You just have to get yourself to Goodland, FL on a Sunday...after church, of course... to behold humanity “passing a good time” with libations, fancy footwork, and just plain fun at Stan’s Idle Hour Cafe and Bar. You can get there by water, you can get there by road; you just can’t believe the scene until you get there and participate.
At Calusa Island Yacht Club and Marina we found Ted and Sarah on “Manatee”, a boat like ours. They are original owners who travel from Detroit, MI to Goodland, FL every year. They have completed The Great Loop 22 times! We hope to complete it once over a two to four year period.
We read a book early on in our cruising life that related the highlights of a Canadian couple traveling Seven Miles and Hour on their Pilgrim 40 “Jazz”. Don and Gillian absolutely fell in love with Russell Pass and the Little Shark River in the Everglades Nat’l Park and we were determined to find out why. We are happy to report that 15 years later, those precious areas are still great for building memories.
The Nat’l Park Tour Boats and the commercial fishing boats still run the Barron River from Everglades City to Russell Pass and out into the Gulf waters, but if you anchor around the bend from the river markers, you’ll hardly notice the rumbling of their engines. After we made the five mile dinghy ride up the river to Everglades City, we were captivated by the venerable and elegant Rod and Gun Club that dates back to the late 1800’s. Our lunch of fresh grouper sandwiches (through the garden) was served to us on the expansive screened porch with breezes providing the perfect 70 degrees.
The Little Shark River is still remote and secluded. It’s part of the Wilderness Water Trail leading from Flamingo on Florida’s Southern Bay to the Gulf. With permits, kayakers can spend a week or more meandering through the mangrove islands, camping out in specified areas. As we rested on anchor at the mouth of the river, a huge mustard-colored sea turtle rose from the depths and snorted a gulp of air before sinking back out of sight. A pair of alligators took advantage of the outward bound tide current to slide past us soundlessly. While on a dinghy picnic ride up river, a raccoon swam hurriedly across the river and disappeared into the mangrove island root system. At sunset, the diving ducks flew in from the Gulf waters in V-formations, filling the air with wing flaps...not a vocal to be heard... for a half an hour or so. To our way of thinking, our experiences can’t get much better than that!
At Calusa Island Yacht Club and Marina we found Ted and Sarah on “Manatee”, a boat like ours. They are original owners who travel from Detroit, MI to Goodland, FL every year. They have completed The Great Loop 22 times! We hope to complete it once over a two to four year period.
We read a book early on in our cruising life that related the highlights of a Canadian couple traveling Seven Miles and Hour on their Pilgrim 40 “Jazz”. Don and Gillian absolutely fell in love with Russell Pass and the Little Shark River in the Everglades Nat’l Park and we were determined to find out why. We are happy to report that 15 years later, those precious areas are still great for building memories.
The Nat’l Park Tour Boats and the commercial fishing boats still run the Barron River from Everglades City to Russell Pass and out into the Gulf waters, but if you anchor around the bend from the river markers, you’ll hardly notice the rumbling of their engines. After we made the five mile dinghy ride up the river to Everglades City, we were captivated by the venerable and elegant Rod and Gun Club that dates back to the late 1800’s. Our lunch of fresh grouper sandwiches (through the garden) was served to us on the expansive screened porch with breezes providing the perfect 70 degrees.
The Little Shark River is still remote and secluded. It’s part of the Wilderness Water Trail leading from Flamingo on Florida’s Southern Bay to the Gulf. With permits, kayakers can spend a week or more meandering through the mangrove islands, camping out in specified areas. As we rested on anchor at the mouth of the river, a huge mustard-colored sea turtle rose from the depths and snorted a gulp of air before sinking back out of sight. A pair of alligators took advantage of the outward bound tide current to slide past us soundlessly. While on a dinghy picnic ride up river, a raccoon swam hurriedly across the river and disappeared into the mangrove island root system. At sunset, the diving ducks flew in from the Gulf waters in V-formations, filling the air with wing flaps...not a vocal to be heard... for a half an hour or so. To our way of thinking, our experiences can’t get much better than that!
1 comment:
Great pictures! Love the red Manatee named Manatee.
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