February 18, 2018 Bonita Springs, Florida

Another 83 degrees, sunny and beautiful day.

We went to the Everglades Wonder Garden which has been here since 1936. They were one of the old roadside attractions that used to be all over Florida before Disney came. Signs from the gardens, 200 crocodiles, world's largest collection of souvenirs, Mark your territory in front of the restrooms with arrows to womens and mens. And flamingos. They used to have tropical gardens and rescue animals. The hurricane devastated the gardens, but they still have the animals. They are rebuilding the gardens.

John in front of a huge banyan tree. The reason I wanted to come was because you can hand feed the flamingos. Here I am surrounded by flamingos and ibis's. I love flamingos and this was such a thrill. 

John hand feeding the flamingos and me with a bunch of ibis. They were all so cute and gentle.

A tropical tree with thorns on the trunk,  I love the way the flamingos drink, they have to turn their heads upside down to get water in their beaks, a green heron fishing in the alligator pond. The alligators with green duck weed growing on top of their pond, a wood duck, a tortoise eating an orchid and the flamingos have yellow eyes. 

Orchids, a 16 foot python, and an alligator walking. Usually they just lay there. In the gift shop there were mermaid eggs, just add water and hatch your own mermaid friend!, red flowers, purple flowers and yellow ones-these flowers are from our next stop, not the gardens.

Before we left I sat down on the nearest bench to check my phone and a peacock strutting his stuff. 

We next went to the Koreshan State  park with historic structures from the 19th century Koreshan utopian society.  A self supporting community with communal living and property. They made their own electricity, feed the whole camp, did all the laundry, everyone was equal, including men and women. They were heavily into the arts. They believed that if they were celibate and  lived a clean life they would live forever.

Dr Cyrus Deed brought his  followers here in 1894 to build the settlement called New Jerusalem for the Koreshans. It was to be a utopia, a life without crime, tobacco or drugs.  He was a Dr who experimented with new methods of medicine including electricity. One night he electrocuted himself into unconsciousness, when he awoke he said he had a vision and he was to be the messiah. One of his beliefs was that they earth was like the yolk of an egg and the solar system etc was inside the shell of the earth and we lived underground. Illustrations above. They were going to build a city for 10 million people in the shape at the bottom of the photo. There were lovely gardens and this bridge was part of the that. 

John walking on another of the bridges. After seeing the historic buildings we walked on the trail. The giant  bamboo was part of the gardens. 

Giant bamboo, poisonous seed pods of the  rosary pea, a native plant, orange trumpet flowers and turks cap. Sunset in camp.

February 15-17, 2018 Bonita Springs, Florida

83 degrees and sunny. We drove to Punta Gorda to have lunch with my some kind of cousin Betsy and her husband HR. They are staying a month just north of Tampa in their RV. We met halfway. It was great to see them.

We got there a bit early so we walked along the waterfront. John with Ponce de Leon in the waterfront park. We had a nice lunch at Hurricane Charley's right on the waterfront. Betsy's mother is my mother's cousin, not sure how we are related. We had a good time catching up

John and I then went to downtown historic Bonita Springs to check it out. Bonita Springs city seal which says Gateway to the Gulf, a mural of the waterfront park downtown, the flag says small town charm- Big bright future, a sculpture in the riverfront park called a Slice of Heaven, the sign for Everglades Wonder Garden. The gardens was opened in 1936 as a refuge for injured animals. It now home to a collection of native birds, turtles and alligators.Also has a botanical garden. A tricolored heron on the river. We picked up maps of places to boat, including the river in riverfront park. Sunset over the lake at the RV park. 

Today I  sent these baskets to my sister to sell in the Death Valley art show. Today was 83 degrees and sunny so we went to the beach. There was tons of traffic to get here and very little parking. We lucked out and nabbed a parking spot from someone who was leaving in this fancy residential area. John on the beach.

It was more crowded farther down the beach. The water was nice, beautiful white sand with lots of shells. This snowy egret landed right in front of me. His plumey feathers are blowing in the breeze. These guys were hunted almost to extinction when the women in Europe were wearing hats with their feathers on them. 

John with his 100% sunblock on sunbathing. We stopped at the Momentum Brewery on the way home. John with his Knee High IPA.

  

Another sunny 83 degree day. We paddled up the Imperial river through Bonita Springs. John a tiny dot by the huge tree. Welcome to the City of Bonita Springs canoe and kayak trail.  Turtles hanging out off someones dock, alligator sunbathing and a great blue heron.

The heron poised by the riverside. John paddling by, the heron is the blur in the middle left of picture,he was flying off.

Cypress knees by the riverside, more knees and a green heron.

John silhouetted on the river. Sunset from camp.

Continuation of the sunset.

February 13-14, 2018 Bonita Springs, Florida

We are back in civilization in Bonita Springs. Took about 3 hours to drive 70 miles in traffic. On our way out of the swamp not one but two different cars were stopped half in the lane, half on the narrow shoulder, with cars coming the opposite direction. Then some  idiot passed  a camper in the oncoming lane on a double yellow line and John saved up by slamming on the brakes and swerving onto the narrow shoulder (half in the lane). John saved my life again. Into civilization it was stop and go, terrible traffic. 85 degrees with high humidity, it is brutal.

We are camped in the Gulf Coast Camping Resort, a 55 and older adult community. We were in luck, tonight is bingo night! Tomorrow is a valentine's day dance. Saturday is the garage sale and bake sale day, maybe I can sell some jewels and baskets. It was almost impossible to find a place for the holiday weekend, we were lucky to get this place. 

Our view at sunset. All is quiet in the Gulf coast camping resort this evening. Camping resort?? We are in the middle of a city, in the industrial area in packed southern Florida in winter. They do have full hookups, a pool, a fishing lake, and are close to the beach. The sites are large, we have a picnic table and trees and it is quiet. 

Today we went to the Corkscrew Swamp. It is a towering stand of old-growth Bald Cypress trees--the largest known old-growth cypress population in North America. Some specimens are more than 500 years old and are well over 120 feet tall.We walked 3 miles of boardwalk, the map is above. This is an Audubon preserve and very well done. They say it is seeing the landscape of Florida from long ago. All but a few stands of cypress were clear cut when the white man arrived.  The swamps were drained for condos and agriculture.  John on the boardwalk in pond cypress. 

Lots of greenery and ferns. The first photo is the new growth bald cypress and second photo is entering the old growth area. There is a cool aura in old growth forests-a feeling of timelessness.

Blooming air plant quill leaf, huge fern, ibis and they call this purple flower alligator flag here, but my book calls it pickerelweed.  The boardwalk in the old growth area. These trees where here before Columbus discovered the new world. It was stunning. 

John in the old growth area. Green anoles, the male has a bright dewlap under his chin. He extends it when he is trying to attract a mate. These are what they sold us as chameleons when we were kids. The brown anole is not native and is taking over their territory. It has a bright orange dewlap. Yellow crested night heron and a great white heron.  Lettuce lakes, named for the lettuce that grows on it's surface.

Lettuce lakes, named for the lettuce that grows on it's surface.  Lots of wildlife here. Red lichen, little blue heron, lettuce on the water and a wood stork grabbing lunch.  

This wet prairie or marsh is the transition zone between the cypress swamp and the pine flatwoods.   These two flowers look pretty similar and grow in the same habitat, Lance leaf arrowhead and brazilian elodea. This section closed for Irma repairs, and Wood storks nesting, quiet please.

 Sunset tonight. We had a rip roaring Valentines day celebration. First we had heart shaped meatloaf sliders at home and then John took me to the Valentine Dance here at the over 55 RV resort. We really know how to have a good time.