There’s no better place to camp than 30 miles deep in the Everglades with the panthers, alligators, snakes and spiders, where nature shows me something that most people never see in a life time.  Wild animals want little to do with me or anyother human and go the other way, at least most of the time, except for spiders and snakes.  If they get into my tent it’s the end for them.
    Grand as camping is, a change of pace is good once in a while and this is it!  Sitting here soaking up the sunshine and getting a lifetime’s allotment of Country Western Music.  I’ll be ready for more next year though, because I’ll be back. Yesterday there was a little Southern Rock mixed in capped off by Katie Armiger, a Country Music Star. I’m looking forward to more today. Good place to sit, sip an ACB, and people watch.  Miami is about a 100 miles east, Naples, kind of a big town, is 30-35 miles to the west, and Orlando and Mickey Mouse is a long way to the north, so there’s not too much city or tourist influence; the locals predominate. They rule, although there’s lots of snowbirds both temporarily escaping the wrath of winter or permanently as retirees, who don’t want to deal with winter ever again.
    I’ve been camped for the last ten days, so being here at the Everglades Seafood Festival in Everglades City, Florida, which happens the first weekend of February, has enhanced appreciation for me. It’s especially good to replace my camping food of whole grains, beans, rice, noodles and fruits and vegetables with hoards of seafood and other tasty stuff. I even had sausage gravy, bacon, and sausage patties on Sunday morning as I stuffed myself at a breakfast buffet at the Seafood Depot Restaurant.  This Festival is on my Don’t Miss List and I’ve been here each year since 1998 and have a souvenir mug from each one.  There are many vendors selling handicrafts, souvenirs and food like at our Spring and Sun Fest, except the food is almost all seafood.  There are lots of hand-made items made from wood (signs, furniture and gadgets), custom-made T-shirts, straw hats, and lots of jewelry and other stuff.  I’ve purchased several carved wooden fish and ceramic crabs and sea critters over the years. The vendors are friendly and the prices are good.
    The first day I started with a grilled piece of dolphin fish (mahi mahi) on rice with a Greek Salad, delicious.  I topped that off with a big piece of strawberry short cake that was soaked with the berrie’s juice in 16 oz. cup.  Wow, fresh strawberries in February!  There’s also lots of shrimp right out of local water, frog legs, crawfish, and a continual lineup of bands in concert.  All the music is free!  Bring a lawn chair because you’ll want to listen and watch the show longer than your legs will want to stand.  Many of the stands fill their grills with a mixture of many types of seafood, so a hard look is needed to detect the red and white fake lobster meat. You don’t want that because there’s much better stuff to eat than that. Most of the smaller stands where the owner is doing the cooking have the good stuff, seafood right out of the water you can see. I avoid the “mega” stands with the red mystery meat.  There’s no lobster being served here it’s surimi, which is processed Alaska Pollock fish, so don’t let them fool you.
    As I jotted down the notes for this article I realized the band had switched to Southern Rock and it was of Lynyrd Skynyrd ilk - great.  I’m glad I ate that big buffet; the music is rocking, and the people are streaming by, so I’ll be here for a long while ... better than a movie.  Good Grief, I just caught myself singing along with the music.  Glad nobody knows me here.   
     This festival goes on for three days, Friday (Children’s Day) thru Sunday evening, right on the “village square.”  It’s my kind of place.  Within a short walk of the Festival is the Gulf of Mexico, Everglades National Park Gulf Coast Visitor Center, and quiet restaurants along the Barron River.  You can take one of three Park Service Boat Tours, walk along the shoreline enjoying the view, fresh air and sunshine, or collect information for day trips at the Visitor Center, or just lounge in the warmth and then enjoy a lovely sunset over the Gulf.  I like variety and it keeps my winter migration through the warmth of Florida, southern Texas, New Mexico and Arizona enjoyable
    At mid-day there’s way too much Festival traffic to try to drive anywhere, but in the early morning the sunrise is gorgeous, and just a short drive away at the bridge to Chokoloskee Island where the Turner River that winds through the lower Big Cypress Swamp meets the Gulf of Mexico. With a bicycle you can ride right by the backed-up traffic trying to get back to US 41, the Tamiami Trail, and see the Gulf, fishing wharfs and shanties, and the whole place at your leisure.  If you plan to visit, you can beat the traffic by coming early and staying late. That’s arriving before 9am and staying ‘til after 6 in the evening. Motel reservations need to be made far in advance since there are few motels in town, but plenty are in Naples. If you have an RV, the town is accommodating during the festival.
    For other info: Google Everglades City, Florida; for the festival go to www.evergladesseafoodfestival.com; and for the National Parks go to Everglades N.P. (http://www.nps.gov/ever/) and Big Cypress National Preserve (http://www.nps.gov/bicy/).  After two days of music and feasting, I’m ready to return to the wilds.