DATELINE: Skunk Ape Country, part 1

We had a very full Floridariffic day today. We started off driving down to Everglade City to take a air boat ride through the mangrove swamp with Captain Ed from Captain Doug's Everglades Tours. It was pretty sweet and I think if I ever move to Florida I'm going to make one. My brother's girlfriend said people will rig up their own with La-Z Boy chairs and couches. We saw an alligator that may or may not have been kept in the little confluence of mangrove swamp trails by way of an electronic monitor, two raccoons that definitely were fed everyday by the various "captains", making them docile and a lock to be in the same place every tour. Captain Ed did give us a little thrill by speeding along the more open swamp trails and even spinning around 180 degrees to stop a few times. Adale declined the free Indian sea-shell necklace given to all ladies on the tours.

After lunch at the Seafood Depot (highly recommended by Captain Doug's people) we drove to the highlight of the trip, the Skunk Ape Research Center in Ochopee, FL. Skunk Ape's are, as one put's it, "America's Southern Most Bigfoot". The Center is run out of a gift shop..well, I think it is only a gift shop with t-shirts, magnets, and other Skunk Ape paraphernalia. I'll write more tomorrow if I have time about teh wonders of the Skunk Ape...