Circumnavigation of Lake Okeechobee

It's a cloudy day, so we decided to take a day tour - something we enjoy doing very much. Today, we drive 45 miles west toward the middle of the state. After we leave the suburbs of the coastal cities behind, we begin to see thousands of hectares of sugar cane. It goes on and on - both sides of the highway - fronds of waving cane stalks as far as the eye can see!

We see several large fires around us as the stubble is burned after the cane is harvested.

After the burning, the soil is black and rich, ready for the growth of new shoots of the sugar cane.

We begin the circle road around Lake Okeechobee at the town of Pahokee. This the marina but it did not have many boats - it did have several fishermen and women. The lake is only 9 feet deep on average. It is fed by several rivers including the Kissimmee River. Canals drain it for irrigation for the sugar cane fields and then into the Everglades. The dike was built around the total perimeter in the 1930s because of flooding with hurricanes that destroyed homes and killed many people living around the lake. When we drive the 70 miles around the lake, we cannot see the water because of the dike. We have to stop and climb the dike at viewpoints for that. There is a biking/hiking trail all along the top of the dike. Dozens of RV parks are around the lake. It's an economical alternative to the coast where we are.

On the other side of the dike, near the town of Okeechobee at the north end of the lake, you can see that the lake is so shallow that marshes grow lushly - fishermen take advantage of that.

We stopped and Jack cut a piece of the cane to see how sweet it was. (very pulpy and not too sweet - I think a lot of crushing and rolling is necessary!)

Lighted Boat Parade

In the spirit of Christmas, Florida version, owners decorate their boats in fantastical ways, invite friends to accompany them and join in a watery parade down the Intracoastal. Most of the boats also play holiday music and dance on the deck as they pass the land lubbers lining the open bridges and sea walls.