Total Miles: doesn't matter; it was by plane
Mountain View, CA to Marco Island, FL
Tickets: 0
Mishaps: 0
Puckers: 0
View Larger Map
The plan worked out well: Dad and Mom were near Ft Meyers for a dinner train and just "happened" to be near the Ft Meyers airport when our flight came in. Mom didn't know why Dad was taking her to the airport, although she did have her suspicions. She just suspected the wrong daughter! Needless to say, she was surprised when Dan and I greeted her at the door.
We had arrived late on Friday and stayed up even later. The next morning (Saturday) we eventually left the condo and Dad took us on a driving tour of Marco Island. It had been years since I'd been here (after spending almost every childhood summer here) but I recognized almost nothing. Between the development and the passing of time, it was all new to me. Marco Island is on the edge of the Everglades and from the moment it was deemed "civilized" it's future was written in the sand. Each community center, chuch and shopping mall was planned from the outset. It was just a matter of time before all of the blanks were filled in. When I was there, there were very few blanks left to fill.
The first thing we stopped for was an owl. Apparently the Burrowing Owl is protected and the government has given them special rights. Each burrow is subtly marked with bright orange ribbons and a T-perch has been installed to enocourage the owls. It appears to be working.
After the owl sighting, the next view was literally that: a view. We went to the highest point on Marco Island (Otter Mound, 52') which was originally created by the shells used by the ancient Calusa Indians. There was a mysterious conch shell wall, the origination of which is still up for speculation (some theories are presented in the Otter Mound link). Then it was on to view the big fancy homes that have taken over the planned community of Marco Island and the canals that cut into so deeply.
On the way back we stopped by one particularily grand house. Judging from the vehicle in the driveway and the boat out back, this house belonged to "Joey". Who knew that owning a pizza joint in the tropics could be so profitable?
But pizza was not for us. We returned to the condo, gathered up my Godparents who happen to have a condo in the same complex as my parents, and off we went for lunch. It was a delightful time and I was a pleasure to get to visit with everyone together.
After lunch it was nap time - at least for the parents. While they relaxed in the comfort of their living room Dan and I went off in seach for the Gulf Coast. It wasn't as easy to find as it should have been, as the hotels that had been built along the shore also ate up most of the public access. The "Resident's Beach" now charged an annual fee for the amenities that they provided (what is wrong with a simple "path to the beach" I'll never know) and my parent's hadn't bought a pass. However, there was a supposed path a little further down the road and Dan and I went off to find it.
The water wasn't quite as warm as I was expecting, but it was still warm enough to go in. The beach was clean and freshly graded (yes, I could see the lines from whatever machinery they used to rake the sand). There were enough people to people watch, but not too many to make me feel crowded. We bobbed in the water, dried off as we walked in the sun and eventually returned to the condo to find my parents right where we left them.
There was a massive wildfire east of Marco Island, at the intersection of Interstate 75 and Hwy 29, effectively shutting down the Interstate. This probably led to the slightly higher level of traffic on the alternate Hwy 41 because apparently this is a very lightly-used roadway. And I can see why: there is nothing on it. To our right were the Ten Thousand Islands, a massive cluster of mangroves and islands that make up the barrier between the Everglades and the Gulf of Mexico. To our left was nothing but the Everglades themselves.
The water was low this year, which would be evident later when we stopped to see some alligators. But in the meantime, we drove along and marveled how anyone could ever navigate this kind of environment before roads and airplanes. It looked impassible.
A quick stop in Everglades City lead to nothing in particular. The restaurant that my Dad wanted to show us was closed and the only excitement in town appeared to be a random brush fire we saw on the way out.
But after returning to Hwy 41 we went east just a little futher to Turner River Road. There, someone had built a nice boardwalk to allow the viewing of the alligators that must congregate there frequently. Today they were congregating, as well as various wading birds, turtles, fish and even some Key deer . All in all, it was an interesting stop.
On our return to the island we stopped an "Indian Village", having no idea what we might find there. What we found was a village no longer open to the public but a boardwalk that was. This time, though, the boardwalk went more than 40' and Dan and I took off to explore it while Mom and Dad discovered that the village was closed.
It was a good way to see the Everglades, being able to walk above the thick and jumbled vegetation and enjoy the sense of being in the true Everglades. Tent caterpillars (at least that's what I called them) were every where, falling off of leaves and branches and onto our hats and shirts. Butterflies flitted through the shadows and a family of hawks called from above. At the end of the boardwalk were half a dozen baby alligators squirming in what was left of their mud pit, each one maybe 2 - 3' long. With dead camera batteries in hand, we returned to the car and then to the condo.
A dip in the pool, lunch and then it was time to head for the airport. Not much more to report from here other than a quick stop at a random (horse) statue along the way. The plaque did not explain why it was there, other than the developers wanted it there. Regardless, it is a beautiful sculpture and gardens.
