Living Down to my Expectations

Florida continues to live down to my expectations. For those in the know who have their A/C working there may be places those on fixed incomes can live reasonably comfortably but in the main it would seem to be a land where the rich and privileged live high off the hog and ordinary folk toil to support their lifestyle. As I drove south along A1A at 7:30 AM I saw long line-ups of service vehicles waiting for the OK from the gate-keepers at the various private communities to enter and begin their daily toil. The interior and exterior glass of my RV was slow to clear of fog and a light mist was falling as I drove. Farther south it was obvious thee had been a heavy downpour. For me seeing a forty-foot dump truck like vehicle hauling grapefruit was novel but I'm sure it's a common sight here. Before reaching I-95 I finally encountered some citrus groves.

Traffic on I-95 southbound was heavy but at least it continued moving. As we passed through cities there were north-bound traffic tie-ups. South of Palm Beach the highway passed through an unbroken series of metropolitan areas culminating in the 24-lane highway through Miami where it became obvious that some of the drivers came from Montreal or went to the same school of philosophy. Why would any rational person be in the seventh left-most lane when they are about to need to make an exit from a right lane? Fortunately I encountered only one major accident to tie up traffic. In south Miami I-95 ends and traffic moves into city streets with traffic lights at every block. A 45 mile-per-hour speed limit was an elusive dream; most of the time we were lucky to be moving. Ten miles is a long journey under those conditions.

The first RV resort I tried was a mobile home complex that had no transient sites available. Pine Isle appeared to be a French Canadian ghetto with a harridan complaining away in French and broken windows at the entrance gate. Eight miles later and nearer the Everglades I reached Goldcoaster in Homestead. Definitely an upscale gated Resort I got a plot of grass for $50 a night with water that didn't work and Wi-Fi Extra. I passed on the Club House and its Pork Supper and Pool and set to work at trying to stay cool—no small task when it's 92 outside. There's a Nascar Racetrack 5 miles away and the race Sunday has everything filled.

Mere miles from the entrance to the Everglades development this intense proves why the protection of National Park Status was needed to ensure the natural area didn't disappear completely. As it is the enormous thirst for water these metropolitan areas possess serves to siphon moisture away from a nature preserve that depends of slow flowing water for its survival. The cities I passed through today are the stuff of legends and only a few miles south of me is Key Largo of movie fame. Along these shores are miles and miles of towering beach resorts pictured in post cards. Somehow I lack any desire to actually see them. Tomorrow I hope to see alligators though from a safe distance and if I'm lucky get a few pictures. I believe I'll pass on an airboat ride though.