Hot BaBa's - Fort Myers, Okeechobee Waterway, LaBelle, Clewiston to Indiantown
HOT BaBa's as my friend Storma used to say.
It has been in the 90's for the past three days - what with 90% humidity, it's not been fun piloting Cady Girl. No air conditioning on the fly bridge.
Thursday morning, we left Fort Myers and motored 41 miles to La Belle. While docking the boat, our neighbor told us to watch out for an alligator. Guess one had harassed his cute little dog. Alas, we did not encounter one there. We did, however, see one in the middle of the Caloosahatchee River after departing the marina the next morning.
Alligators are as sneaky as the dolphins - so no photos yet.
La Belle is known as the Belle of the Caloosahatchee River and the City Under the Oaks for its oak-lined streets. It is a small town with a rich history in cattle ranching and small-town charm. We walked the town to see if the history museum was open, but it was not. We did see an old "Rotary" Steam engine from the 1920's. It was an experimental engine used to power JP Morgan's commuter yacht that he used to get to Wall Street. It met its demise (sank) in LaBelle in the 1960's.
On Friday, we continued up the Okeechobee Waterway 37 miles to the Roland Martin Marina in Clewiston. The owner, Roland Martin is a professional sports fisherman and is host to Fishing with Roland Martin on CNBC. Martin's career includes 19 tournament wins and 9 BASS Angler of the Year titles. The marina had a great store, Tiki Bar and Swimming Pool!
Today, we motored 37 miles across Lake Okeechobee. Talk about shallow! The depth never got above 10 feet. Often much less. Floor-Ida has been experiencing a drought for the last year. The lake is Florida's largest lake, a crucial part of the Everglades ecosystem, and a major component of the state's water management system for flood control, water supply, and recreation. It connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of America.
The good thing about going into Clewiston was that the lock is now permanently open - my kind of lock. Same thing with the lock on the other side of the Lake.
Tonight, we are docked at Indiantown Marina. Indiantown is a rural village known for its equestrian and agricultural industries, particularly thoroughbred training and cattle ranching. It was named for the Seminole people who settled there in the 1800's.
One thing about traveling through this area on the water, is that you see nature at its best and worst. Trees that grow wherever, or birds that ravage an alligator carcass. And birds that you've never seen anywhere else. What an adventure.
Don thinks it feels like the Deep South.
Tomorrow, we reach the Atlantic Ocean and head north. Smooth sailing to all of you wherever life takes you.
Comments
Post a Comment