Camping at Flamingo is drawing to an end

We've had nine days of warmth, sunshine and mosquitoes. Tomorrow it's onward to the Florida Keys and Marathon. We have two weeks at Curry Hammock State Park and are so looking forward to it.
We have done a lot of kayaking, biking and Nancy and Bev walk each morning here at Flamingo. We are finding that if you don't stay on the move the mosquitoes force you to move or go indoors. The past couple of days have been very breezy and not so bad with the bugs. We kayaked the loop at Nine Mile Pond and  found the water shallow and the going tough to get through all the grass and floating vegetation. It was a three hour paddle and one of the toughest ones we've ever done.
At the end of the loop we saw the famous crocodile they call Croczilla and he is bigger than ever. They estimate he is fourteen feet long, but I would have thought more. His girth is so massive he is quite intimidating. I didn't dare get any closer than about thirty feet!
We've seen manatees, dolphin, and alligators and crocodiles in the park, and each day has been a new adventure.

Ospreys nesting near the campground

This is a manatee. Bev called it a pig-nose!

A croc at the boat launch

We saw this barred owl on one of the boardwalks in the everglades

Wood storks in the marsh. Part of the river of grass

A crowd of coots. At least it looks crowded to me!

Here we are kayaking the loop at Nine Mile Pond. This is about a four mile trek through the everglades and cypress Islands.

Croczilla in person! This guy is HUGE!!

Camping at Flamingo, Florida

We are at the southern most tip of the Florida mainland. This is Everglades National Park and all the way south to Florida Bay. The weather has been hot in the eighties every day and sunny until this morning. We are having a rain day today so are in Homestead to make a grocery run.
The mosquitoes are horrible here this year. It is eerie being in a campground where nobody will come out of their campers during the day! When they do they are all bundled up despite the heat. We have been spraying down with bug juice and then showering off in the evening. It's been working, so we can still get out and enjoy a few activities.
Here are some Everglades pictures...

Taking a cruise in Florida Bay in the Ten Thousand Islands area.

Dolphins chasing the boat.

They put on quite a show jumping in the boats wake.

Huge white pelicans with a nine foot wingspan!

This cypress tree was a subject for Clyde Butcher's camera and he made thousands with the black and white photo of the tree at sunset!

Here we are with Bev and Gary Clark on the cruise boat.

The Florida Bay cruiser at Everglades City.

A few of the ten thousand Islands.

The marina at Everglades City

My favorite Rod and Gun Club, dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. 

Lots of these guys down here!

This was one of the bigger ones I saw.

An Anhinga scolding me for taking a photo.

A boardwalk through the everglades at Big Cypress.

The air plants were everywhere and some were in bloom.

Stilts at Eco Pond at Flamingo.

A red shouldered hawk at one of the campgrounds.

Midway Campground, Big Cypress National Park

Life is good at Big Cypress. We've been here several times over the years and this is typical Everglades country. US41, the Tamiami Highway, runs through here paralleling I-75's Alligator Alley to the north.
The canals on either side of the road were dug out to create the roadway and are now full of alligators, birds, and fish. It's a scenic drive and very leisurely.
We visited the Oasis Visitors Center yesterday and today are planning a boat tour to the Thousand Islands area near Everglades City.

Camped at Midway Campground, midway between Naples and Miami on US 41. (Air plants in the cypress trees behind the camper).

I will have more pictures for next time.

Two Weeks at Fort Desoto Coming to an End

It's hard to believe we've been here thirteen days already, but tomorrow we are moving. Our new destination is Midway Campground near the Everglades. We will be in Big Cypress National Park for four nights.
This stay has been very relaxing and we have enjoyed the beaches and kayaking, biking and lazing around. It now feels like winter vacation! We've had awesome weather the past week and have enjoyed the easy living. We will plan on coming back here some day. The area here around St Petersberg is really nice and all the shopping is very close by.
Wishing everyone a happy Valentines Day.
Here are a few pics..

We came upon this heron while kayaking in the cypress jungle.

An osprey nesting along the bay.

A great egret sun n ing in the bay

The bad moon rising!

North Beach at Fort Desoto Park

Bad hair day

Another day in the record book

Lazy Days at St Pete

Long time between posts, but we really haven't been doing anything extraordinary. Our days are made up of lazy mornings, some kayak fishing then the beach after lunch and sunning and shelling. We watched the sunset from the pier, and take long walks before retiring for the evening.
Yesterday we had visitors from Michigan. Rick and Lori Lozen from fraser, Nancy's cousins, came to the campground to visit for the day. They are in Tampa to visit siblings and had a free day to come see us.
We had a thunderstorm one night, but other than that it has been sunny and warm. We have one more week here then move south towards the Everglades.

The sunshine skyway bridge going south across Tampa Bay toward Bradenton

Kayaking the bay with Gary

Crossing paths with the dolphins

Sunset from the gulf pier.

An Osprey setting up housekeeping on a nesting rack on the pier.

This cruise ship came out of Tampa Bay very near the shore of Fort Desoto Park

The gulf pier at dusk.

 

Fort Desoto Campground, St Petersburg

We stayed two nights at Hillsborough River State Park and got back into the camping routine. They had a lot of biking trails there that we took advantage of and we finally got the kayaks into the water. The weather has been steady with highs in the mid seventies and lots of sunshine.
On Wednesday we moved to Fort Desoto County park on the gulf and are finding the park here to be amazing. Four hundred campsites many on the water, beaches a short bike ride or drive away, the old fort and two fishing piers make for a lot of activities to take advantage of. We have been biking and walking and yesterday spent Nancy's birthday afternoon at her favorite place, the beach.
We are here for two weeks so are looking forward to some R&R.
Hope everyone is well in the north country.

This is what we left behind in Michigan last Sunday. We decided it's still to early to go back!

An old cypress stand at Hillsborough River. They drained wetlands here to create grazing land for cattle. Now they are restoring the wetlands.

Kayaking the Hillsborough River.

One of the hawks that were abundant here.

A view of the bunkers at Fort Desoto. The fort (circa 1902), was set up to protect Tampa Bay.

Ventilation shafts above the fort.

One of the Gulf Coast beaches. 

One of two fishing piers in the park. Lots of anglers, but we didn't see many fish being brought in.