2023 Winter Trip - Florida, WP Franklin Lock - week 1

We arrive at Wp Franklin Lock Campground.  It's only 30 miles from Ortona Lock.  The campground is on an island in the River across from the Lock.  There are 29 sites.  There were 8 boat in sites that were taken out by a hurricane 

We have an end site on the East side, facing the lock.

Unlike Ortona where we could walk over the lock and see the boats in the Lock, there is no access from this side.  So close but a 1/2 hour drive.  You can walk out to the fishing Pier.

We do the drive over one day to see the lock.  We are greeted by Milton the Manatee

As we are walking out to the Lock, a group coming the other way say we just missed a boat (my life story!)

There's our RV CoCo across the way

It's not very long before a boat comes in.

This is a much larger Lock than the others we've stayed at.

So for more entertainment we try a bike ride down the road.

We ride down to Caloosahatchee Park

We walk the trail down to the river.

A nice dock overlooking the river.

I'm knot sure how I missed this on the way in.

One night the temperatures dropped into the 40's.  Figured it might be a good time to check out Manatee Park.

Manatee Park is a non-captive warm water refuge for the Florida Manatee.  The warm water in the canal comes from the Florida Power and Light Power Plant across the street and is created as a byproduct of cooling off their equipment. 

We saw several manatees but they didn't surface much as it was cold.  Forgot my camera so only had my phone for pics.

The canal water temperature was 85 degrees

Gary wrestled an alligator for me.

A really nice little park

I had purchased tickets for the Observatory Theater before we got here.  They had 1/2 price tickets for their 2 preview nights.  Yippy Ki-Yay Merry Christmas - a Die Hard Musical and Parody.  I thought who doesn't like Musicals and Parodies

It was so bad, we left at intermission.  Parody?  Didn't follow any of the movie that I remember, Musical?  The singing was awful only 2 could carry a tune.  

The week ends with a nice sunset!