Lake Okeechobee

11/21/14

It was a cold, windy, rainy day. It doesn't feel like we're in Florida which is supposed to be the sunshine state. We took route 2, which is the rim route around Lake Okeechobee. It was an easy day since we weren't exposed to any rough water from the lake.

Trees along the waterway

Eagles

Lot's of vegetation in the waterway

Smoke from fires in the sugarcane fields

Black soot from the fires got all over the boat

Had to wait for the Point Chosen Bridge to be opened. The Point Chosen Bridge is the oldest swing drawbridge in Florida. It's the only swing bridge in the state that has to be hand-cranked to open. We watched the bridge tender ride his bicycle from one end of the bridge to the other to put the traffic gates down by hand. He then rode to the middle, put a metal rod in the mechanism and manually opened the bridge. The same man has been opening this bridge since 1965. He took over the job from his father.

Our wake stirs up small fish and the birds dive after them

Port Mayaca Lock

A tugboat came into the lock with us

Indiantown Railway Bridge had to open for us. The bridge tender told us to speed up because a train was on the way.

Stopped for the night at Port St. Lucie Lock Marina and Campground