The RV neighbor we met in Asheville, NC at Thanksgiving suggested that we stop at Homestead before making the run down to Key West. He also suggested we stay at Bluewater Key RV Resort about 14 miles before Key West. So as we headed for the Keys, we split the distance between St. Augustine and Homestead our next destination came up as Fort Pierce.
We stayed at a small but lovely RV resort with paved, wide sites and lots of amenities. In the morning we pulled the RV out of the park and left it at Wal-Mart. We took the car downtown. The modern buildings sat between the railroad tracks and the harbor.
The downtown looked recently renovated and well designed. 
Our destination, the Manatee Center and marina also sat between the railroad tracks and the harbor just north of town. The marina included many sparkling white and silver pleasure boats. 
The Manatee Center asked for a one dollar donation. $1 tells visitors that the center wasn't much. Its two rooms did offer a film and information on the gentle manatee. Several kid-oriented hands-on activities were available at center displays. The gift shop inventory was excellent. I enjoyed looking at all the lovely things.
Manatees are seal shaped animals with a broad rounded tail. They are gray in color, but look brown in the dark brown water. Adult lengths vary between 9-10 feet. They weight about 800-1200 pounds usually, but can weigh more than 3000 pounds. The information says they have evolved over 60 million years with their closest relative being the elephant. They live in fresh, brackish or salt water habitats. In Florida they can be found in shallow rivers, springs coastal waters and estuaries.
After the film we stepped outside to the viewing deck that overlooked the Indian River Lagoon. We peered into the murky brown water. The sun created glare spots on the surface, but just below the surface shadows moved slowly. Then a nose would break the surface for an instant before slowing sinking down into the depths. Manatees breathe air about every 2-4 minutes. However, they can stay submerged 15-20 minutes when at rest. They rouse slowly from the resting phase and so when they hear a boat motor they can't move quickly enough to get out of the way. Thus most of these awesome creatures carry large scars where they painfully meet with a boat's propeller. 
We arrived in Homestead near 5:00 pm. The directions to the park were confusing. I had chosen a 4 star park called the Boardwalk for a 3 night stay and an additional night on our return from Key West. Unfortunately I did not read the email confirmation carefully. Therefore I did not have the entrance code for the gate and there were no posted directions. Fortunately, a lady wanting in opened the gate for us. Unfortunately, a check-in parking space was not provided, so we had to block the road. We were escorted to the back corner and asked to back in diagonally squeezing between the adjacent sites square to the corner. The site resembled a vacant lot with torn, dirty debris strewn against the wall. The old converted bus to our right hadn't moved in years and was littered with piles of "stuff" all around it. People, probably very nice people, from the bus and the small 5th wheel to our left, were out smoking and drinking when we arrived. They literally followed the rig as I backed it in. The lady was expounding how beautiful the coach is! Her manner made me nervous. Then we couldn't get satellite, so we tried cable. When Derrille called for help, the office had closed. The night help said cable was contracted for and took a month to put in. We asked to move and did so.
Our next site was next to the housing part of the park. Basketballs bounced until after 11pm. Cars hurried in and out with boom boxes thumping. Some people honked their horns. The street behind us was busy, but not continually to create white noise. But the big issue remained: I didn't feel safe here. After more than 6 months on the road, this was a first. We went out that evening and found a better RV park a mile or two away in Florida City. The office had also charged us for an extra day and our return day. They returned the fee for the extra day, but maintained their no refund policy for the rest. We didn't care. To feel safe we pulled out the next morning and went to the other park. Goldcoasters RV asked for the same price, with 1000 times better facilities.
Just 15 minutes from Goldcoasters the eastern entrance to the Everglades goes through the Coe Visitor Center. We were on our way. On Saturdays in Homestead and Florida City Instant Flea Markets are created in designated locations. Just outside the park walls is one of the locations. People park their vehicles along the row, and open up the trunks. Some set up tables, others just use the ground. We even saw a big ski boat for sale.
Just past the park's walls the land opened up into miles of farm land. The day we drove by trucks sprayed watery plumes of fertilizer over the crops. We didn't expect to find fields with crops in this part of Florida.
Past the fields the route to the Park turned left. A large sign above the open front market reads: "Robert is Here". Apparently many people know where Robert is! A constant stream of customers made the cash registers ring. 
Colorful, fresh, inviting fruits and vegetable fill the display tables. I'd never seen avocados the size of small grapefruit! Papayas from his orchard could be purchased whole or precut with a "V" so customers could see inside. In a barrel of ice water, Fria Coconut waited for purchase. A display of monkeys made from coconut shells sat on the shelf above the barrel. Robert's has a great variety of beautiful fresh produce. 
Some comes from the gardens next to the store.
Robert's also had a drink stand. Shakes and juices with interesting sounding names created from tropical flavors were available.
As I circumvented the store I found a bakery shelf with homemade goodies and a corner full of tropical sea shells. The other side of the store had shelves of hot sauce, salsa, BBQ, marinades, etc. Cookies and candy displays were tucked in between other merchandise.A sign advertised that you could exit the back and see a collection of birds including an emu. We took in the sights and sounds of "Robert's" with wide eyes of wonder.
On the day we drove north to the Shark River entrance to the park we discovered downtown Homestead. Many signs in Spanish show the Cuban and Latino influence here. 
From the edge of the city up Highway 997 toward US Highway 41 Homestead offers 16 miles of garden nurseries. One business right after another line both sides of the road. 
Some garden shops specialize in palms, some in flowering plants and some have huge inventories of fancy pots, terra cotta pottery or decorative cement. 
I'm not sure that these are nursery palms. I think their fruit is harvested.Our stay here was interesting, but the Everglades made everything worth coming this way.
Next: The Everglades
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