Sunday was a very special day. First it was Easter and we remember the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior. The day started with a wonderful breakfast at Aunt Judi and Uncle Pete’s house.Late in the morning we brought Uncle Pete and Aunt Judi out to see our trailer and they were our first on-the-road visitors, but I forgot to take a picture so there is no permanent record. Sort of like a business accidentally selling its first dollar bill.
In the afternoon we took a pontoon boat trip down the Loxahatchee River that included a stop at Trapper Nelson’s settlement and an interpretive tour by a Florida park ranger. It was really fascinating to see and learn how this unusual man spent 32 years of his life living in this remote park of Florida without electricity.
Initially, Trapper Nelson survived on the sale of animal pelts, but later turned his property into a visitor stop and a zoo with pre-trapped (live) animals that people enjoyed seeing. He built a small cabin for visitors and charged $8 a night for folks to stop and stay.
Through shrewd business dealings he acquired hundreds of acres of Florida property much of which is now part of the Jonathan Dickinson State Park. We saw many turtles, Ospreys tending huge, high nests and one wild alligator next to our boat.
After the trip we went back to Aunt Judi and Uncle Pete’s home and had yet another fine dinner. During the evening had a chance to talk to my cousin Leah when she called home from Kauai where she lives. All in all, a very special day.
Tomorrow, we hook up the trailer and head back to the park in Vero Beach for the rest of our trip. We're also hoping to get together with my high school friend Drew, and his wife Julie, in Cape Canaveral.
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