At Oscar Scherer State Park, just south of Sarasota. Oscar Scherer was the father of one Elsa Burrows,who donated the land for the park. I was forced to look up this fact to alleviate my confusion of this site with the nearby Gamble Plantation Historic Site. Somehow I managed to mind meld the 2 and ended up referring to this place as Oscar Gamble State Park. (Oscar Gamble,according to my brother who was looking a bit askance at me, was a major league outfielder who sported a particularly large afro.) Oh well, the brain fails in mysterious ways--talk about a SWAMP.
As a campground this place is very beautiful, but its recreational draws leave me a tad leery: a "creek"(think:someone's flushing the hydrants,but damn the crappie fishing might be good) leading to a "lake",which actually has a sign that reads ALLIGATORS:SWIM WITH CAUTION. And yet people were letting their babies frolic in this thing!
Spent the morning,as yesterday afternoon, at the dog beach in Venice,just south of here. I never thought I'd say it, but there were TOO MANY DOGS. Then explored Siesta Key,and found a great fish taco place tucked away at a little marina on the intracoastal.
Got to this side of Florida by taking Rt.70,a 2 lane road that leads almost directly from Stuart on the East coast to here.It featured 3 curves (including a dastardly 10 degree job) and 1 hill (elevation 50 feet). Otherwise it was 200 miles of cattle ranches,thoroughbred places and sod farms. Due to a 3 way battle between Mapquest, the GPS,and common sense,we also got to see the interior towns of Indiantown (um...ugh?) and Okeechobie (double ugh). Tomorrow it's up to our favorite campground from last year in St. Pete,Fort DeSoto, via Longboat Key. Then around the 3rd or 4th we'll try to figure out how to angle Northeast back up to 95,avoiding all things Orlando.
Oscar Gamble State Park! Ha!!! That's hilarious! He was a really good ballplayer who played for a few years with the Yankees. I don't know how he kept his hat on over his huge afro. He's unrecognizable now when he shows up at old-timers day without the afro. Well, without much of anything.
ReplyDeleteThat St. Petersburg area of Florida sounds great. We always avoided the west coast like the plague. Probably because of the waves. Now that my body surfing days are waning (like Oscar's hair), I think I'd like it.