The Economics of Beach Front Location

We arrived at Fort Meyers Beach on Friday in the early afternoon. After our stay at the lovely Myakka River State Park, Fort Meyers has a very different feel. We are staying at the Red Coconut RV Park that is right on the main drag. I enclosed a picture of Greg standing by some motor homes that got the beach front sites (probably what he was dreaming of) - no, we chose a less expensive site and fit comfortably right next two large rigs. Just for comparison, the beach front sites were $115 per night, our "non beach front site" was $80 per night, and most of our campsites at the State Parks range from $20 - $40 per night.

Our First View of the Ocean

In the afternoon, we decided to drive to Venice Beach so we could actually see the ocean. It looked like on the map that the drive along the ocean from Sarasota to Venice Beach would be very scenic – but it wasn’t! Instead, it seemed like one over-developed strip mall after another. Once we arrived at Venice Beach we hiked for about an hour down the beach. There was a 25-mile per hour wind – in the picture I’m showing how I have four layers on and I was still cool.

Wildlife at Myakka River State Park

It seems like everyone at this park has binoculars (we don’t) – it also seems like a lot of people who are interested in bird watching and kayaking. We saw this Great Egret – one among many interesting birds. We talked to two women we met while we were bike riding. One of the women (who looked like a very fit seventy plus) said she led Sierra Club hikes in the park. She said there are a lot of people in this area who work really hard to keep the area protected and undeveloped. We also saw alligators, armadillos, wild hogs, and deer in addition to lots of birds.

More Biking and Hiking

We had a chance to bike on these trails that were similar to mountain bike trails – wet and muddy but not too hilly. We also had a chance to hike on a “canopy trail” that included a climb up a 75’ observation tower that allowed you to observe the canopy layer of the trees and get a more extensive view of Myakka River.

Myakka River State Park

We discovered a jewel! Myakka River State Park is one of Florida's largest and most diverse natural areas located near Sarasota. It covers 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, and pinelands with all kinds of wildlife observation available. It is a beautiful campground and we've found lots of other friendly campers who enjoy biking, canoeing, kayaking, bird watching, etc. as much as we do!

Hiking in Manatee Springs State Park

We spent the afternoon hiking the trails at Manatee Springs Park that is adjacent to the Suwannee River. During the winter months, the manatees leave the ocean and the river and come to the warmer springs (The springs stay 72 degrees all year round) that bubble up from the aquifer underground. The manatees stay under water but come up for air every few minutes. Because of the cold weather, there are many more manatees that have come into the warmer waters of the springs – however; the ranger said they’ve already lost about 180 manatees due to cold weather. Surrounding the springs were trees that were perching places for hundreds of buzzards.

Stop at Wal-Mart

After waking up to 29 degrees in our motor home, we decided to stop at Wal-Mart to purchase a few more warm shirts and socks. I’m so glad to have my brand new down sweater jacket (my friend Deb recommended and I think it will be my most valuable piece of equipment on at least the first part of this trip!) – I’ve been wearing constantly. It also worked well to wrap around my head at night in my sleeping bag to help keep my head warm! All the Floridians are complaining about the cold but the sky is bright blue and sunny!