DECEMBER 16-22; NAPLES TO EVERGLADE CITY

December 16-18:  We arrived in Naples for a three night stay.  The channel into Naples is long and lined with "cottages".  Some examples that we saw along the way.

Some small boats too!

We stayed at the Naples Sailing & Yacht Club which was upscale and delightful.

A former client of Peter's lives in Naples and gave us a personalized tour of several neighborhoods.  Residents of Pelican Bay have access to their own beach. 

We had lunch in the community club house overlooking the private beach.

Access to the beach is via golf cart.  All other vehicles are restricted as the area is part of a nature preserve.  

We walked back to the car and saw some of the local inhabitants of the preserve along the way.

Baby alligators sleeping in the sun peacefully cohabiting with turtles...at least until they grow up!

Large turtle and egret keeping an eye out for the fellow below..

We did not stray off the path as this guy looked hungry and was giving us the eye.

The downtown area in old Naples is very trendy with many upscale boutiques and an abundance of restaurants-translation-also expensive!

Fountains everywhere.

December 19-21:  Off to Everglades City:  The wind picked up once we were out in the Gulf.  We have left the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway now and do not have the protection of the barrier islands.  

Lots of high rise condominiums on Marco Island-note the white caps on the surface.

We had a bit of a rough ride until we turned into the channel for Everglades City.  It was low tide and we followed this sail boat in.  Things went smoothly until we both became grounded in the mud in low water.  Fortunately, we were eventually able to back down and continue into Everglades City without any damage.

We are staying at the Rod and Gun club which was established in 1864.  Four US Presidents have stayed here.  This place is a slice of old Florida.  No high rises here.

The interior is lined with wood.

And hunting trophies.

The small town is very laid back and has the feeling of not being touched by time.

 City Hall

The one and only grocery store.

Lots of fishing opportunities.

After meeting up with our friends, Joan and Reggie, we took a ride in an air boat through the Everglades.  What a ride!  The air boat can travel at high speeds in very shallow water.

The Everglades National Park is unique and is designated as a World Heritage Site.  Technically, the Everglades are considered a river.  A vast river that is about 50 miles wide and flows south from Lake Okeechobee for more than a 100 miles.  The average depth of the marshland is 6 inches.
An abundance of wildlife and vegetation is found in the Everglades.  The dominant plant is sawgrass which derives its name from etched edges of each blade.

Red mangroves with their arching prop roots abound.

Our guide seemed to know where are the local alligators hang out.  He took us to several spots where we  could observe them really close up.

Most of the alligators are used to the boats and swim right up to provide a good show.

We also climbed up to the top of the observation tower to get a great view of the Everglades.

View looking out to the Gulf of Mexico.