Score!

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The second camping spot I stayed in (2 nights), recommended by my travel guide, really paid off. The following are the ratings (remember, it’s a scale with 5 being tops), plus my commentary:

Beauty: 5 stars, Yep, it was beautiful.
Privacy: 4 Hmm… maybe a 3, but I camped on a busy weekend so I had a lot of neighbors…
Spaciousness: 5, Yep, plenty of space between camp sites.
Quiet: 4, No, maybe a 3, I heard lots of road noise both nights.
Security: 5, Yep, I felt very safe.
Cleanliness 5, Yes, super clean.

So, here is what sounded really good when I started reading about Caloosahatchee Regional Park Campground: “The walk-in tent sites and recreational opportunities should serve as a model for other tent-camping destinations.” So true…
My thoughts: If you never leave home you never have anything to compare home to. Lee County, which is mostly Ft Myers FL and vicinity, outshines Henderson County 200% in their investments in parks…

So, it cost me $12 per night, it had bathrooms with hot showers (outdoor stalls, but still nice), and no electric hookups. Campers had to park and carry their stuff in, but the park provided nice carts for the short trip to schlep everything. I took it as an opportunity to pitch my tent and set up a proper camp instead of sleeping in the van.

Ratings for activities: I give it a 5+, I could have stayed there a few more days it was so great. The walks and biking were fab, and if I had had a kayak I would have put it in too (you could rent one at the park, but I didn’t). The most fun were the bike trails! They were better than a Disney ride, thank God I didn’t hurt myself hot-dogging! I really thought the bike trails were out of my league until I went over there in search of Gopher Tortoises. I never saw a turtle, but I had a blast riding the trails!

A message from the Gopher Tortoise Council (this is not a joke!): Gopher tortoises are protected in every state. They are land animals that can grow to at least thirty pounds. They are vegetarians, and have very strong front legs and claws for burrowing. Gopher Tortoises are a “keystone species,” providing habitat for hundreds of other animals that use their burrows for finding food, shelter from fire and predators, and protection from the elements.

I would definitely go back to this park for a great camping vacation, and I highly recommend it to my friends. Score!

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