Dale & Debbie Part 55 - More Florida Fun

20th Feb 2025

Scenic Trails, Botanical Gardens and Plenty of RV Projects!

We're taking a little detour and backtracking to Florida to bring you some warm weather vibes and pick up on some adventures in LaBelle and the surrounding regions of Florida last winter!

We saw lots of flora and fauna during our time in LaBelle.

There were lots of pine tree roots on one trail.

It’s hard to write about Florida and not mention the gators. One hike took us so close to them we decided to turn around!

The vegetables at this farmer’s market were from Central and South America! From what we could see, most vegetables from this part of Florida were grown in greenhouses rather than fields. We saw lots of greenhouses!

LaBelle hosts the Swamp Cabbage Festival each year aka hearts of palm. There is also a parade with local cowmen as there are numerous cattle ranches in south central Florida. FYI…the term cowboy is not commonly used in Florida.
The cabbage has nothing to do with the cowmen other than they may eat it!
It’s harvested from Sabal Palm Trees and is a very healthy food. Every dish made with the cabbage was flavored with bacon or ham. Therefore, I did not eat any. Dale tried the stew and fritters and said they were just okay.

The Rotary Club holds armadillo races at the festival. Below they were trying to get about 8 or so lined up to start the race. When they raised the gate the crowd was cheering them on, but most did not move! Supposedly, they are returned to the wild (unharmed) exactly where they were found.

Dale kayaking on the Caloosahatchee River. It was about 200 yards from our site so he bought some wheels for his kayak.

We enjoyed lunch at Mary Margaret’s Tea and Biscuit in Arcadia, FL with friends.

Projects, projects, projects! They seem to be never-ending. Below Dale and a friend were replacing the airbags. I like the four legs sticking out from underneath!