|
| |
| |
|
EVERGLADES CITY |
| |
Purchased and named in the 1920s by an advertising executive
dreaming of a subtropical metropolis, EVERGLADES CITY , three miles
south off US-41 along Route 29, now has a population of just under five
hundred. Most who visit are solely intent on diminishing the stocks of
sports fish living around the mangrove islands - the aptly titled Ten
Thousand Islands - arranged like scattered jigsaw-puzzle pieces around
the coastline.
For a closer look at the mangroves, which safeguard the Everglades from
surge tides, take one of the park-sanctioned boat trips . Try either the
Everglades National Boat Tours (tel 941/695-2591), or Everglades Rentals
and Eco Adventures (tel 941/695-4666, ), at the Ivey House B&B . Trips
leave from the dock on Chokoloskee , a blob of land - actually a Native
American shell mound - marking the southern end of Route 29. The
dockside Gulf Coast visitor center (daily 8.30am-5pm; tel 941/695-3311)
provides details on the cruises and the excellent ranger-led canoe trips
. In Chokoloskee, you can rent an RV by the night for $50-70 at Outdoor
Resorts (tel 941/695-2881). In Everglades City try the charming and
clean Ivey House , 107 Camellia St (tel 941/695-3299, ; open Nov-April -
booking advisable; $35-50), or the eccentric The Banks of the Everglades
, 201 W Broadway (tel 941/695-3151, ; $35-130), housed in what once was
the first bank in Collier County.
|
|
