1/13 Collier-Seminole State Park

I've been here a few days, going out occasionally to sightsee.  The problem with this park is that the spots are VERY small, and getting in and out is a struggle.  Last night I watched a couple park a small trailer in between two trees with only 1' of space on either side.  It took the man quite a few tries, and he was really pulling close to the front of my vehicle so I got out to watch the far side while his wife watched the driver's side and rear for him.  I think I would have given up if I had been him.

A lot of state parks around the country that were built for tents and very small trailers are removing sites and rebuilding their parks.  In fact, I just got a survey from Michigan's Wilderness State Park near Mackinaw City about their doing the very same thing and asking what improvements they should make.

Here is my site, which compared to the one across the road, is big for this park.  Still has trees on both sides and a large overhanging branch.

This park was named after the guy who built U.S. 41 across the Big Cypress Swamp in the Everglades--Collier Boulevard.  Apparently, he told the state he would build the road if they would name a new county after him, which they did.

Here is the "walking" dredge he designed and used to build the road.  It was powered by steam.

I was hoping to go for a bike ride on Marco Island today, but discovered that my bike wheel got bent last week when I backed into a telephone pole.  I knew the bike rack had been slightly bent, but did not realize the bike got damaged as well.  My bike sits very solidly into the rack, so it makes sense that it had to bent when the rack bent.  The good thing about this rack is that the bike does not move or even vibrate while I am driving.  I took both in to a bike shop and will have a new wheel tomorrow.

Guess I should add that it has been hot the last couple of weeks here in Florida, so I am looking forward to slightly cooler temperatures the rest of this week and next.  At least it has cooled off at night the last couple of days, so I have not had to run the AC all night.  I like the cooler sleeping weather of the desert, I am afraid, where even when it was 90 during the day, it would drop to 50 at night.