QC01-09 Back into civilization

February 15, 2010 (Mon) Monument Lake CG to Hobe Sound, FL (196/2618 miles) - Another cold morning for south Florida - 47° when we pulled out of our campsite at 8:00. That was up some from the morning low. We stopped at Midway campground to dump but there was a long line waiting. It seems that everyone decided to leave at 8:00 this morning.

We decided not to wait. There would be facilities at Jonathan Dickinson SP. Our route was east on Tamiami Trail (US 41) then north on US 997 to US 27. Instead of following Hildene, who would have us go over to I-95 north of Miami, we stayed on US 27 to Lake Okeechobee and Belle Glade. It was a bit longer but we avoided the nightmare traffic up the east coast. This took us up through the middle of Florida's sugar cane fields. Our timing this year was such that we could see examples of each step of the cane growing cycle, from tiny plants, to fully grown, to harvesting, to burning and preparing the soil for the next crop. This is also horse country but unlike the slick manicured buildings and fields in the Ocala area, these looked more functional. There was actual work going on rather than stage props for show.

Coming out of Belle Glade we saw a woman (we think) standing by the side of the road who might best be described as an overdressed gypsy. She was dressed completely in red print, from hat to long full skirt, with silver jewelry adorning her arms and ears and neck. Wow!

When we got to Jonathan Dickinson SP at 1:18, the gatekeeper informed us that that check out time is 1:00. Check in time is 3:00 so we couldn't get into our reserved site until after 3:00. We could sit in the parking lot and wait, or ride around and explore the park. "Can we check in now and occupy the site if it is empty?" "No, you have to wait until the volunteers have cleaned the site." "Do you know if it might be ready now?" "No. You'll have to come back at 3:00." In exploring the park we saw that our site was empty and that other campers were beginning to move into empty sites. Preparing to do battle, we went back to the gate. "We found that our site is empty. Has it been cleaned. Is it ready for us?" "Oh yes, It was ready an hour ago." The clock behind her read 2:15!!! Less than an hour had passed.

February 16, 2010 (Tue) Jonathan Dickinson SP (2) 51/71° - This is a beautiful park. There are over 100 sites in two widely separated areas. Our site, in the area furthest from the entrance, is a little closer to its neighboring sites than we'd like but it is separated from them by tropical shrubbery. We have a fire ring, a picnic table and sand where grass might have been better. The restrooms are only a few steps away - good for emergencies, but nearby foot traffic is heavy.

The highest point in south Florida, Hobe Mountain - elevation 85 feet, is in the park. To get there on our bicycles we took the two mile paved multi purpose trail to the end, then another 3 miles or so on the park road. From the observation tower we could see 360 degrees of nearly pristine landscape. The 11500 acres of the park were spread out north, west and south. To the East, across US 1, was the inland waterway and Atlantic Ocean. Beautiful!

Q058570 Jonathan Dickinson SP, Hobe Sound, FL. #127 e/w $26.00 A (x2)
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February 17, 2010 (Wed) Hobe Sound, FL to Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP (91/2709 miles) 41/65° - All packed up and ready to go. Oops! Mark found adjustable pliers in his pocket. When he went to put them with the other tools, the handle on the large storage drawer broke - the handle that also releases two heavy duty latches, one on each side of the drawer. They work together much a car door handle and latch work. With the handle broken there is no way to open the drawer. Unlike a car door, there is no way to access the back side to get at the broken part. We no longer have the use of our hoses, tools, chairs, the rug, and many other things we use while traveling.

We got off at about 8:15 (46° wispy clouds) and made our way to the park entrance where we saw 6 little black piglets foraging by the side of the highway. Maybe it was a pig that Joy saw yesterday as we rode our bikes to the tower. Our first stop was for gas ($2.63 best price in weeks) then on to do our laundry. Joy got to talking with the owner of the Cove Center Laundromat just south of Stuart, FL and learned that he had grown up in Fair Haven, NJ, about a mile from our home. He was gone before we moved there but it was an interesting small-world encounter.

Jack (a high school friend of Mark's) met us at his house and took us over to see Olive (his wife) in the assisted living/nursing facility where she now lives. It was good to see her and we had a nice visit. Then Jack joined us for soup and salad at an Olive Garden in Stuart.

We backed into our site here in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park at about 4:30. We are in the site next to the one we were in last year. They have put in electric and water hook-ups here since then so we again have shore power - no city water though because the hose is locked in the storage drawer!

February 18, 2010 (Thu) Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP (2) 39/60° - It was cold this morning, 39° when we got up. Fortunately the sun is warm and in a cloudless sky but the wind has a definite chill. This is the quiet part of this quiet campground. We are in the "equestrian" area, about a quarter mile from the "family" area. That means this is where the people with horses come to camp. No horses here this year but several campers without horses. This afternoon we rode our bikes over to the family area where we found another Chinook just like Q. If the people had been around we would have stopped and tried to work out a trade - their storage drawer probably opens.

In addition to putting electric and water into the equestrian area, it looks like they are adding new sites (maybe 4 or 5) in the family area. We find that interesting because when we were here last year, we were told that the state of Florida was planning to close the campground. Stimulus money at work? Actually the turnabout was due, in large part, to pressure from some organized groups according to Bob (campground host). Apparently several equestrian and astronomy associations, all of whom use the campground regularly throughout the year, wrote letters to the Governor and state congress appealing to them to keep it open. Sometime politicians do listen!

February 19, 2010 (Fri) Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP (3) 41/55° - A gaggle of wild turkeys wandered through the campground again this morning. Actually they were over by the horse paddocks. We counted nine of them and three vultures sitting on the fence posts waiting for one of them to die.

Today was the day we had to pack up and move to another site. We hated to have to leave what warmth the sun was giving us for this shady site, but other campers have dibs for the night - a two family unit as it turned out. They had a camping trailer and a large tent. Apparently this is the weekend for large family units. Another group, at least two families came into a couple of sites near that one and another big group, 3 large tents, set up quarters in a space two sites down the road from us.

Q078661 Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP #21&27 e/w $16 A- (x3)
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February 20, 2010 (Sat) Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP to Englewood, FL (132/2841 miles) 51/75° - The temperature got up to 55° by the time we got under way. The forecast was for light broken clouds but there weren't many breaks for most of the morning. We had borrowed a hose from the campground host so we stopped there to return it on the way out. Other than that the trip to Englewood was relatively uneventful. The prairie was beautiful in spite of the overcast and we wished we could have stayed longer. Cattle is the main product in this part of Florida so that was about the only wild life we encountered other than the usual birds. In one field we saw a cow standing on three legs scratching her head with her hoof like a dig - a strange sight! In another field we saw a large flock, 100 or so, of Sand Hill Cranes foraging for goodies.

We got here at here about 1:20pm, after stopping for lunch, and found Bom just finishing up her lunch and happy to see us. Through the late afternoon and until we turned the TV on to watch the Olympics we were serenaded almost constantly with the sounds of roosters crowing, goats bleating and cows lowing. We were beginning to wonder what they were trying to say.

Q058793 Jeanne Walton's yard, Englewood, FL