Had some coffee and then headed to the gym for a workout.
Later we went up for breakfast – very good!
Quickly changed into our suits and headed back to the pool for an hour in the sun.
Then back to the room to shower, pack and get on our way.
As soon as we were headed north, traffic stopped!
NOT AGAIN!!!
It took about 25 minutes to go 1.5 miles.
Not an accident this time, road construction.
We passed by the site of the ValuJet 592 memorial. It was the plane that crashed in the Everglades in 1996. Chemical oxygen generators had been illegally placed in the cargo compartment and had caught fire. The plane plunged into the Everglades at 500 mph.
We later stopped in Ochopee at the Clyde Butcher Gallery. It’s a small gallery in the heart of the Everglades.
Clyde Butcher is a black & white photographer who takes his photos on large format film. His images are captured with an 8"x 10", 11"x 14", and 12"x 20" view camera.
The large format camera allows him to express the elaborate detail and textures that distinguish the intricacy of the landscape. The photographs range in sizes from 8"x 10" inches to 5'x 8' feet.
Mom likes the old Florida photos that he's best known for.
For the most part, his collection is of Florida. The photos are amazing and it boggles my mind that he is IN the Everglades while taking them.
I can’t believe he hasn’t been eaten by a gator yet!
I have wanted one of his photos for years now, but since they are incredibly expensive, I have held off.
By visiting the gallery, I was able to narrow it down to my 2 favorites, however I will never own the real thing – as they start at $1,600 and go up to $15,000+ But I hope to get a print in the near future. (more in the ($300-500 range)
Here are my favorites
Shell Key
Cayo Costa Island
After visiting the gallery, we stopped by the Skunk Ape Research Center.
(Okay, just to take a photo, not to go in)
The Skunk Ape is kinda like Florida’s version of the Loch Ness Monster.
From http://www.skunkape.info/content/view/61/60/
Skunk Ape is a large hairy, bipedal (meaning they walk on two legs) mammal that calls the Everglades home. Castings of their tracks confirm they have four toes. Male Skunk Apes stand up to 7 feet tall and can weigh more than 350 pounds. Females are considerably smaller, standing 5 - 6 feet tall and weigh 180 - 250 pounds. Both male and female are covered with reddish-black fur.
Most confirmed Skunk Ape sightings report an individual animal however, increasing sightings reported claim to have seen several Skunk Apes traveling together. These groups also known as troops are becoming more common.
Skunk Ape sightings are reported throughout Florida. It is estimated between 7 to 9 Skunk Apes live in the Everglades area. These sightings suggest the highest concentration inhabit the Florida Everglades. Big Cypress National Preserve offers the best opportunity for researchers to locate Skunk Apes. Skunk Apes are very elusive. They also have exceptional hearing as well as the ability to climb trees and swim in order to evade detection or capture.
Our next stop was at the smallest post office in the United States – Ochoppe, FL
It is a 7x8 foot building.
I napped the rest of the way home.
That evening, some of our family was visiting from Michigan – so we had a huge dinner of crab and shrimp (ugh!). Aunt Karen and 2 of her kids – Eddie and Becky from dad’s side of the family.
My “cousin” Harry (from mom’s side) who is vacationing with my parents, was quite interested in dinner!
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