To Big Cypress NP - #71-06

February 5, 2007 (Mon) Lakeland, Fl to Englewood, NJ (131 miles today 1852 total) - Off at 8:15 (50° cloudy, misting rain). We stopped for gas at the Flying J in Seffner, FL and got to Mobil Service (RV repair facility) at about 10:00. We were one hour early but the young man gave us (and Q) his immediate attention. He checked out everything having to do with the refrigerator on propane and tightened and cleaned along the way. He found nothing wrong and was unwilling to sell us a $140 circuit board without testing under duplicated conditions - battery somewhat less than fully charged - when his work could have corrected the problem. Rather than wait the 2 or 3 (or 4) hours it might take to draw the charge down, we decided to come on to Englewood and let the battery draw down in the parking lot here. We'll run back up to Sarasota and get the new board if there is still a problem.

Before leaving the Sarasota, Mark discovered that his new Palm PDA wouldn't turn on. No amount of persuasion worked. Hildene helped us find a Circuit City in Sarasota and after waiting in the Customer Service line for over a half hour, Mark was able to (easily) demonstrate the problem. The young man behind the counter couldn't turn it on either. Since they didn't have one in stock, our money was refunded. Long story (and afternoon) short, we stopped at every Circuit City, Best Buy, and Staples all the way down US-41 until we finally found one in the Staples in Englewood. Fortunately all our data was in the computer and transferred into the new PDA easily so nothing was lost.

February 6, 2007 (Tue) Englewood, FL - It's amazing how long the refrigerator will go on DC. We have always made it a habit to switch from DC to propane whenever we stop for a little while (to shop etc.) so as not to drain the batteries. This turns out to have been a useless precaution. It took all day, in addition to about 3 hours last night, to draw the charge down to below where we were having problems last week. No problem on now. Back to DC until bedtime drew the voltage down some more. At 11.3 volts the system shut down automatically to protect the batteries. Switching to propane allowed them to recover slightly. The refrigerator went on and stayed on.

February 7, 2007 (Wed) Englewood, FL - Over night the refrigerator shut down. Not surprising and not necessarily a problem as the battery charge is so much lower than we would normally let it get.

Other than this excitement we've been living a peaceful existence. Joy, her sister and her mother have been talking non-stop while Mark walked back and forth to the lot where Q is parked, caught up with the computer backlog (a month's worth of mail awaited us here) and tried to read.

Q035716 SunTrust Bank parking lot Parked (x3)

February 8, 2007 (Thu) Englewood, Fl to Le Belle, FL (84/1936 miles) - Bom and Franny were getting ready to go swimming as we got off at 8:39 (60° sunny with a few clouds). After a stop at a Publix Supermarket to pick up supplies we headed south on US-41 and I-75.

"Bumper sticker" on the back of a box truck - "Annoy the media and cry babies - vote Bush!"

Last year, when we stopped at Ortona South campground east of Le Belle, FL there was one campsite available and that one a double that we had to share with someone else. We didn't have much hope of getting a site this year, but we decided to give it a try anyway. It is, after all, a beautiful campground and well worth the extra miles to check it out. The sign at the gate said "campground full". "Yes it's true," the gatekeeper said when asked, "you need to make reservations 120 days in advance to get in here during the winter." As Mark walked away from the booth, the she said, "Wait, I have an idea." She looked on her computer and after much typing and screen changes she said, "Actually site 20 is open. It's being held for the volunteer [worker] but I haven't been told one is coming. You can have it if you want." It turns out to be one of the best sites in the campground. The only thing needed to make it better is for it to be on the canal. Even so we can see it across the road and beyond a row of RVs out our living room window. Behind us and out our dining room window there is nothing but flat tropical Florida landscape. Our site is on a corner end of the loosely packed campground and covers more area than our property at home.

We spent the afternoon sitting out in the sun enjoying 80° of warmth - much appreciated after weeks of cool dreary weather.

February 9, 2007 (Fri) Ortona South Campground - Other than a 4 mile walk (2 miles out to the highway through a Florida cattle ranch and back) we didn't do very much today. It was a bright sunny day with hardly a cloud in the sky. The local weather people are apologizing for yet another day without rain, there is a drought in this area, but it really feels good to us. Mark even got a slight sunburn on his neck and shoulders.

February 10, 2007 (Sat) Ortona South Campground - Another slow day. We had expected more boat traffic on the canal and through the lock now that it's the weekend but it was very light this morning. It did pick up in the afternoon though. The next time we come here we'll get reservations ahead of time and try to get a site over where we can see the canal and lock better. It's really interesting to watch the different boats come and go and it's a bit frustrating to have to look past a row of RVs.

There is a eagle in the top of a tree across the canal. Our neighbor said he had been watching him hunt for some time.

February 11, 2007 (Sun) Ortona South Campground - It was a little on the cool side today - mostly because the sky was overcast. Joy did a small laundry this morning. Late this afternoon we took our bicycles out to the highway and back. The sky has been darkening all afternoon. The weather folks are predicting rain tonight. It looks as if they might be on to something.

Q035800 Ortona South Campground #20 w/e $12.00 A (x4)

February 12, 2007 (Mon) Le Belle, FL to Ochopee, FL (134/2076 miles) - It was sprinkling slightly as we walked down to take our showers - and as we walked back. There was more than a sprinkle as we broke camp and dumped - always fun! There was no fresh water available at the dump station so we had to go back to our site to fill up. We need a full supply because there are no hook-ups in Big Cypress and no way to fill Q's tank without driving 15 miles.

We finally got off at about 8:50 (62° and rain). In our never ending quest to shop at every Costco in the country, we headed for Naples, FL. A big mistake! The parking lot was so packed that we had to go next door to a soon-to-open Staples to find a space big enough for Q. Inside the narrow isles were taken up with an overabundance of retirees, elbows on shopping carts, strolling along as if they had no reason for being there and nowhere to go if they weren't. Leaving the area, after getting gas was like doing battle with hundreds of impatient New York taxi cab drivers caught in a parkway traffic jam.

The Third Fifth Bank is a bank in Naples.

Naples is unbelievable! Most of the roads we were on were under construction, and all along each road huge developments were being built. The traffic was horrendous, and I can't imagine what it will be like when all of the building is finished and everyone moves in, it is already so crowded. You couldn't pay me to go back!! It was a relief to get out into the boonies!!-J

We stopped at the countries (world's?) smallest Post Office (self proclaimed and about the size of a two hole outhouse) in Ochopee, FL to deposit some snail mail and pulled in here at about 1:39 (73° still raining).

Q035934 Monument Lake Campground, Big Cypress National Preserve #3 dry $8.00g B-