A quick introduction to a fascinating bike ride on the Lake Okeechobee Levee. Armadillos, wildlife and a visit to an Old Florida fish camp.
A quick introduction to a fascinating bike ride on the Lake Okeechobee Levee. Armadillos, wildlife and a visit to an Old Florida fish camp.
Welcome to another edition of the sunshine Republic Podcast. Today we'll be examining fascinating but not terribly well-known bike ride. From Pahokee are actually the port my ankle locks just north about key up the up to the J&S Fish Camp over the Lake Okeechobee levee. It's really a fascinating rod with an awful lot of wildlife that to be seen on the way to get there certainly you need to locate the Hokie on the map. Polk is a small town, birthplace of, of Mel Tillis, actually he grew up there. He was born in Tampa, the famous musician from the past. It's an hour west of West Palm Beach and know a little greater than two hours east of Fort Myers on the on the southern quarter of the southeast quarter of Lake Okeechobee. So, you can set your Google Maps for Lake Okeechobee and even more accurately the port my uncle lock system. As you drive up there, there's ample parking area and you could load your bikes and ride up onto the levee and it's a very flat and easy path. Paving can be very hot and very sunny. So certainly, bring your sunscreen your hats, your water as well.
You will see a multitude of birds and it's you can even park your bike and walk down to levy a little bit and get into the marshes and see some animals down there. Some of my most favorite memories have been when we came across on a number of occasions. Fit entire families of armadillos from small ones that are about the size of your fist to larger mother and father mom and dad armadillos. If you come up on them too quickly, of course they'll curl up into a bowl which is cute and it's in its own right. But overall, it's about an 8.2-mile ride northbound up the levee from the port my aka lock and when you know you're reaching your destination because we'll go over another small lock system right near the J and S Fish Camp. And the J&S Fish Camp is not unique in the state of Florida. But in the in the over built and rapidly certified Florida that we all know it's becoming a rarity. It's actually a fish camp, a dock a boat yard, a tavern and a place where you can bring your mobile home or rent a small cabin and it's been there since the 1920s. And it's actually a perfect spot to come in on a Sunday or Saturday afternoon. Listen to some music.
Have a cold beer relax until you decide to get back on your bicycle for the return trip down to Lake Okeechobee Levy. I would urge everyone to go to J and S Fish Camp and.com is their website and take a look at the entertainment for the for that weekend. It certainly is a very unique piece of flora with an outdoor stage outdoor Tiki hut. Very often the biker motorcycle biker communities do visit as well as bicycle the bicycle communities. And certainly, the beer is cold and reasonably priced. And along with that you get some free entertainment. So that is a great halfway point.
You can certainly go out and explore right around there. For other pieces of old Florida. But then it's time to get back on your bike and head on head on back home. Be careful not to over consume at the gator hole tavern at the Janus Fish Camp is because that makes for a long and wavy ride home on your bicycle and of course we don't want anyone to drink and drive as well. But that is a fascinating ride. And it's an out of the way ride and particularly in the cooler winter months October November December January February. It just is a place like no other. So I would urge anyone who's into outdoor exercise in Florida and bicycling and certainly wildlife to consider loading your bike on your car or vehicle or SUV or truck and heading up to the Port Mayaca lock and making a very nice 16.4 mile round trip back and forth to the J&S fish camp with whatever other side trips you you'd like to make on that route. Well, this has been a very brief recording today. It in no way underestimates the attractiveness of that ride. It's really up to you to get off your bike and look around and scout out some wildlife on the ride. But thank you again for joining us on the Sunshine Republic podcast. And we look forward to seeing you again in the very near future. Thank you very much