Still Gravity

Sebastian Inlet, Florida (the campground is on the left side) - License our images  here .         Second time in this park. Sebastian Inlet State Park covers parts of two barrier islands of the Atlantic. The inlet connects the Indian River to the ocean.  The campground was almost full. We got a campsite with a partial view of the inlet and Indian River Lagoon. Sunsets were special - because of the light and the mosquitoes.  View from our campsite.          Many folks come to fish in the Sebastian Inlet. The boat ramp of the park always was busy - even during the night. The campground is close to the access road and there was always traffic.   People fishing in the Sebastian Inlet.  There are bi

Lake Okeechobee is also known as the "Florida's Inland Sea" - License our images  here . Okeechobee means "big water" in the language of the Seminole. Before them, the Calusa called it Mayaimi  , a word that had the same meaning: "big water". True that this lake looks like an ocean.   The Florida Trail or Okeechobee Lake Scenic Trail goes around the lake. Here is paved, but some parts are dirt - look the picture in this post  from a section by Port Mayaca. The worse is that in some places one must leave the trail and travel through dangerous narrow roads.  The northern trail is excellent.  We saw many birds around the lake. Also, a couple of alligators in a canal - we'll skip their pictures because we have better ones . Wildlife is plenty in this area. 

Riding the bikes along the northern shores of the lake, we took a detour to stop by the place of the Battle of Lake Okeechobee.  The old battlefield in Okeechobee , Florida - License our images  here .    This was one of the important battles of the Second Seminole War. Here, the troops of  Colonel Zachary Taylor  - later President of the United States - clashed with Seminole warriors under the command of  Billy Bowlegs  on December 25,1837. What a way to celebrate Christmas, right? There is not much left there. A small parking lot with a shelter and a picnic table, and a small historical marker on the garden of a private house.  Marker at the site of the battle.  Details of the historical battle here .

Old stores in the city of Okeechobee, Florida - License our images  here .         This city on the northern shores of the biggest lake of Florida smells rural. We rode the bikes through the quiet town of less than six thousand and found many RV parks all around. Later found that they were packed with campers from Canada and the northern states fleeing the coldness of winter.   The most interesting buildings are by the center of the town around Veterans Park. Not much. Some old stores, a few interesting vintage homes, and a couple of churches.  Welcome to the country life of Florida.  Military stuff on display in Veterans Park. 

Sunset in our campsite in DuPuis WMA, Florida -  License our images here . Dupuis is five miles east from Lake Okeechobee . Long ago there were ranches here, now is a wildlife management area with two campgrounds - one allows to camp with horses, the other not. Both are free, but campers must get a permit.  Our campsite under the trees.  The dirt road through the WMA was great for riding the bikes . It ends at a small lake with a pier and picnic tables - Powerline Grade Road at the east side of the wildlife area is also good for biking. Pictures here . There are many trails through the forest. Some were flooded, and the ones deep in the WMA were overgrown. One needs to be careful hiking out there because the place is open to hunting. We found the discarded remains of a deer and three hun

Here we go with a collection of images of Southwest Florida. Visited places from the city of Sarasota to Marco Island.  A week of camping in Oscar Scherer State Park. Forested place with beautiful sunsets - weather permitting.  We got a lot of rain during a week of camping in this park close to Sarasota and the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. The forested campground is across a creek. We saw owls and snakes. There is a beach-lagoon in the park, but signs warning of alligators didn't encourage us to swim here.  Drunken campers gave a free show after midnight one of those nights. A lot of arguing and bad words. The police came and threw them out of the campground. The wildlife is a lot better.  Our bushy campsite in Oscar Scherer State Park. Note the old gazebo as shelter of our camping kitchen - it was a good model but bulky and heavy. Now we h