Day 19: Miccosukee Casino to Midway Campground, Big Cypress Preserve

February 21, 2015

Well, we did not strike it rich. Actually, though we did look at and try to figure out one "slot" machine, it was beyond us. We honestly could not figure what the idea was, let alone what the underlying odds might be. And once again we looked with amazement at the hoards of people, sitting at one of what was quoted as 1700 machines, mechanically hitting a button over and over, as if hypnotized.

We think this indian casino thing is terribly ironic. Here we have the indians plying the white folks with liquor and tobacco, and taking advantage of their greed and glutony to lure them to machines with a lot of flashing lights, where they are fleeced of their cash. Cool.

There is one area where the Miccosukee are providing actual good (even great) value for money. That is in the food services. Last night they brought us the wine and cheese that was part of our package. This was not just a few cubes of cheddar, but included really great quality soft cheeses. And in the morning, the breakfast buffet was the closest thing to a German hotel one we have seen. It featured piles of fresh fruit, bacon, eggs, French toast, pastries, semi-decent bagels, a chef making omelettes, and more. We were very happy about it, though we now are suffering from too much good food and left feeling rather ill.

Today the wind was cooperating, and though gentle was directly behind us. It meant we cruised the 30 km over to Shark Valley, not effortlessly of course, but quite quickly and reasonably. Along the way we passed the half dozen or more air boat ride offerings, together with restaurants with local delicacies, like gator nuggets. One of the operations was the Buffalo Tiger one, named for one of the last heriditary Miccosukee chiefs. Buffalo Tiger died recently, but the air boats continue. Last year we did go on the ride and found it to be excellent.

Mainly from an account of the Shark Valley that I read on Crazyguy a long time ago, I had formed the impression that it was a rather primitive foray into the very remote Everglades. But when we got to the turn off where the ride begins, we found overflow parking all along the highway. The actual parking lot was long ago stuffed full. The thing is, this was not just some little known road off into the wilderness, but a part of the National Park. So it had a Visitor Centre, rangers, ranger talks, ranger led rides - at dawn, at dusk, etc. etc. We had known about the tram tours., though we wetr noy quite prepared for the half dozen or more large bus type vehicles that were stacked up.

The path itself was paved and smooth, and filled with walkers and cyclists either on rented bikes or in fancy spandex, with their own racing bikes. In short, it was a zoo.

Two things, though, slavaged the experience and made it very worthwhile. First, the crowds thinned out an pretty much disappeared within 2 km of the 25 km route. Second, the path followed its own water filled borrow canal for the first half, and this was jammem with birds of many kinds, and lots of gators. Just as the Anhinga Trail we had walked further south took people on foot along a wildlife filled canal, this one took them by bike with the same idea. The photos that follow (or will follow) show all the neat stuff that was there.

By the time we had exited the Shark Valley, we had cycled about 50 km, but we were not done. Our target was Midway campground, which was over 30 km distant. So we set out once more along the Tamiami, which has its own canal all along. The further we got, the more and more birds and gators were in the canal. We kind of gave up pointing out the gators, there were so many. Although we still noted particularly big or small ones. And as we cycled along, we flushed birds - continuously. There were anhingas, egrets, great blue herons, little blue herons, purple gallinules, white herons, and even turtles.

When we got to Midway, not long before dark, we encountered an officious jerk of a campsite host. There were lots of vacant sites, but these were too near a pond, so too much gator danger. Fair enough. Then there was the tent area, with expansive sites each could hold many tents. But apparently all these were taken, except for two, where people who had reserved might or might not show up. And then, there were scads of other lands, all over the place. The "host" said tough luck, we would have to leave, and he clearly did not care where to. We suggested that one of the people in one of the huge sites might find 4x6 spare feet to share with us. Sure, fill your boots, good luck - at least he would not block this idea.

The first people we approached naturally said "sure". These were people (Frank and Jackie) with a large pickup truck and two giant tents - not quite our hiker/biker kin. But they turned out to be terrifically interesting. They were here to launch an enterprise of python hunting, under agreement with the Parks Service. Armed with GPS and maps and a rifle, they were preparing to sally off into the back country. Yikes, impressive.

They also offered us food, a place to charge the tablet, and the Coleman camp lantern by which I am typing this. Tomorrow, they are saying, we should go fishing with them!

Today's ride: 82 km (51 miles)
Total: 905 km (562 miles)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	0
Comment on this entry	Comment	0