Saturday Nov. 3, 2012 From Richville GA to Homestead FL

I put on my blue shorts as it was to get to 80 F today! Did that feel good! (See pictures below!)

It was a long drive taking more than 9 hours (450 miles) including stops, but  the ladies were quite tired and stiff from the ride. It was a day again of good sights and seeing new things.

As was the usual situation when coming into a new state we stopped at the Visitor’s center (in FL) to allow Cathy to take pictures of the seals, flags and any flowers that might be there. A few times they had bumper stickers and magnets.  That travel center was very busy on this Saturday morning,. Quite a contrast to the one further on in Florida where few people had stopped.

At the point where the St John’s River empties into the Ocean we were able to get a glimpse of the Ocean and that was another highlight for Cathy.  I missed the turn to take I-275 around Jacksonville, but Ruth quickly found an alternate route that put me back on the right track. She navigates well, and it would be easier if the pilot would always listen. (Something about that geography major in me that resists information. ). We did begin to see many birds along the waterways and canals and rivers. Much of northern Florida (east cast) has marshland, and water in the fields. There were dozens of Egrets, Ibises, Ospreys  and especially Cathy loved to see the cattle egrets on the backs of the cattle. That was something she had never seen before.

My choice of routes took us around Jacksonville, then west on I-4 toward Orlando (did see all the Disney World buildings and infrastructure) and when we were just west of there, headed south on US 27 which I remembered was a straight , no stopping route. (Ruth reminded me that was some years ago and maybe things had changed) She was right!  There were dozens of traffic lights on the first 40 miles  so that we did not make the time I though we would, That area has grown with towns, agencies, stores, malls, and you name it!  What an impact the Disney Center has made. Finally when we were some 60 -70 miles south we began to make progress all the way to Lake Okeechobee, although we could not see the Lake from the road as the dike surrounds it, There were bikers and a lot of birds on the embankment.

Then the trip began to get tiresome as the miles dragged by. But, fear not, we tried to identify the tall “grass like” crop that we saw. I had thought it was maize as it was tall and green like corn, and grew close together about 7-9 feet high. Then it hit me.It had to be SUGAR CANE!  Right on! :-)  We saw it was green, but it is harvested now,  and the harvest had begun already. There was a lot of activity on the fields as the huge, bin like trucks (screened sides) were being loaded in the fields and heading down US 27 toward the “magnourmous” facility that was processing them (See pics)

 Then it was th eorange groves! Oh my! Mile after mile of them.We had to stop and get pictures (see) They are still green but seem to be bearing nicely. After the poor apple crop in Michigan , this looks good. Pray there are no heavy frosts. Cathy really enjoyed seeing these.

 Later the “truck”crops began to appear and many workers were harvesting some of those veggies we will see in the stores soon. Radishes, green beans, spinach, tomatoes, peppers and others. And of course the hundreds of small stands connected to the farms trying to sell their goods on a Saturday evening. Cathy noticed that the appearamce  of many signs written in the Spanish language were plentiful.   Hispanic culture is very strong here of course. 

Later we saw sugar cane syrup advertised (whatever that was?), as well as “free orange juice” at a few stands.  Ruth had already said “Oh, Yeah?”  (like maybe it wasn’t “free?”) Closer to Homestead the land (still very flat) is filled with nurseries much like western Phoenix is with roses and flowers. Miles and miles of nurseries of all types of plants. One farm advertised a sale of acreage of $37,000 for one acre of very rich soil. Some of the acreage was, that very black, rich soil. We reached the outskirts of Homestead and again it was slow, stop and go traffic .(We had come off US 27 to take the “old road” right into Homestead  (State Rd 997).  This was a “straight shot”. We found the hotel (They were quick to correct my “motel” comment)  and secured the two rooms we had reserved although they were further apart than any previous locations.  

The oranges are green yet, but healthy.

Central Florida on the US 27 coridor has

lots of groves. These should ripen in another month or so.

These are some of the many miles of sugarcane that it took a while to 

figure out. Finally we saw the trucks in the fields and the smoke 

from burning the leaves left after the stalks are cut. 

It does look like maize!

This is one of the sugar cane trucks hauling the stalks of cane.

There was one about every 30 seconds going down the road , so it was 

certainly harvest time for some of the crop

One of the trucks hauling to the huge processing facility that 

was back off the road about a mile. US 27 here

is a four lane, divided "access" highway.

The accommodations were adequate but needed work on the inside ( faulty heater, no phone, door key stuck, just one very small waste basket,  and the network was VERY slow. (Perhaps I was spoiled the last few nights and maybe in the morning it will be faster). (IT WAS AS I POSTED THIS QUICKLY IN THE AM)  But we had a place that was warm and cozy. The eating out for dinner was a choice of pizza at Pizza Hut. Cathy had not been to one in many years.  The waitress indicated that there was an “Air Show” in town this week end and we should “get out of town” early in the AM. Actually this will be our first AM without a rush!

I dropped the ladies off and got gasoline and cleaned the windshield (Bugs are now problem when the temp gets to 70 F.) The day was clear  for the most part and the temp reached 81 F. The sun went down like “Thunder on the Bay” (Kipling) . Good living weather.

Tomorrow we head for the Everglades Nat. Pk. only a few miles to the entrance from here. Then late in the afternoon we will continue to Marathon for our three days with the Dolphins and enjoy the beaches of the Keys. (Eat your heart out!)

Oh yes! Today’s pictures are brief as my camera did not record them . Ruth’s were fine.I did get it back on line tonight!  You will just have to believe that we took pictures of a few birds and the Florida Welcome sign. 

DON'T FORGET TO TURN THE CLOCKS BACK , AT LEAST THOSE OF US IN THE USA.