Off to the Everglades

Tuesday 1/21/14 & Wednesday 1/22/14
Midway Campground
Big Cypress Swamp, Florida

 

 

TUESDAY

Tuesday was get ready to go to the Everglades day.  We packed up the outside, went to the store and bought as much of ten days of groceries as we could.

We did make a planning error in not going out for a final paddle before going to the grocery since when we came back it was raining and the temperatures had dropped.  DARN. 

 

 

 

We said our good byes to E. G. Simmons and its lovely skies and pesky raccoons.

 

 

 

 

WEDNESDAY

 

We head out about 9:30 for the dump station and then the 200 mile drive to Midway Campground on Route 41. 

The campground, in Big Cypress Swamp, is about 104 miles from the end of the road in the Everglades. The Flamingo Campground, which is where we are headed is as far down into the Everglades as you can get and still be on land.  

 

Midway is an electric only campground.  We always stop here on our way to and from the Everglades and during the week there has never been a problem getting a site.  But I noticed when we pulled in about 3:00 today that the No Vacancy sign was out.  They have now started taking reservations at Midway. 

I think this is unfortunate but it’s the fact.  They have also upped the price from $20 ($10 for seniors) to $30 ($15 for seniors).   Electric is the only utility at the site but they have a dump station and a water tank fill up so you don’t have to come with your water and carry that extra weight on your travels.

 

 

It’s a lovely little campground, located not too far from the wonderful Shark Valley and just down the road from one of the Big Cypress Visitor Centers.   In the center of the single circle of sites, all facing it, is a nice lake which the Duckies are trying to figure out how to get into. 

 

I’ll talk a lot more about Midway when we return from Flamingo since we are staying 4 days then.  Tonight is just an overnight to cut up what would be a PDD day for us of 304 miles.   200 is more than we normally do but today wasn’t too bad since we made a couple of stops to get gas and pick up some mail.

 

 

 

 

We have arrived in WARM.   FINALLY!   I am so excited to be able to have the doors and windows open that I take a picture of it!!

 

This will likely be the last post I’ll make for the next 10 days since we expect to be without internet, phone and TV unless something has changed in the year since we were last there.   AT&T has the only coverage of Flamingo.  They don’t share and they don’t have any way to buy a short term air card.  It’s a contract or nothing.  We have Verizon so we’re out of luck.

 

 

 

 

 

It’s possible we’ll surface sometime in the middle of our stay to do some things up near the entrance where there is internet.  But that’s fairly unlikely since that’s 40 miles away, and we cut our stay from 2 weeks to 10 days just to make sure there were no medical things we would need to attend to.   I will be writing blog posts while we’re down there though so you can see all the fun we’re having when I throw them all out here when we get back.

 

 

Alligators, Crocodiles and LOTS of birds, here we come!!