Norton travels, USA and beyond

We had a couple laid back days in Punta Gorda. We went trailblazing through the thick vegetation (ok, there was sort of a trail already) in Ponce de Leon Park along the coast. We were looking for the fountain of youth, but judging by the median age in Florida, it is very elusive. So we went back to swim at the RV park and then to a seafood dinner at the Fisherman’s Village and live big band music afterward.

On Monday we drove across the southern part of Florida on the interstate section dubbed “alligator alley”. The route is through the Everglades, so there are no buildings for about 80 miles. But there is fencing so no alligators get on the highway, and we saw none. Still it’s a pretty drive, ending at Fort Lauderdale. After setting up, we drove down to the beach. Beaches here are different than California beaches in several respects. Of course it seems strange to me to have an east-facing beach, but also the water is warm and beautiful shades of blue/green.

The next day we made up for our lack of alligator sightings by going on an airboat ride in the Everglades. The scenery was amazing, and we did see some alligators up close. After, there was a show put on by one of the guys from Animal Planet (or was it Discovery channel?) with rescued alligators. So now we know how to wrestle a gator if the need ever arises. But they mostly don’t bother people; errant golf balls are a much greater hazard in Florida.

Wednesday we went to Miami. We decided to see the area by taking the “hop on, hop off” bus that does a city loop and a beach loop. Miami is a very diverse city, a lot like Los Angeles but with more trees, and the Hispanics are mostly Cuban. Miami Beach is a gorgeous beach (sorry, SoCal) with the coconut palms, white sand and clear blue water and skies. The hotels are mostly art deco styles that are very retro cool. This whole area’s beaches (Lauderdale and Miami) are separated from the mainland by the intracoastal waterway that is filled with yachts and docks and lined with mansions on “millionaires row”. That name is also a throwback to a former era; a million wouldn’t get you a place there now.

We finished out the week with a trip to the Lauderdale Antique Auto Museum that is a private collection of Packards. It had about 40 Packards, many very rare and all beautiful. Tomorrow we’re driving down to the Keys because Jeff says it’s a must see. So that will be as far south as we will go before heading farther north.