Florida, day 9-10: Big Cypress

We wanted to get to the Big Cypress RV campground where we would be spending the night before they closed at 4, and we weren't certain how far away it was, so we didn't do any more sightseeing in Everglades National Park. There are very few places to stay near the Everglades, so I was excited to have found a cabin to rent on the Seminole Indian Reservation where our following day's activities were planned. Unfortunately we didn't know exactly where this place was, only which highway exit, and "follow the signs." Where we were in the Everglades was about 30 miles from this exit, as the crow flies, but it turned out to be about 80 miles to drive there. When doing my research, I'd mistaken a county line for a road. Oops.

We drove east through Big Cypress National Preserve, and this was spectacular. I really enjoyed the cypress mangroves with the bromeliads and Spanish moss hanging from the branches, and I wish we'd taken the time to stop at the Big Cypress visitor center.

Our daughter started counting alligators along the road as we drove, but there were so many she soon lost count. I'd estimate that we saw over a hundred.

The drive got less interesting when we turned north, and even less interesting when we turned east onto Alligator Alley. It was drier here, with the water only in one big man-made canal. There were no alligators to be seen, just flat, straight highway. We exited the highway at the designated intersection and drove through the Seminole Indian Reservation. Here it looked neither like the Everglades now like the Big Cypress preserve. It reminded me of the Argentine pampas, a flat grassland dotted with rather thin cattle. We found the campground about 30 miles from the turnoff (certainly further than I'd anticipated), and we it was after 4 by the time we got there. Luckily they left instructions, so that wasn't a problem.

The cabin was tiny, with two small bunks, a closet, a small sofa, a table with two chairs, a bathroom, and a small kitchen. Above the kitchen and bathroom was a small loft with three mattresses. My husband and I decided to sleep up there since the bunks weren't full length. The cabin was small compared to the ones we'd used in Norway, but it was clean and it met our needs.

Our neighbors seemed to be living much more luxuriously in their motorhomes. These things were enormous! Many people had supplemented their living space by setting up patios, gardens in pots, Christmas lights, or screened in tents. There were also plenty of expensive "toys" (like motorcycles or sports cars) around. Some of the RVs even had drive in garages. All were pulled by huge trucks that made my husband drool.

We went out to forage for food and found provisions for dinner and breakfast at the gas station. When we returned, most of our neighbors, who'd been out and about earlier, were nowhere to be seen. We did eventually find someone from whom we borrowed a lighter to light the gas stove. I made spaghetti, and we prepared to eat outside. Then we discovered the mosquitoes--that's why nobody was outside. This was the only time we were bothered by bugs, and it wasn't really a problem at all.

The next morning, we got off to a leisurely start. My daughter and I explored the RV park and played a round of mini-golf. We walked into the clubhouse where a few ladies were preparing for a birthday party. They were very friendly and invited us to the party, but we would be out for the day by then. Another group of ladies were doing water aerobics in the pool. These were active seniors enjoying their retirement, and I was impressed by the sense of community. I think I might enjoy retiring to a motor home and traveling around the US, following the good weather.