Day 11: Naples to Corkscrew Swamp: It's only money

January 15, 2014

Starting off from the south part of Naples we began our quest for a working stove, working camera, and possibly, a healthier Steve.

The plan was to head first to Best Buy about in the middle of Naples to find a camera. Then we would proceed further north to Bass Pro to look for camping gaz, or a different stove. Soon after we set off, though, we came upon an Ace Hardware. "Ace", the Final Frontier I quipped. We went in just to see, and came out with a Coleman burner and cannister. Heavy, crude, bulky, but this would be a bird in the hand.

So a few pounds heavier and $40 lighter we moved off again. Moving off meant cycling on the sidewalk. These suburban streets are three lanes in each direction and wide as a football field. Still the designers did not put a bike lane or even a shoulder. We passed vast expanses of gated communities, country clubs, and retail. The other day I called the style "faux Roman", but now I would call it Tuscan. Anyway it's all columns, arches, tile, and buff stucco.

Dodie spotted a medical clinic. I had been coughing up lots of green goo, and while this had produced a lot of positive feedback from Dodie for such good coughing, it did not look good. Followers of the Big Bang Theory may remember Sheldon asking restaurant patrons whether he was coughing forest green or moss green. This is the area we were dealing with, but I insisted I was getting better. Dodie insisted I go in. I suspected it would be a waste of money, but I was willing to humour her.

It took $195 to get in the door. But the doctors were thorough. They said no question about needing treatment and good thing I came in. You could probably call it bronchial pneumonia. They prescribed antibiotics and codeine cough syrup ($60 at the Target next door), and asked where I would go to recover. "Back on the road, right now" was the obvious reply. Grampies don't quit, or stop.

$169 at Best Buy produced my third Nikon S6500. Why again, given that two already failed in the same way? It's because with such limited time and mobility I could not locate the same ideal combination of zoom, resolution, usb charging, and zoom control on top in another brand or model. But $169 per six months approximately is awfully steep!

Now over $500 for the day, we retook to the sidewalks to try to regain our original planned route, through Immokalee.

We didn't make it. But as dark came we approached what the map called the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Sanctuary seemed the kind of thing we needed, It turned out to be a bird watching visitor center run by national Audubon. Though there were large areas of parking lot and grass, and it was now dark, they at first would not let us pitch the tent. Liability, not licensed for camping, etc. The alternative, of course, was to throw two senior tourists out on the road in the dark. They tried to find a truck to boost us over to a motel somewhere, but no luck. So, to their credit an authorization was obtained from somewhere, and here we are on the grass in the parking lot. We will of course be gone before it becomes an issue for anyone.

This tour certainly has had more challenges than we would have expected. It will be good to be back on track tomorrow, and maybe I will be well. Before falling asleep Dodie reported she feels she is coming down with something. Maybe a nice night in our deserted parking lot will help that.

Coleman kit. We will still look for real fuel in Ocala

I could have bought some of these other medical goodies, but maybe not for the bargain price I paid!

A bit of authentic Florida, with free juice

More broad and empty suburb, but here a place to cycle

We got lost today in a regular huge Target. But what is this thing?

A sign for "liquor and guns" is common but strange to us. However bagels as urgent care seems right.

At a farmers market, this kind lady gave us a St Christophers medal

This high school and parking lot was bigger than a Home Depot. I tried panorama to capture it all, but couldnt.

Our planned route and the stove/camera detour

Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 500 km (311 miles)

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