Lake Hamilton is part of the Chain of Lakes. The lake has a
surface area of over 2,000 acres and an average depth of about 7 feet. The Chain of Lakes is a famous series of lakes
in Central Florida. There are two chains of lakes, the northern chain and the
southern chain. The northern chain extends across three cities; Winter Haven,
Lake Alfred, and Lake Hamilton. It has ten lakes, connected by a series of
canals. The ten lakes on the northern chain are: Lake Haines, Lake Rochelle,
Lake Echo, Lake Conine, Lake Fannie, Lake Smart, Lake Henry, Lake Hamilton,
Middle Lake Hamilton, and Little Lake Hamilton.
We passed through Dundee and it reminded us of the Dundee we
have in New York State. We traveled through Dundee on US 27, but we learned
there is SR 17, which is a scenic highway. It goes through the center of town
and provides an alternate route parallel to US 27 across eastern Polk County.
We will have to take SR 17 on our next trip this way!
In Lake Wales, we passed by Vanguard International School.
It is a learning disability, co-ed, private, boarding middle and high school students.
Vanguard was established in 1966. It serves both international and domestic
students. The school has 4 dormitories; two for the boys and two for the girls.
Three buildings are for academia. Bok Tower Gardens (also known as the Singing
Tower) is a National Historic Landmark, contemplative garden, and bird
sanctuary located in Lake Wales. It has a 250-acre garden, the 205-foot tall
Singing Tower with its carillon bells, Pine Ridge Trail, Pinewood Estate, and a
visitor center. The tower is built upon Iron Mountain, one of the highest
points of Florida, estimated to be 295 feet above sea level. It is a National
Historic Landmark that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
On the south edge of Lake Wales, we found Florida's Natural Plant and their
unique water tower. The "Grove House" is a building backing up to a
beautiful lake across the road from the Florida's Natural plant. Inside you can
find well done videos and movie, artifacts, displays and other material showing
the history and development of the citrus industry. Free samples of
juices and a
nice gift shop. It is a great free stop, for a relaxing, educational and fun
option. Kids (and kids at heart) will love the free orange juice samples and
visitors of all ages can enjoy exhibits depicting the history of the state’s
official fruit. Ever wonder how orange juice is made? Take a video tour and
watch the orange’s journey from the groves to your kitchen table. There is also an awesome water tower at the plant. I love to see unique water towers in our two lane adventures.
We found Outback RV Resort, which is located within
Tanglewood, a 350-acre community located just outside Sebring. Life at Outback
RV Resort is designed for age’s 40-and-better, filled with activities and
entertainment. Start your morning relaxing on your large RV site, then head to
the tennis or shuffleboard courts for some friendly competition with neighbors.
Practice your putt on our chipping green or play a round of golf at one of the
two adjacent courses, or one of the 16 others nearby! The clubhouse sits on a
15-acre recreation complex that is the center of activities at Tanglewood.
Among its major features is the auditorium with a concert stage, used for large
shows and other entertainment. Guests also enjoy the convenience of our
library, meeting rooms and laundry facilities located in the clubhouse. The activity
center features a state-of-the-art fitness area, billiards room and ping pong
room. Kick start your day with a morning workout, then, just steps away, soak
in the sun by our oversized pool. At Outback RV you can rent an RV lot seasonally
or purchase one for year after year enjoyment.
Lake Jackson is located within the city of Sebring. Lake
Jackson, has over 9,000 acres it is a healthy freshwater lake, is approximately
25 feet at its deepest. Most of the area is fairly shallow. The water is clear
as compared to most lakes in the area and the shores are sandy. The lake has
various boat ramps, including the popular public ramp at Veterans Beach on the
lake's west side. Most ramps are private and there are many private beaches. Three
public swimming beaches exist. Pleasure boating and fishing are popular
activities. A public fishing dock is to the north side of the swimming beach
near the downtown. The shore is largely surrounded by homes. A large condominium,
The Fountainhead, is on the east side. The only areas not surrounded by
residential property are the southwest side, which is bordered by U.S. Highway
27, and an area on the north cove containing a large orange grove. The lake is
almost round, with the exception of the north cove, a smaller rounded area.
Lake Jackson is connected to Little Lake Jackson by a short canal. Upon the death
of novelist Rex Beach in his lakefront home, the lake was renamed Rex Beach
Lake in his honor, but the name did not last.
South of Sebring is a great place to camp, Highlands Hammock
State Park. It is one of Florida's oldest parks, opening to the public in 1931.
Highlands Hammock was established when local citizens came together to promote
the hammock as a candidate for national park status. During the Great
Depression, prior to World War II, the Civilian Conservation Corps developed
additional park facilities and the beginnings of a botanical garden. Acquired by the state in 1935, it has grown
over the years and now has 15 distinct natural communities in its more than
9,000 acres that include large tracts of pine flatwoods, hydric hammock,
cypress swamp, and baygall. Several of the communities are designated as
imperiled or of concern, such as the Florida scrub, scrubby flatwoods, and
cutthroat seep. The park is known for
its beautiful old-growth hammock and thousand year old oaks. Ferns and air plants are abundant. An elevated boardwalk with an historic
catwalk traverses cypress swamp, and visitors may observe alligators, birds and
other wildlife. Many visitors enjoy
bicycling on the scenic three mile loop drive or hiking the park's nine nature
trails. Picnicking, bird-watching, and ranger-guided tours of the park are
other popular activities. The tram tour,
allows visitors the unique opportunity to view birds, alligators, turtles, deer
and other wildlife relatively close-up, in areas of the park that are
restricted to public access.
Another place to camp is Lake Josephine RV Resort. It is one
of the premier tourist destinations in Sebring, for adventurous families in
search of sun-kissed relaxation spots and tranquil fishing sessions. It has been
an independently owned RV park and campground since 1977. They have developed a
myriad of fun activities for the whole family with all of the amenities you
could dream of directly on-site. Open year-round, they can cater to different
kinds of guests that visit us for the spectacular vistas during the summer and
the breathtaking wilderness during the winter. Lake Josephine RV Resort is
primarily known to local residents as one of the greatest places to fish for
largemouth bass, channel catfish and brook trout because of its crystal clear
waters. As a guest, we welcome you to try and match some of the fishing records
held by our local residents and seasonal reservists. If fishing on a beautiful
summer’s day until nightfall does not sound like a slice of heaven to you, you
can trust Lake Josephine RV Resort to offer activities suited to your
interests.
Continuing down US 27, we came to Lake Placid, also known as
“The City of Murals.” There are 46 murals that grace the sides of buildings
around town and even the trash containers have color and style. You can purchase
a mural tour book and enjoy a self-guided tour.
The history of each mural is in the book. The artist hides something in each mural,
and the book tells you what to look for.
Sometimes the artist leaves something out. We are going to take our friends on this tour after we return from our cruise. Lake
Placid is also The
Caladium Capital of the World, holding an annual Caladium Festival, every July.
The caladium is the crown jewel of the jack-in-the pulpit family (Araceae). With
all of its colors and leaf shapes, it is the bird of paradise in the drab crow
family of arums. In South Florida,
caladium cultivars can provide color and brighten dark, shady corners for 9
months or maybe longer. As one goes north, they tend to have a dormant period
with cooler weather and less moisture. To see 1500 acres of glowing caladium
foliage ranks up there with seeing the flowering tulip fields in Holland
(almost!).
We saw many bird nests in unique situations, on top of highway signs and even on top of a single telephone pole. It is amazing how birds can construct them and stay in them in these unique locations.
Fisheating Creek, what a name for a creek! Fisheating Creek
is 52 miles long, starting in Highlands County and ending at Lake Okeechobee.
The most popular section for kayakers is upstream from Fisheating Creek
Outpost.
At some points on this marked trail, Fisheating Creek narrows into a
shaded almost swift stream through islands of cypress trees, with tight
switchbacks. At other points, it widens
into slow-moving sunny lakes. The water is a dark orange tea color from
tannins. Occasionally, you can hear a little traffic noise in the distance, but
most of the time, you are immersed in a wild world that felt primeval. The
machine-gun rattle of kingfishers flying back and forth; the complaining urnk,
urnk of the flocks of ibis; the croaking calls of the great blue heron, just to
name a few. You can see many wood storks,
anhinga, sandhill cranes, a few hawks, osprey and all the types of heron and
egrets common to South Florida. Wild hogs and Florida panthers also range
through this area.
Everglades Agricultural Area is along US 27. Before 1950 the
“Central and South Florida Project for Flood Control and Other Purposes”
designated a large area of the northern Everglades as the Everglades
Agricultural Area (EAA). Completed in 1962, the project included 15 canals and
25 water control structures managed by the South Florida Water Management
District to serve the EAA. The canals and structures were used to artificially
control water depth in the historic sheet flow area, diverting water from Lake
Okeechobee for farm irrigation. Today, the EAA spans 700,000 acres and encompasses
27% of the Everglades where sugarcane is the major crop. Nutrient runoff from
the EAA, the result of fertilizers and the use of herbicides and pesticides, as
well as the intensive use of water for sugar and other crops, are critical problems
for south Florida. Restoring the EAA to its historic function of storage and
treatment of water may be a key to the restoration of the Everglades.
To protect and restore these ecosystems, the South Florida
Water Management District (SFWMD) is working to remove excess nutrients and
other pollutants, or prevent them from entering natural systems. One of these efforts
is building Stormwater Treatment Areas (constructed wetlands.) This solution
for improving water quality is a required element of federal/state legislation
for restoring the Greater Everglades (which includes the Kissimmee, Okeechobee
and Everglades watersheds). It is also mandated by separate state legislation
for water quality improvements in Lake Okeechobee and the Caloosahatchee and
St. Lucie estuaries, as well as in the Everglades systems south of Okeechobee. SFWMD
is creating more than 6,500 acres of new stormwater treatment areas and 116,000
acre-feet of additional water storage through construction of flow equalization
basins (FEBs). These impoundments capture runoff during storm events and
provide a more steady flow of water to the STAs, helping to maintain desired
water levels needed to achieve optimal performance. We witnessed this
construction along US 27. We could not figure out what it was for a while. The construction
created a ton of dust; it is a good thing that this area is void of residential
areas.
Moore Haven Lock & Dam Recreation Area is a U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers area, located on the west side of Lake Okeechobee at the
junction with the Caloosahatchee River. The Corps constructed and currently
manages five locks along the 152-mile Okeechobee Waterway. Moore Haven Lock and
Dam were constructed in 1935 for navigation and flood control purposes. Today
it also serves as a recreational gateway to the second largest fresh water lake
in the Continental United States, as well as one of the most bountiful fishing
sites for sports fishing tournaments. Approximately 9,200 vessels lock through
annually; of these about 96% are recreational vessels.
We crossed over the Caloosahatchee River. It is approximately
67 miles long. It drains rural areas on the northern edge of the Everglades,
east of Fort Myers. An important link in the Okeechobee Waterway, a manmade
inland waterway system of southern Florida, the river forms a tidal estuary
along most of its course and has recently become the subject of efforts to
restore and preserve the Everglades.
Clewiston is the area beside Lake Okeechobee was once used
as a fishing camp by the Seminole Indians. The first permanent settlement began
in 1920, when John O'Brien of Philadelphia and Alonzo Clewis of Tampa purchased
a large tract of land to establish a town. Incorporated as a city in 1925,
Clewiston would become noted for its sport fishing, particularly of largemouth
bass. Large sugar plantations were established around Lake Okeechobee. By the
1950s and 1960s, the cultivation of citrus, vegetables and cattle were also
important to the economy. US Sugar Corporation, however, remained the dominant
manufacturer in Clewiston, which became known as "America's Sweetest
Town."
John Stretch State Park is a good place to stop and stretch
your legs, no pun intended! There is a small playground with a roller slide,
set in sand. A picnic pavilion beside it offers views of the small lake graced
by palm trees blowing in the pleasant breeze. On the drive in to the park you
can see a diesel engine and other fun large mechanical items. Unfortunately you
can't see Lake Okeechobee from this park.
We exited US 27 and headed East on 818. We followed 818 into
Hollywood Florida. We took a quick tour of the airport (to know where we had to
go to pick up our friends.) We checked into our hotel and started enjoying the
pre-cruise lifestyle. I will continue to BLOG, while I am on the cruise, but
will not be able to post until we dock again in a week. See ya’ll then!
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