EXPLORING THE TREASURE COAST & BEYOND

Riverroaminwiththetillerys.com

Making Memories Exploring & Glamping

By Anna Valencia Tillery

Rivers 62 and 63- Caloosahatchee and Orange

A two-and-a-halfhour drive on the backroads, the town of Alva welcomed us with open arms. Offering water frontage on all sides, the W.P Franklin campground is operated by the Army Core of Engineers. Though the boat slip camping slips are closed due to the damages caused by Hurricane Ian in September of 2022, there are 29 camping rv spots, some with tie-offs for small boats…First impression, it was a well-maintained park with active fishing pier, boat ramp, clean bathhouses, and full of happy campers enjoying their covered picnic tables and concrete pads.

Arriving a bit ahead of check-in that afternoon, it was nice to be greeted by a welcoming camp host. Carol told us about the boat tie-off for our spot #3 and encouraged us to off- load our stuff and put the boat in so we could cross the lock before final call at 4:30pm.

We did just that and had a chance to go east up the Caloosahatchee a bit before entering the lock. In part because I was drawn to the giant steamship that was parked on the northside of the lock. It was white, black, and red with gold accents full of stacked cheers and bottles of cheer as if used as a venue; so cool!

(Later the next day we would find its sister ship at the pier in downtown Ft. Myers.)

find an island for our dog to run on before hitting the downtown area of Ft. Myers. It was humbling to see the aftermath of the storm to such an extreme still 9 months after Ian made landfall. Nearly every home, some big and grandiose with others small and in trailer form, were in the process of getting a new roof. Even more startling was the number of boats on land after the storm surge lifted them beside their houses. A veer to the left before going under I-75’s bridge, took us to the Orange River.

A short river that meanders through some of the area’s more modest homes and active mobile home park; it was cozy optimal for the pace we were going. Large mangroves sprang from the water and a handmade midsized lighthouse emerged from a spoil island welcoming boaters to the neighborhood. Though once we got around a few bends we were met with a sign warning boaters about “dangerously low, unfriendly water navigable by locals only.” Needless to say, we did an about face at that moment and headed back towards the big water of the Caloosahatchee. #63 accomplished.

Just beyond the I-75 bridge, a big island appeared with plenty of sand. Dad threw the ball to Seger for a while, unfortunately, it did seem as if there was some red tide in the water so we made sure he didn’t go too deep in the river and drink any of the water. With a little energy burnt off, we finally made it to the downtown area. There, we were captivated by the skyscrapers and mega yachts displaced in front of large hotels. Before reaching the Sanibel Island bridge, we explored a hard-hit spoil island complete with a toppled tractor and lots of bridge debris; it was heartbreaking. Goes to show, we can never underestimate Mother Nature. In that same area, we spotted the sister steamship anchored at the pier. That night, we got the cast iron skillet ready so we could make some cheesesteak sandwiches…just might be my new favorite camping meal.

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Once in the lock, we had our life vests on struck up a bit of a chat with the lock tender. She was a nice lady who lives in the area, sadly still displaced from the hurricane. While inside the lock, we soon realized we were accompanied by a large manatee whose lady friend was waiting for him on the other side; what a fun connection to witness! Next day, with slider sandwiches prepped and Seger’s lunch packed, we set off as early as we could to

Overall, going on river roaming adventures without Charlie changes the dynamic, however, with a goal of being on each river by October of 2024, it must be done. These two rivers were charming and very residential. The Caloosahatchee proved a vital waterway with the large-scale power plant and the occasional waterfront restaurant, lots of jet skis and speedboats. Then, to the east, several community parks and countless orange groves spring to life. Rivers are so impressive!