ron, and his wife, Jan, came over and I made some chili.  We sat around outside enjoying this beautiful day.  They left shortly after dinner.  Ron gets up at the crack of dawn to go into work.  While we were sitting outside later the eagle came back to his favorite perch in the tree across the river from us.  He’s been here every year we stay here.  A really pretty park on the Caloosahatchee River surrounded by really nice cattle and horse ranches and some really nice homes.  Mid-80s today.

Our resident eagle

Beautiful, isn't he?

Our pretty site right on the river.

People in this really nice boat came by to check out the eagle.

Lake Manatee State Park, Bradenton, FL:  Another really nice day today.  After lunch we went back to the Gamble Plantation to take the tour.  Construction of this Greek revival style mansion was started in 1843.  At one time Gamble owned 3500 acres.  His was the largest sugar mill in the area.  He owned 180 slaves.  Everything was done by the slaves—including the building of the mansion.  After the tour we came back and relaxed reading for a while.  Another cold front is supposed to come through tomorrow and bring the temperatures down quite a bit.  Hopefully Ft. Myers won’t be too bad.  And we’ll be in the Keys in just a few days.  Low 80s today.  More left-over turkey tonight for dinner.

Gamble Mansion & Plantation
Oldest antebellum plantation in south Florida