Tincan Travels

A Week in the Keys

While it’s always difficult to secure a camping spot in a state campground on the Keys, Hurricane Irma has made it down right impossible. The hurricane eliminated many camp spots. We opted for a private RV Park on Fiesta Key at mile marker 70. Again we find our selves set up in a parking lot. This Park was hit hard by Irma and they couldn’t be sure they could honor our reservation until a few weeks before our arrival.

Much of the beachfront has been lost throughout the Keys and storm debris was visible wherever we went. In spite of all this we did enjoy the sun and crystal clear waters of the Keys. We came to Fiesta Key to spend some time with Pat’s sister Mary and her husband Jeff.

To be honest the weather was not always ideal. We got some rain and wind. I’m sure our friends in the northeast really feel bad about this.

We camped about 70 miles from Key West. It’s as close as we were going to get for some time- so we couldn’t resist a visit to the Conch Republic.

We went to all the hot spots, including a tour of the Audubon House and a walk through the Truman Annex(lovely homes and gardens).

We strolled through Mallory Square and saw this monster Disney Cruiseliner. Fiesta Key is only 2 1/2 miles from Long Key State Park. We had tried to reserve a spot at this park pre-Irma and got closed out. That was a bit of good fortune as the campground no longer exists. We did bike down for a look around.

Bits of stag horn coral littered the beaches.

Always on the look out for some local flavor we stumbled on the Florida Keys Brewing Co. Good beer with a laid back island vibe in their beer garden. Recommended.

That’s it for the Keys. We head up the Atlantic coast toward Jupiter and a get together with Pat’s high school friend Lynne.

The Hollywood/Miami Connection

We chose Hollywood FL as our base for exploring Florida’s southern Atlantic coast. Neither of us had spent any time in this area and were interested in what it had to offer. We stayed in a Broward County Park located about a mile from the commuter train to Miami and 3 miles from Hollywood Beach.

That’s the commuter train not far from the Tin Can. It is amazing what you can ignore when you find a location that perfectly fits your needs. If the campground was a parking lot beside a train track, the park itself was lovely. It had a 2 1/2 mile walking trail(Pat was happy) and beautiful grounds. Despite the urban setting there are a lot of birds. One day we saw a flock of wild green parrots come through. They are really noisy.

We didn’t spend a great deal of time in camp. The idea was to explore the area. We made the short trip to Hollywood Beach to check out the boardwalk and ocean. Hurricane damage was still visible.

While checking out the commuter train station we saw a sign for a Farmers Market. We never pass up a chance for local flavor. This market was a sprawling affair that included food vendors, crafts, coffee and lots of ethnic fare.

We found the food stall with the longest line and queued up. It was a Venezuelan place, Carne En Vara(meat on a stick). It did not disappoint. Shelly contacted a friend from elementary school who spends part of the year in Boca Raton. Andy and his wife Carolyn served up a lovely meal while we reminisced. Great fun. We woke early, walked to the commuter train and headed into Miami for an overnight visit. The plan was to meet Shelly’s sister Ellen and her husband Rory for a couple of days of fun in downtown Miami.We checked into our hotel and then headed to Little Havana for lunch and sightseeing.We where pleasantly surprised by all the public art throughout the city. Here’s some of what we saw in Little Havana.

We walked into Domino Park during a tournament. The whole neighborhood was alive with activity.

What visit to Miami would be complete without a visit to South Beach. We soon realized that we were too old for the frantic pace of this part of Miami. However we did enjoy walking around and enjoying the architecture.

The entrance to the former Versace home.

On South Beach with RoryFrom South Beach we rolled on to the Wynnwood section of town. This part of town has been turned into an outdoor museum with its world famous murals.

We want Miles!

Lots of sidewalk graffiti.

Miami is a surprisingly attractive city, interesting architecture and lots of public art.

Swamp Detour

We wanted to extend our stay in the Naples area. As a bonus we were able to meet up with some Chicago Jazz Festival buddies Micheal & Vickie.We moved our base of operations from the state park to the Naples KOA–Think parking lot with a full hookup. It’s not as bad as it looks. There are plenty of friendly people, there’s a salt water swimming pool and we’re usually out exploring during the day. A ten minute drive from the KOA was Eagle Lakes Town Park. A great place for walking, biking and watching birds.

We woke early one day and made our way to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary of The Audubon Society. The swamp is home to the largest grove of old growth Cypress trees.

There’s a 2 1/2 mile boardwalk that winds through a wet prairie, Florida pine forest and cypress swamp. The last hurricane took its toll on the trees in the sanctuary.

In spite of of the damage there were still plenty of birds and other wildlife.

We saw birds, butterflies, snakes and turtles.

The highlight of our time on the boardwalk came courtesy of a Red Shoulder Hawk. While we were watching White Ibis feeding, this hawk came out of the trees and swooped down to nab what we think was a small crab about five feet in front of us. No binoculars needed. He/she looked at us and proceeded to feast on its latest kill.

While visiting with Micheal and Vickie we explored Naples. We spent the day at Delnor-Wiggins Pass State beach.

Another day we met them for a late lunch to explore historic 3rd Street in downtown Naples and a sunset stroll on the Municipal Beach by the Pier.

Palm Cottage(1895) oldest house in Naples

Swamp Fever

We’ve moved our base of operations ten miles east of Marco Island to Collier-Seminole State Park. While the park doesn’t offer much in the way of a “camping” experience it puts us in easy striking distance for the numerous parks in the Everglades.

The campground is on the western edge of the Everglades nestled up to a mangrove swamp, popular with canoeists and kayakers. The Tamiami Trail (Rt. 41)was developed in the twenties using a technological advancement that made it possible to break up the oolitic limestone that forms the bedrock of the Everglades. Manufactured in Bay City Michigan this dredge was used to break up and pile limestone chunks to create a road connecting the west and east coast of Florida. We took a scenic drive through the Big Cypress Swamp, a loop drive off US 41.

This water teams with life. Hundreds of fish make the surface boil, alligators lurk beneath and birds stalk the fringes – often perched on cypress knees.

Further to the east is Shark Valley In Everglades National Park. Here is a fifteen mile paved bike path which takes you through a “river of grass” bordered by canals thick with alligators. The Everglades NP is the largest nature preserve east of the Mississippi (1.3 million acres).

Seven miles out on the trail is an observation tower. We parked our bikes and walked up the tower. When we returned we met this clever crow who figured out how to work a zipper and snag what was stashed away. He(she) got away with out graham crackers. On the way back to camp we stopped to mail a package.

This building was pressed into service in the 1950’s. Once a shed for irrigation pumps, it is now the post office for Ochopee- and since last fall’s hurricane- the only one in the area with a working scale. In fact this area was hit hard in the last hurricane – you can see evidence of it everywhere.We took a day and drove up to Fort Myers to check out the Edison & Ford Estates. It was a full day of wandering the exhibits and grounds. The estates sit on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River.

Pool AreaOne of Edison’s labs

Then there are the beaches on Marco Island.

Our shelling haul

Part Three-Down by the River

When we travel we don’t linger in one spot for to long. Our reluctance to stay put is a fear of running out of places to explore. That has not been the case here at Myakka River State Park or this part of the Florida coast.We’ve enjoyed visiting with friends, hanging around camp and filling our days with lots of hiking, biking and wildlife viewing.

Apparently vulture poop is quite fertile-This green grass grows under the trees where they roost every evening. It also happens to be right behind our campsite.

Across the road from the park is the Myakka River Wilderness Preserve. Located in the Preserve is Lower Myakka Lake and Deep Hole. Access to Deep Hole is limited to 30 people a day. There’s a 2.2 mile hike to the hole and most of it is through a sunny prairie with the ocassional pine island or oak hammock for shade.

Deep Hole is actually a 130 foot deep sinkhole where alligators converge to enjoy the cool water and sunny shores. It’s quite a sight to see these prehistoric -looking creatures just hanging out. The day we visited, we spotted about 80 alligators and at least as many black headed vultures.

Deep HoleLower Myakka Lake

Sunset over the prairie

This is a cutaway image of a shell midden located on Spanish Point near the town of Osprey. Shell middens are the ancient garbage dumps of the eastern woodland natives.

Spanish Point is a peninsula jutting out through mangroves on Little Sarasota Bay. By all accounts it has been a popular spot for human habitation for thousands of years. This 20 ft high shell midden was excavated in the 1920’s when the property owner needed a space to park his car. Fortunately someone recognized the importance of the site and saved the midden for scientific research. Prehistoric people occupied the site from 5000 years ago – and they abandoned the site about 1000 years ago. Between 1959 and 1962, scientists excavated a burial mound at the site and used carbon 14 dating (a new technology at the time) to determine the age of the artifacts they found.

Bertha Palmer bought 350 acres on Spanish Point in 1910. She saved some of the cottages on the Point and developed gardens as she planned her winter estate. Bertha was an early real estate developer in the Sarasota environs.

What would a trip to Sarasota be without a visit to the circus?

We lucked out with the circus being in town. The acts were unbelievable. It was a magical 2 1/2 hours with feats of daring and strength.

These two brought the house down. They were amazingly agile. But no trip to Florida is complete without plenty of beach time.Beach goon. Nokomis Beach Drum Circle on Casey Key

Two ways to get ready for a sunset

Part Two-Down by the River

We’ve been using Myakka River as a base to explore Sarasota and the surrounding area. Sarasota is home to the Ringling Museum and estate. The museum houses a large art museum as well as a circus museum. We spent two afternoons wandering the grounds.

The Circus Museum houses an immense scale model of the Ringling Circus as it would be set up in the 1930’s. It is the creation of Howard Tibbals and his life’s work. These photos do not do justice to the detail and care that went into creating the model. Must be seen.

Lots vintage posters on display

The grounds of the estate are on Sarasota Bay. The park like setting offers beautiful gardens and art for viewing. David is spending Winter in Sarasota this year.

Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads

Part of the museum’s new Asian wingDetail of Ringling’s home

We met up with Bruce and Loretta to check out Sarasota’s Saturday farmers market. We had a fun morning. Through the miracle of Facebook we connected with a high school classmate that Pat hasn’t seen in thirty years or was it fifty. We spent an afternoon catching up. Pat and ConnieJeffery

The last time we were in this part of Florida was 1980. Needless to say things have changed.

The Legacy Trail is a newer rails to trails bike path that runs between Sarasota and Venice with a side trail along the Intercostal Waterway to Caspersen Beach.

We made a quick stop in Venice to get silly.

But wait!!!–We still have another week in this area so watch for another post from West-central Florida.

Down By The River

After a lovely stay near the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay we’ve moved south and inland to Myakka River State Park. Site 13, Big Flats Campground

We were happy to get a spot at this popular campground. There are lots of birds here but by far the most common are Black Vultures.

It turns out that Site 13 backs up to a stand of palms where they come nightly to roost. Every night at sundown they swarm into the tops of the palms to settle in for the night. The real issue here is they stink. At times it feels like we’re camping next to a chicken coop. But, there’s lots to do and we don’t spend a great deal of time in camp.

Fortunately, there are lots of other birds and wildlife in the park. Sandhill Crane

Black-crowned Night-Heron (juvenile) And lots of these

A large prairie-river system dominates the park.

There’s plenty to do in and around the park. In the park there is birding, biking, hiking and a canopy walk.

The Park is situated near Sarasota, Siesta Key and Venice. Our plans include a visit to each of these areas.

We decided to take a drive and spend the day on Siesta Key. The beach here has been rated best beach in Florida based on the sand quality. It’s very fine and white and draws a lot of people to the beach.

We’ll be here for one more week. The adventure continues…

Holding Down the Fort-part two

When we travel we tend not to linger in one spot to long. We’ve been at Fort De Soto ten days which has allowed us to more fully explore the area and connect with old friends and family.Bruce & Loretta with Pat

We connected with some former Rochesterians who have taken up residence in Bradenton. We spent a lovely afternoon touring the area with a stop in Sarasota.

The beaches, the bike paths and birds make an extended stay at Fort De Soto worthwhile.

Pat’s brother Mike and his wife Donna came over to camp with their grandson Maddox.

Being at the beach doesn’t get old and we’ll miss walking the beaches at Fort De Soto and watching the sun set on the Gulf of Mexico.

We are getting ready to move down the coast to Myakka River State Park just south of Sarasota. We won’t be on the Gulf but we have a new area to explore.

Holding Down the Fort – part one

Part of the mortar battery that defended Fort De Soto. The Fort was built on the Gulf of Mexico after the US entered into the Spanish American War.

The Fort is part of a larger park that includes a campground. We’ve been here before and love the beaches and the biking as well as easy access to St. Petersburg and Tampa.

This is South Beach on Tampa Bay. At the southern most end of the beach you can observe a number of nesting Osprey. A four mile ride takes you to the more popular North Beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

This long expanse of beach is great for hunting for shells, people watching and birding. Our haul. We saw these fishermen as we walked the beach.

Having easy access to Tampa and St. Petersburg opens up lots of restaurant and museum options. We love ramen and when we travel we always check out the local ramen offerings. We found a winner in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa with Ichicoro Ramen. St. Petersburg has a number of world class museums, a Dali Museum, the Chihuly Collection and the Florida Holocaust Museum. Our first stop was the Chihuly Collection that is part of the Morean Art Center.

We then spent an emotional two hours in the Florida Holocaust Museum. We’ve not been to a Holocaust museum before. A very powerful experience. They had one of the cattle cars used to transport Jews to concentration camps in Poland(120 people per car). The rails that it sets on come from the Treblinka Concentration Camp. We were struck by the timeline of events from 1933 through 1939. It was chilling to realize how civil rights were stripped in a slow and steady progression until the final solution. It was a somber reminder of the need to remain vigilant to any erosion of our rights — but the stories of resistance and survival were inspiring.

Country Living

This is our first visit to Alafia River State Park about 40 minutes east of Tampa. It’s a small quiet campground with an abundance of bird life and miles of mountain bike trails. Site 25

The river and ponds support a wide variety of water birds. Every evening a couple hundred egrets gather in the reeds across this pond. It’s quite a sight to see them arrive and leave each day.

Florida is basically a flat state but it has a surprisingly challenging trail system. This park is a former phosphate mine that created new landforms when they excavated the phosphate. A branch of the Alafia River runs through it and several small ponds developed after the mine disrupted the area. The trails are built and maintained by volunteers from the Swamp Mountain Bike Club.