Searching for ghosts...

The other day, I received a message on myspace from a woman who had read something I wrote about Loop Road a while ago. She said it brough back memories...her grandparents used to live out there and she would spend each summer with them. She told me her aunt used to own the infamous "Gator Hook" bar and that she remembers sitting on Irv Rouse's lap. Irv Rouse wrote the "Orange Blossom Special" and lived off Loop Road.



Then she told me something I've always wanted to know...the location of the ruins of Al Capone's mansion. From googling, I've known that all that's left are some step and remains of a fountain, but I have always wanted to see them. Saturday was a beautiful day, and despite having a nasty cold, we decided to set out in search of the ghost of a gangster!




Tamiami Trail heading west.



Getting to Loop Road, you pass quite a few Miccosukee Indian homes. If you think this is colorful, you haven't seen the lime green one on Loop Rd.! Seriously, it is lime green.




We decided to hit the Loop via the western entrance at Monroe Station.

The picture below shows how it used to look. The print underneath says it is still an oasis for travellers, but obviously it ain't true anymore!
Warning for tourists (and stupid locals).

You can tell it's winter. The cypress trees are all brown and bare instead of their usual lush green.

This is one trail I'd like to explore more one day.

More alligator warnings and a poster reminding idiots it's against the law to release non-native reptiles. Pythons, Boas and the occasional Anaconda are becoming a big problem in the Everglades.

Sweetwater Strand. My dinky little camera just can't capture the true beauty of this spot.

This is why there are so many warnings posted. Roadside gators. There were a few German tourists pulled over taking pics of these two sunning themselves, so of course I had to take a few myself. Say what you want, but I think they are cute! Not cuddly cute, but stay at least 12 feet away cute...

He missed most of the gators.

In the ghost town of Pinecrest, there are still a few hold-outs. They live out there for a reason. To be left alone. And they make sure you know it!

You can't read this sign, but we have now gone from gator warnings to panther warnings. "Do not hike alone" "Keep small children close and supervised at all times" etc.

The only sign that Pinecrest was once an actual town...well, kinda sorta. These pumps do not work and the gas station is on private property. In fact, there was an old man sitting in a lawn chair a few yards from here shooting. Yeah, he was just shooting at a target, but it spoke volumes..."I may be old, but this is my place and I've got a gun and I know how to use it! See, I can hit the target!!! So don't get any ideas..."

Ya think this has been parked here for a while?

Very close to the gas station, there is a side road that we'd never ventured down before. This time we did. From the description given to me, this was how you get to the ruins. We drove down a very long rock road. It was quiet and peaceful. I imagined what it must've been like to live back here in the 30's or 40's...and how awesome it would be to live here now. We only passed one or two "dwellings". Then we came to a fork in the road. We took the road to the right and came to this imposing stack of signage...

There was a pole gate that was open, but were not feeling comfortable enough to go any further. If I had seen someone around, I would've asked about Capone's place and if we could take a look. But it was very...very...quiet. I am sure this is where they are, though.


A shot of the road...

Proof that folks really do live out here!

So we didn't actually accomplish our mission, but we came close. We had a nice, relaxing drive on a road few have driven on. We saw gators, hawks, ibis, herons, egrets, cormorants, anhingas and a few German tourists. It was a good day.