QC31-06 From swamp to civilization

January 30, 2013 (Wed) Big Cypress National Preserve to Hobe Sound (178/1658 miles) 64/78° - Off at 6:40am for a mostly uneventful trip to Hobe Sound and Jonathan Dickinson State Park. We were buzzed by a small Helicopter as we approached the Big Cypress Visitors Center. It suddenly popped out from behind the low roadside trees and passed over at near eye level. Had it been a car pulling out onto the road, a blast from our horn might have been in order.

The Wendy's parking lot looked too small so we pulled into the motel parking lot next to it. Bad move! There was no way to loop around the building and making a U-turn seemed too tight. So we were left with the choice of unhooking Lamont or backing the rig up a little way (not a recommended maneuver with a car in tow 4 wheels down). We backed up and made the swing easily. Sometimes it's the little things that make travel interesting.

January 31, 2013 (Thu) Hobe Sound (2) 68/72° - A beautiful sunrise out our breakfast room window this morning but it didn't last long. Storm clouds to the west were darkening the skies and the temperature was dropping. Sprinkles of rain, the first in weeks, began spotting our windows. The rain let up, it never really got very heavy, as we did our laundry on the way to visit Mark's friend Jack in Stuart. Jack introduced us to the Dolphin Bar & Shrimp House, a terrific restaurant in Jensen Beach, FL. Good food and good conversation. Thanks Jack.

In the evening we were treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets we've seen out our living room window. The foreground was far from photogenic but through the trees the sky was a brilliant red that seemed to last forever.

Q087567 Johnathan Dickinson SP #4 w/e $26 A+ (x2 )
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February 1, 2013 (Fri) Hobe Sound to LaBelle, FL (107/1765 miles) 48/68° - Although we didn't really need it, we thought it a good idea to get gas before we struck out for the wilds. Going north on US 1 we passed several gas stations that looked to be severe challenges for a motor home towing a car. The prices were pretty high too. The station with the lowest price was so clogged with cars that we would not have been able to get off the road had we chosen to wait in line. The Sunoco station on Cove Rd (SR 76?) looked relatively reasonable in both price and access. The price did not disappoint but. . .  Q bumped his tail getting up the grade into the station (no damage) and an out-of-service school bus decided to park in the space we needed to loop around to get back out. We ended up having to squeeze, with about 2 inches clearance on each side, between the gas pumps and a big SUV parked way too far from his pump. We're hoping the SUV driver saw and worried about the error of his ways.

After shopping in the Clewiston Walmart, Q would not start - not even a click from the starter. Nothing! A boost from Q's house batteries, a Chinook feature for such occasions, had no effect. A thorough investigation revealed nothing. Even the batteries were OK. As Mark was dialing our road service company, Joy switched the refrigerator for DC power to propane. Before hitting "send" on the phone, Mark tried the starter one more time. Q started! There is no known reason why turning the refrigerator to propane would have had made any difference at all. Probably just coincidence. There has been no problem since.

We got to Ortona Locks campground just before 12:00, unhooked, and took Lamont into LaBelle to see if our mail ever got there. It had! Hooray!

February 2, 2013 (Sat) LaBelle, FL (2) 49/72° - Another day to relax in a beautiful campsite. We are again overlooking the canal just a few sites west of our favorite. It's been one of those days that is comfortably warm in the sun but chilly enough for sweatshirts in the shade. The breeze is mild but strong enough to disrupt the pages of our books as we try to read. Boat traffic on the canal has been surprisingly light for a Saturday, we think. There haven't even been any fishermen in small boats that normally hang out off shore without going through the locks.

February 3, 2013 (Sun) LaBelle, FL (3) 49/71° - It's been an other beautiful day to sit by the canal and read.

February 4, 2013 (Mon) LaBelle, FL (4) 44/72° - The Costco in Estero, FL (south of Ft Myers) is laid out a lot like ours at home but just enough different to be disorienting - kind of Twilight Zone-ish. We found what we wanted though, in spite of all attempts to confuse us. Lunch at Pincher's Crab Shack (a small chain in southwest Florida) was pricey but good. We had grouper sandwiches with enough french fries to make Five Guys portions seem small.

February 5, 2013 (Tue) LaBelle, FL (5) 47/87° - We thought we'd do a laundry and get some last minute provisions today because tomorrow we will be 30+ miles away from civilization deep in the Kissimmee Prairie.  Since Q's propane was low, he would be our transportation of choice this trip. But he wouldn't start!! There was only a click from the starter solenoid! No amount of looking, jiggling of wires, worrying or swearing seemed to help. To get a service truck here, the lady at Coachnet said she needed to know where the campground is. We said the local truck driver would know where Ortona Locks is. She wanted the name of the closest cross street. We said there is no close cross street. She said she needed one anyway. We said State Route 29 which is 8 miles west in LaBelle. She said that was no help. (We knew it wouldn't be!) We said go East on State Rt 80 from La Belle and there is a sign for the campground. She said she needed the name of a cross street. Impasse!! Computers sometimes cause problem!

We finally worked it out and a repair truck came. He tried all the things Mark already tried and got the same result. Bad starter, he said. He finally got it started though and we took off for N. Ft Myers for repairs. It turned out not to be the starter but a loose connection inside the battery. So Q now has another new battery - this one for the truck. That's 4 new batteries this trip. Ugh.

Meanwhile, on the way back to the "ranch" Oops! Q had problems starting again!!! This means an interesting day tomorrow!!

Q087674 Ortona Locks Campground, LaBelle, FL #25 w/e $12g (x5)