The ‘Suns’ Road Trip – 12 – Buffalo Tigers airboat, Chokoloskee and Sanibel Island

[anji]

Florida 2022 – The ‘Suns’ Road Trip – 12 – Buffalo Tigers airboat, Chokoloskee and Sanibel Island

We slept well without any headbanging on the step with the low ceiling and emerged to see our little pink Hideaway in the daylight. Lovely!

Breakfast was provided in the garden and was juices, coffee/tea and pastries – normal motel fare but very nice too. We took it down to the beach and sat on the Adirondack chairs to eat and drink. I do love those chairs. I did a bit of paddling and the sea was warm even though it was early and February!

We also got a better look at the animal statues! I was sorry to leave and wish we’d got there earlier yesterday – damn traffic jam ☹

Our first call of the day was at the Robert is Here Fruit Stand, near Homestead. This was originally an actual little fruit stand at the side of the road, like you see a lot of. It grew in popularity and is now a huge farm shop selling all sorts of fruits and vegetables of enormous size, mainly grown on their own farm. There is also a petting zoo and picnic area.

We had a good look around at the merchandise and the animals. There are many giant tortoises here! The emu was following one of the workers around and expecting food, I think. They are famed for their milkshakes and smoothies and there’s always a line for these. There’s also a huge range of jars of hot sauces, pickles, jams etc. I really don’t recommend a visit to their portaloos here though – gross!

We then took the 41 Tamiami Trail road across the Everglades – this is our favoured road as it’s far more interesting than the 75 Everglades Parkway and hardly any big trucks use it. There are lots of places to stop and our first was booked as the 12.00 airboat at Buffalo Tigers. I must thank Cornishfrogboy again for recommending this – once again great advice – thank you.

We were a bit early arriving so sat outside on the tables with some water and a cookie. The signs said not to feed the birds but I couldn’t resist while Will popped to the loo and was immediately surrounded by brown Grackles like Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’.

Our airboat comprised us and a nice Spanish/American family who were doing a bit of translating for one with little English. This airboat was started off by Buffalo Tiger himself, a Miccosukee Indian, and is still in his family. The trip whizzes you across the water to find alligators and then to the Miccosukee Indian island, where you get off and are told the history of the place.

There’s a fire on the island which is kept alight every day. The use of all the huts in the past for the inhabitants was explained. There used to be racoons but not since Buffalo Tiger has been gone – they would climb up and sit on his shoulder! I’d love that!

Our guide gave us so much information, both about the alligators and the history. He tried to interact with one of the alligators by slapping the water and wanting to touch it! They never feed the alligators. The alligator was obviously having a snooze and wasn’t interested in moving. He was apparently about 70 years old and this was his favourite spot.

The trip lasted about an hour and a quarter and returned past the original airboats used.

The one we were on was far more modern, complete with air defenders. Highly recommended. buffalotigerboats/

Back on the road and we intended to stop at USA’s smallest Post Office but it was closed on a Sunday sadly. You can buy postcards of it and send them off. We already have 2 on our fridge that we’ve sent ourselves and wanted a third! We did post the normal cards we’d written and they would have a special postmark on them when they arrived at their destinations. Here’s one of the cards from home.

Detouring off the 41 we drove down to Everglades City and then on to Chokoloskee. This is right down on an island off the Everglades and is home to the famous Smallwood Store. smallwoodstore/

This was founded in 1906 and it remained open until 1982. 90% has been left as it was and it is now a museum. The building is on stilts and survived many hurricanes up to Irma, when it received a lot of damage – now restored. It is still in the Smallwood family today.

We decided not to have anything at the Store foodtruck but backtracked to Everglades City to the Island Café for a late lunch. We’ve been here twice before and it’s quite an experience. Very ‘local’ and the waitresses always a bit scary! Good food though 😊

Time to head to Sanibel – my favourite place to stay. We crossed over the toll bridge (the only one of our whole stay) and watched all the cars leaving the island – having spent Sunday at the beach I guess. At the crossroads there was a policeman directing the traffic and waving like mad at the 4 lines of cars to direct them. We realised later that this was a ‘permanent’ thing and the poor guy really had his work cut out.

Last time on Sanibel we stayed at the Parrot’s Nest cottages but the complex has been sold and the prices have shot up. I loved our little cottage there and the redecorated one wouldn’t have been the same. So …. Sunshine Island Inn it was instead! Our third ‘Sun’ accommodation.

Wow, this was a find too 😊 On quiet E Gulf Drive and a little path practically opposite down to the beach, less than 5 minutes. Our room was called the Lighthouse. Front door with picket fenced terrace, back doors out onto the pool and I could seriously live in this place! Everything you could possibly need, clean and modern. There’s a little river at the back and a bbq area if you fancy cooking.

We got ourselves settled and then walked to the beach to see the sunset. Beautiful. Not many people around either. We stayed about half an hour and then went back to get ready to go out.

We drove back to the crossroads and encountered the wrong direction of traffic this time! It held us up for a while but didn’t take too long as we were staying on the island. We headed to the Island Cow, our favourite restaurant on Sanibel. It was very busy but we were given a buzzer and waited in the garden. About 15 minutes and it went off, so not that long.

Will chose a NY strip steak here, a big one! It had a lot of fat and gristle, which he cut off and ate the rest of the steak – still huge and very well cooked. Now he’s not one to complain about food in the slightest, but when the server checked at the end whether everything was ok (not while we were eating) he did say that there was a lot more fat etc than he would have expected. The server looked absolutely horrified at what was left on his plate and took it away. He came back a few minutes later and said that the steak was on them with apologies! $34 of free steak! Excellent service 😊 Great restaurant with a massive choice on the menu, also fab for breakfast. sanibelislandcow/

By the time we left the queue to leave the Island had diminished and the police had left!

I as excited for the morning as I was getting up at dawn to see the sunrise and go shelling on the beach – best thing ever! Early night.

Tomorrow – sunrise shelling, tortoise rescue, nature reserve, dolphins and beach

Index - https://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/sho...2#post15302382

[cornishfrogboy]

I am glad (and relieved) that you enjoyed Buffalo Tigers. On our trip, they most certainly fed the Alligators… Cheesits!

Great report and I love the photos!

[anji]

Originally Posted by cornishfrogboy

I am glad (and relieved) that you enjoyed Buffalo Tigers. On our trip, they most certainly fed the Alligators… Cheesits!

Great report and I love the photos!

See more...

Ah no, they said they didn't feed them as they didn't want them getting used to it and maybe snacking on a human!

[cornishfrogboy]

Originally Posted by anji

Ah no, they said they didn't feed them as they didn't want them getting used to it and maybe snacking on a human!

See more...

It sounds like our driver, ‘Ernie’ was a very naughty boy then!

There is something in his hand here!

[mick]

Sounds like a great day :spin and well done to the restaurant for the way they handled the steak problem

Joan

[capecoralfl]

Love Sanibel Is, and always try and have a meal at the Island Cow! Also love the Mucky Duck and the Bubble Room on Captiva.
Enjoy!

[cornishfrogboy]

Sanibel will now firmly be on my list.. should I return.