Thursday, February 7, 2013

LaBelle Fl








I’ve tried to refrain from using “See Previous Florida Blog” but  Whisper Creek RV Resort in LaBelle is definitely a SPFB!   H got us a 4 day free stay when we went to the RV show in Tampa.  And, as before we were sent to “The Glenn” the large grassy area where most of the transient units parked.  This year the entrance to the Glenn was planted with extremely prolific bright orange flowering bushes.  Which brings me to the point where I need to introduce you to “Flat Stanley”.   Grndau R is in the 3rd grade and her project this winter is a “Flat Stanley’s Florida Adventure”.   Each time I post a blog I also send her a report (including pictures) about Stanley’s adventure.  Hence – Stanley and the orange flowers.  This year the park was missing a good percentage of their previous residents and they were no longer pushing lots to sell.   As last time, the folks were still very friendly and always spoke as they passed by.  Lots of license plates from Michigan and Ohio with a strong representation from Indiana too!    Church was held in the clubhouse!  The pianist played all the great hymns that we “older folks” enjoy so much and the preacher spoke from the Bible!  After the service I spoke with him and his wife who just happened to be from Indianapolis!  After we played a bit of “Where have you been in Indiana” I found out that they both attended Lincoln Bible College  - at the same time that Brthr N Law Paul did!   And they remembered my favorite preacher/missionary/the man who married H&I – Charles Phipps!  My day was complete!  But then – Sunday evening was an ice cream social!  Then my day was REALY complete!

Out and about to explore, and to find a future “home” was our mission one day.  Our first stop was WP Franklin Lock & Dam campground. The day was sunny and warm – a great day to be out seeing new things and soaking up some sun.  The water was calm above the lock/dam area and higher than it had been when we stayed there last time.  The campground was full as usual.  We had tried to get a spot but as before – no luck.   On down the road, closer to Lake Okeechobee, was Ortona Lock & Dam.   That campground was also full!   We did luck out to arrive just as a good-sized vessel was locking thru, heading east.  Our last stop for the day was Moore Haven Lock & Dam – the 3rd lock on the Calloosahatchee River that flows west from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico at Ft Myers.   According to the brochures, there were several PA campgrounds there, however, the few “campgrounds” we did see were not worth going to.  Nuff said?

When we left Ft Myers, we left the Gulf of Mexico beaches, the bustling city traffic, fancy homes and palm lined streets.  On the way to LaBelle we drove thru Orange Groves.  Each day at Whisper Creek, there were semis piled high with oranges zooming up the road on the other side of the high fence!  Then between LaBelle and Moore Haven over by Lake Okeechobee the orange groves changed to vast cattle fields.   Closer to the lake the fields changed to tall waving fields of sugar cane and the seemingly ever present clouds of distant smoke from cane fields being burned.  Some fields were empty and black.  Some fields looked as if they had just been planted with onions that already needed thinning out.  Some fields were tall and thick and waved in the breeze like Pampas grass or too thick cattails!  H and I are having a “discussion” as to whether the fields are burned before or after the cane is cut!  Oh well. 

We’ve now seen the 3 locks that are west of Lake Okeechobee.  We’re moving to the one that is on the east side of the lake next!  We’re going to the ocean!