On Day 5 we started off at our staging ground parking lot campsite near Homestead, which is the Miccosukee Casino parking lot. If you missed the update on Day 3, this is where we stayed on the way down to the keys, mainly because this is a pretty isolated area west of Miami, but they have great 24 hour security and a lot specifically for RV’s and campers. Being well into the holiday season, the Christmas decorations were everywhere, even in the beautiful warmth of South Florida. This tree inside the Miccosukee Casino was very well done and quite stunning, I wonder who those presents are for.

I think I do prefer this type of Christmas decorations though. Palm trees adorned with white lights. Simple, but beautiful. And down in South Florida and the Keys, there are palm trees with Christmas lights everywhere you look!

If you look at a map, you can see the Miccosukee Casino is just on the western edge of Miami proper, but outside the chaos, in very nice open land. If you leave the parking lot and go east, within two blocks, you are suddenly in city traffic and humanity overload. However, if you head due north, you will see nothing but power lines, fields, sugar cane, and swampland.

Keeping The Lights On

The photo below does not do justice to just how massive the power infrastructure is out here. The lines go on for miles in every direction, as far as the eye can see, and they are some of the most sturdy, imposing structures I have ever seen. All the lines lead to Miami and the coast and though we did not see it, I am certain there is a power plant at the west end of those lines. Extraordinary. The images below extended for miles and miles, pretty much from the Miami area to Okeechobee proper.

As we approached Lake Okeechobee, the power lines were slowly replaced by miles and miles of farmland. What we thought was corn, turned out to be sugar cane. The Domino Sugar plant is out here and the amount of cane that grows here is astonishing. Oranges are no longer the cash crop for Florida, sugar and bottled water are.

Lake Okeechobee

We slowly made our way up the eastern side of Lake Okeechobee, through small towns that had to be completely supported by the sugar cane industry here. There are two main thoroughfares to go up and down the east side of Florida; the beach and interstate area, or the inland Okeechobee route. We chose the inland route as we always want to avoid the interstates as much as possible unless going to point A to B under a time restriction.

For a while, we thought we would never see the lake because of the tall berm that runs along the entire lake, and then, suddenly, there it was. Lake Okeechobee has a hiking/biking trail that runs the entire rim. We were not in hiking/biking mode on this trip, so we decided to check out the trail for future reference and enjoy the view while we had a lunch break. Some day, not in the summer, I would like to come back here and ride the path. It was completely paved and level, with trash cans every so often.

The lock to get in and out of the lake on this side was open, so boat traffic was passing through periodically while we were there. There is another lock on the west side of the lake and, from what I understand, it is also open at this time.

The lock had a surrounding park area that was very nice and looked like it was well used in the summer months. While we were there, we ran into a couple from Lake Martin, Alabama (just north of our hometown area in Auburn/Opelika) who were enjoying the lake views in their “schoolie.” We didn’t catch their names, but if you somehow know the bus below, and the folks who own it, please give them our regards! It was great to meet you!

As we walked the path closer to the lake side, we noticed a motorhome parked over the berm. This guy was way braver than us. Perhaps once our suspension is lifted we might attempt to get in places like this, but for now we stuck to the parking lot.

The reason he had his motorhome on that side of things was so that he could fly his paraglider. That thing was so cool. We watched him for a bit before heading over to the other side of the lock to park for lunch.

Free Camping

Our day ended at the Istokpoga Canal Campground where we had as much room as we could ever want to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. This park is part of the South Florida Water Management District, Kissimmee Area. There are 22 public use properties under the control of this governing body and most, if not all, contain campsites for public use. The only thing required is that you register for a site in advance. The sites are free and when you register, they give you a gate code to get in for your date. The codes are changed frequently, so that is a nice security bonus.

Per their website: Campers are permitted up to 8 consecutive days per permit. You must depart on the 8th day for at least one day, taking all your belongings with you, before you can return for an additional visit at a specific campsite. There is a limit of 30 days per year, district-wide.

There is lots more information on their website and we highly recommend checking these properties out if you have the opportunity!

Deborah caught up on some work and Scott went to drop in a line. The fish were not interested, though, so that was a short trip. Tomorrow, we head to Valdosta, Georgia for what will be our last night on this whirlwind maiden voyage of Loki’s.

Loki has performed well beyond our expectations and now we have a list of upgrades that we want to make and adjustments to be made to the current set-up. What shanty adventures have you been on lately? We would love to hear from you! If you missed the other days of this adventure they are below.

A Week Around Florida

• A Week Around Florida Auburn to Tampa Day 1
• A Week Around Florida Tampa to Tamiami Day 2
• A Week Around Florida Tamiami to Bahia Honda Day 3
• A Week Around Florida Key West to Homestead Day 4
• A Week Around Florida: Homestead to Okeechobee Day 5
• A Week Around Florida: Istokpoga to St. Augustine Day 6
• A Week Around Florida: St. Augustine to Valdosta Day 7
• A Week Around Florida: Valdosta to Eufaula Day 8