Day
9: March 13, 2018
We
again enjoyed bacon, eggs and toast; a fitting meal for those of us who are
squatting in the midst of the wealth of Naples Fl. My cousin read an article stating that 4 of
the wealthiest (as in billions of dollars) Americans live in Naples.
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| Naples |
After
breakfast, we took a short tour around our lagoon and I am amazed at the number
of huge estate homes packed side by side. A number of them have large yachts or
huge fishing boats with four 450 hp engines hanging on the transom.
The
wind was blowing from the north and the temperature was around 49 degrees, so
we didn’t tarry traveling north towards the heart of the city. Heading south on the inside passage turned
out to be pleasant with the boat traveling along with the breeze. The passage is relatively narrow passing
through miles of mangrove. We unfurled
the jib and quietly sailed along at about 4 knots. It was
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| A Fishing Boat? |
really pleasant. Much of the area is a
major wildlife sanctuary called Rookery Bay.
As
we approached Marco Island, the activity increased, and the speedy boat drivers
seemed to delight in shaking the begeebers out of us. We have spent time on Marco in the past and
the only thing that we needed from there was a tank of fuel and some ice.
South
of the metropolitan area of Marco Island, the ICW travels through more
beautiful mangrove islands and then opens out into the Gulf. Once out in open
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| Abandoned boat south of Marco Island |
water, we raised the sails
and had a spirited ride for about 20 miles from the southern tip of Marco
Island to the Indian Key Pass. Our
destination is the interesting village of Everglades City.
I
read once that as the fishing industry dwindled, the local population of
Everglades City turned to the drug trade as their main source of income. Tucked 5 miles back into the dense
everglades, it was a perfect spot for this clandestine industry. However, at some point the government
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| Scolding osprey |
swooped
down on the town and arrested virtually all of the adult population. (More research is needed to confirm this
claim.)
We
traveled that 5-mile Indian Key-Everglades City channel into the heart of this remnant
of Americana that is rapidly vanishing.
We arrived at the historic Rod and Gun Club at around 6:00 and paid for
a
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| The Rod and Gun Club |
night’s stay along their retaining wall.
This facility harkens back to what life must have been like back in the
‘20’s. I must revert to photos to
describe the ambiance of the club. We
decided to have dinner and were pleased to have chosen their special, grouper
roxie, for our entrée. We asked about
the wine selection and were offered three varieties; a white zinfandel, a
chardonnay, and a Merlot. (We found this
to be an improvement over the last visit; when we asked the waitress of the
selection and
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| The Lobby |
her response was, “We have a red one and a white one!”) Also, the last time we were here, we ordered
breakfast and when they brought my sausage gravy, it was absolutely cold. I took it to the kitchen door and asked if
they would stick it in the microwave.
They did. The couple who came in
after us asked for the same breakfast entrée and had the same result.
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| The Bar |
We
opted to dine in the bar and were surprised to see that their liquor offerings
consisted of 6 bottles of various spirits lined on the large really ornate bar.
I am amazed that they can keep their doors open. It is such a neat place with so much
potential.
The weather forecast called
for another cold night, so we tied into their shore power so that we could use
our little electric heater.
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