Julie and I have been in Naples since the beginning of December. We are at Crystal Lake RV Resort, which is kind of different than any other place we've camped at. It's hard to describe, other than it is not your typical campground. The majority of places we've landed at have gravel sites, some with trees and others with nothing. Some places are described as tight, where the rig next to ours are within arms length. Most have offered some space, but still, you're conscious that the only privacy is when shades are pulled down and you're in for the night.
In each place, we had camp fires, where staring into the flames mesmerizes, or sparks lively conversation and every one of them involved adult beverages. Camp fires in RV parks often serve as "the door's open, come on in", where you meet and get to talk to to other campers. We did this last year in Virginia and met Amy and Jay, who Julie writes back and forth with. We've met other people as well, but have yet to form a bond so well constructed that deep friendships have resulted. It's not that we set out in search for that. Either it happens or it doesn't. What we do come away with is camping memories.
So what makes Crystal Lake so different? I'd begin by describing it as a community of homes. There are permanent park model homes (similar to prefab), that are under 1,400 feet. Almost everyone in these sites has a golf cart. Once inside that guarded gates. Yes, a guard is in duty 24X7X365 and there are iron gates, there is a speed limit of 15 miles per hour. Although I haven't looked, I wonder if the carts have speedometers. I'm guessing no, they don't, as these things are zippy and decked out with rear view mirrors, head/tail lights, water protection, heaters and some have tow hitches. Julie and I have Nike and Skechers carts that travel at around 4 miles an hour.
There's a thing called the Crystal Lake Wave. At first, everywhere we went inside the park, people waved to us. We thought, wow, these people are friendly. And then, it became a little concerning, because people kept doing it and we wondered if we wandered into some sort of time warp. Look, we know America is a mess, where everyone seems to believe they know the solutions to our endless stream of problems. The media, real or fake (depending upon your point of view), is coming at everyone like a freight train ready to derail and poison the town water supplies. And so, Julie and I fall into line and watch people wave with a certain amount of skepticism; what is it they want from us?
If you know me, I'm the bigger jackass in the relationship with Julie. I was feeling a bit stupid when I found out the the Crystal Lake Wave began when the park first opened. The idea was to be neighborly and pleasant. If this was to be their community, then why not set out to create an environment, a simple gesture could set the tone? That doesn't mean everyone here does the Wave. Some visitors may not have caught on, or when it's dark and someone is walking their dog, they cannot see you. But it is an odd thing with all appearances of being out of step with how it is in America. We joke about it, but there is a glimmer of decency that we think is worth hanging on to.
Big Cypress Swamp Preserve
We took a day and drove to the welcome center for Big Cypress Swamp Preserve. It's a national park and there you can learn a lot about wildlife and more specifically alligators. There are airboat tours that trace coastlines and swamps where you can get a close up view of the alligators and birds, etc. The route cuts across the southern part of Florida, Naples to Miami on a two lane highway. There are plenty of turn offs that take you into very rural areas and it is very rural - the kind of rural where you don't want your car to break down at night. We stopped to turn around and head back to Naples at a stop with what looked like a small shack.
What we found was the smallest Post Office in the United States. It was strange because we didn't know this is a place people visit. I guess it's like a big ball of yarn that fascinates people. I'm pretty sure this would not made our list of things to do and see. Well, we saw it.
After that we headed to the Blue Crab and had lunch on the back porch. It is one of those roadside cafes that features deep fried things, burgers and fries. The food was okay, but the real charm of the place is the people who popped in and out while we were there. Whether it was motorcyclists (Stilettos on Steel), the folks from Germany or a few locals. It was a noisy place and anyone who walked in with an austere demeanor walked out with a grin.
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