Flamingo

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Fantastic Flamingo

I have just spent 10 wonderful days on a personal writing retreat in sub-tropical paradise. I really hit pay dirt on my destination this time, Flamingo campground on the tip of the Florida peninsula (a world heritage site). Flamingo is one of 2 campgrounds in Everglades National Park. I thought it might be a real refuge (away from the madding crowds), and sure enough it was perfectly peaceful. From the van where I slept I had a fantastic view of the Florida Bay, hardly anyone is in the tent camping loop. The other 2 loops are much busier with RVs.

The Bay is very shallow with lots of red mangroves all around. The water from Lake Okeechobee flows all the way through the lower part of the state, through limestone and mud, and a sea of saw grass, before it seeps into the Bay where I am. The feel of the place is very mellow even though it’s their high season, totally worth $16 a night. There have been great ranger walks and talks for a nature nerds like me, even a ranger-led canoe trip. Not only is this place a refuge for me, but a lot of other critters as well – amazing shore birds congregate here.

My schedule: wake up with the sunrise, make coffee and have breakfast, do yoga on the shore with some new friends, then bike around and look for birds. Around 11:00am I would usually move the van over to the marina where I could park under a shade tree and still catch the bay breezes. Daytime highs were around 80 degrees. I would eat lunch, and write for a while on my laptop (Macbook), then go plug it in at a picnic table in the shade outside the marina. Sometimes while my computer was charging I would read my book (Steve Jobs) or talk to people.

Once or twice in the afternoon I would ride my bike from the picnic table to the van (about 2 minutes away). The marina had a nice bathroom! I would make myself write until 4:00, then reward myself with a beer. Sometimes I would fix my dinner under the tree at the marina, and take it back over to the grassy tent loop. I would go to bed when the sun went down unless there was a 7:30 ranger talk at the amphitheatre. If I woke up in the night I turn on the lantern to read my book. I’m very sad about leaving this sweet spot, but looking forward to more adventures, and to returning again next year.

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Photos

tree w/bromeliads
on Snakebite trail

P1000888
Shelby looking out the back of the van

Shelby at Everglades Hostel
pretending to boogie board!