#84 Homestead FL

#84  Homestead FL

Monday  November 11, 2019

A blue mirage rose through the cloudy day. It looked like a guitar!?  Well, it was a guitar shaped hotel! Surprise….Hard Rock Casino!

It takes two days to travel between St. Augustine and Homestead.  Fort Pierce became our stop over place.  Even though I had called months ahead, my park of choice was booked.  So, we took a bottom of the barrel KOA.  Nice lady, but access called for some problem solving.   One of the great things about Port Lucia/Fort Pierce is the manatee like it there.

We parked the rigs and excitedly went to the manatee center. Unfortunately, they were closed for Veteran’s Day.

When we here last time the water was clear and the manatees were easier to spot.  Since they only surface enough to get air in their noses, spotting them was a challenge.

Hidden in these murky photos a mom and her baby swim near the dock.

They certainly don’t show their true selves in the water today.

Even though the center was closed these signs above the walkway provided some information.

And of course, Lynn and Jay took advantage of the photo op.

A beautiful marina sits next to the lagoon.

We stayed at the Goldcoaster RV last time, and chose to stay there again. The RV park in Homestead, today caters to mobile homes. RV spots are few and the park is not really RV friendly.  I wouldn’t stay there again. Although it is still better than the first one we stayed at nine years ago.  Sorry, can’t remember the name.  Lynn and Jay parked their rig and headed by car to Key West for a couple of days.  Derrille and I didn’t need to see the keys again.  When they returned we started our touring of the Everglades.

Saturday November 16, 2019

The Everglades National Park supports three main entrances.  The one closest to Homestead  is the Coe Center. The park embraces the whole southern tip of Florida.

The center provided an excellent array of information.

The attributes on each bird  were interesting:  How far they go into the water and how each beak is specific to how they catch their food.

The Anhinga male presents beautiful colors. The female presents coco and cream colors.  The diorama shows the birds common to the area along with the turtle and alligator.

A few alligator facts for you. Alligators need water to stay cool on warm days, and warm on cool days. Their holes provide water pools which help other species survive.  The measurement photo says the number of inches between the eye and the snout are equal to the number feet between the snout and the tip of the tail. This guy or gal in the photo measures 12 inches, so s/he is about 12 feet long.

Several distinct characteristics separate the Alligator and the Crocodile. In the Everglades,  Alligator prefer fresh water, Crocodiles prefer salt water.  Alligators are black, which is funny since the Florida Gator mascot is green.  The alligators have a U-shaped snout.  Crocs resemble a Y-shape. Their visible teeth differ. Only the upper teeth show in the Alligator, while Crocs show both upper and lower teeth.

I didn’t know that Alligators can bellow out a sound audible to a half mile away.  Females also bellow, but not as loud. Like most species a mating ritual preserves the species.

A thought I hadn’t considered.

Fire is not an enemy to the area.  It helps to maintain the Everglades.

Water from Lake Okeechobee has flowed toward Florida Bay for thousands of years.  Today, that flow of water is completely controlled by humans to serve a massive plumbing system for the cities, farmers, tourists, homeowners, fishermen, and wildlife. A debate continues to solve the water needs.

After leaving the visitor center, the next stop was Royal Palm. My favorite memory of the Everglades came from here.  We walked the Anhinga Trail.

The trail led out past the lily covered water ways to a boardwalk.  We did spot turtles with the lily pads, but my phone camera couldn’t capture them.  On our last trip here in the month of January the water had drained to just inches. From the viewing platforms we saw 40-50? Alligators lounging in the mud.  Every tree provided a perch to several Anhinga.  Not today. The water came up to just below the tall boardwalk.  I was very disappointed. 

We then took the path through the Gumbo Limbo Trail.

Nature has all kinds of ways to help us preserve our water. To bad we mess with Mother Nature. The thick limestone beds here are porous and help to filter the water that flows through it.

We tried to figure out which of these plant forms were orchids that attached to the tree branches. No success.  Just had to appreciate the beauty of how different plants can exist together on the same tree.

On this hot humid day I really enjoyed walking through the cool hammock.

This red barked tree is called a Gumbo Limbo. Interesting branches form close to the ground. The red bark that peels back resembles sunburned skin which gives it the nickname “Tourist Tree”. The tree can reach up to 60 feet. Its soft, light weight, easy to carve wood was used for carousel horses before the invention of plastics. It is also wind tolerant.

A beautiful and peaceful spot to stop to enjoys.

After driving 38 miles to the southernmost visitor center, we arrived at our next disappointment the Flamingo Visitor Center. This building used to house the visitor center and have lovely exhibits.  However, after Hurricane Irma it had to be closed for damages.  It is getting restored, but today park business uses a tiny stuffy trailer.

We saw several warning signs for panthers who do reside in the park. 

One of the biggest problems in the Everglades are the Burmese Pythons.  Once imported from pets, the pythons became less wanted and owners released them into the park. The prey on many species and have had a massive impact on the native animals.  They estimate that about 300,000 inhabit the park. The largest python measured in at 17 feet.  Pythons live 20 years or more and breeds every other year producing 20-50 eggs.  Sexual maturity comes at a low age.  The National Park is fighting a losing battle to find them as they are also very illusive.

Tomorrow we go to Shark River Visitor Center.