Rain, rain and nothing but rain is what we are treated to as we continue our camper trip through Florida towards the Everglades. Tomorrow we’re planning on taking an airboat tour through the Everglades in search for crocodiles! For now we are staying the night on a camping in Homestead which we do not recommend at all.
Sleeping in Homestead
Hmmmm this is the first camping that makes me regret staying. It’s more than 30 degrees and the pool is closed so we decide to go to the playground only to find out it’s littered with cat droppings, Yuk! So we decide to have a barbeque and call it an early night so we can head on to the Everglades well rested early the next morning. Unfortunately we are hardly able to sleep because of the bad weather; thunder and lightning accompanied by buckets of rain. It’s even raining the next day but at least the thunder has stopped so off we go, towards the crocodiles.
Spotting crocodiles in the Everglades
The weather is worse than we thought. We can barely see through the windshield and we’ve accidentally entered a wrong address in the navigation. So instead of the expected 50 minutes we’re on a 2 hour drive to Everglades Safari & Airboat and it’s still raining cats and dogs when we arrive. Being die-hards we buy a couple of ponchos and get on the airboat. The airboat has a giant propeller on the back which makes the boat whiz across the water. Crocodiles tend to shun the rain but we’re in luck and spot one when we’re just 2 minutes out. Lotte and Floris have instantly forgotten about the rain. The rain may be crap but the airboat ride is a lot of fun! The Everglades are beautiful and it’s really cool to see crocodiles in their natural habitat. After the airboat ride we go for a walk through the Safari Park before we finally return to our camper with our drenched ponchos but hey, dry clothes.
Floods and a tornado alarm
We had planned on continuing our camper trip through Florida towards Fort Myers on the West Coast but because of our little detour earlier we decide it’s better to find a camping in the Everglades. We arrive at Big Cypress RV Resort, a beautiful camping in the middle of nowhere. On our way to the camping we pass a little river and I spot something moving from the corner of my eye… OMG there are crocodiles in the water!
When we arrive at the camping I get out to check us in and see a sign that says “watch out for bears and panthers!” Are you serious, there are bears and panthers in Florida?! It turns out they weren’t kidding. The area inhabits bears and panthers (along with crocodiles and snakes) and they have been spotted on the camping site.
The rain just doesn’t give up and it’s keeping me up at night. Our neighbour had to move his camper because the water had risen so high. In the morning the camping has transformed into a big lake. We want to head to Fort Myers. The receptionist tells us there are flood and tornado alarms in the area and advises us to listen to the local radio so we will get warned in time.
We made it!
The ride is not so bad and we arrive at Fort Myers in one piece. Seeing as it isn’t the best weather and the forecast shows us just one good day we decide to drive straight on through to Sanibel Island. Sanibel lies on the shore of Fort Myers in the Gulf of Mexico and the island is well known for its wonderful “shelling” which means looking for shells.
Before we arrive we need to cross 3 fairly large bridges. At bridge 2 we need to get off the road as the side winds are getting to strong during the lightning storm and we feel the camper slightly tilting. And taking a swim in the Gulf of Mexico with the camper is not something I’m looking forward to. We take a 30 minute break and continue our journey. When we arrive at the camping it’s still pouring down. The kids have gone bonkers from being cooped up so long so they are allowed outside as soon as the thunder stops. They have fun in the rain and run through the puddles on their flip-flops. Luckily it’s not cold at all. Despite the rain it’s still 30 degrees.
And so we arrive at Sanibel Island on our camper trip through Florida. Tomorrow we will explore this little island, hopefully in the sun. But I can tell you know, if you’re planning a camper trip through Florida; be sure to put Sanibel Island on your “must see” list!
