Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Monument Lake, Everglades, FL
ODOMETER: 80,735 | MILES TRAVELED: 2,790

by Grant
I found an airboat ride that got great reviews online for this morning. Jana and I have our usual early morning coffee together and take the dogs for their morning walk.
Phoebe decides to go after a little black dog that a lady is walking nearby. She is so strong she drags Jana over and I have to rugby tackle Phoebe before any damage is done, or someone has a heart attack. The poor lady and puppy :-(( she’s apologizing because she walked into our ‘space’, but we’re mortified by Phoebe’s actions and it starts the day off very poorly. Luckily, everyone is unharmed.
Jana’s hip and knee are hurt, I think I cracked a rib (not as hardy as I used to be) and the kids are equally concerned. We decided to do the airboat tour anyway and head over to Everglade City Airboat Tours.
The skipper of the airboat is Captain Gary and he’s a 190-year veteran of the airboat industry. We’ve heard, and he confirmed, that there are a lot of airboat outfits that push their boats well beyond safe limits. If you’re after a nail biting, death defying thrill ride then those opportunities abound. Everglades City Airboat rides focus on safety and sharing their knowledge of the mangrove habitat that this boundary between the Everglades and the ocean.
It abounds with alligators, manatees, abundant birdlife and much more. Captain Gary does a really nice job gliding his airboat through a complex web of narrow channels. Jack got a lot of great birdlife photos and we all really enjoyed being immersed in this ecosystem, which feels prehistoric and other-worldly.
On the way back to the campground, we stop at Joanie’s Cafe which is a little red shack on the side of 41 whose proprietor (Joanie I assume) is a tough local of this grass jungle.
We also stop at the H.W. Williams Roadside Park and get up and close with some alligators. It’s a very cool opportunity to see these ancient reptiles in their native habitat.
We head back to the RV and I spend some time catching up on work and Jana and Jack search through many days of great photos to see what we have to share from our recent exploits.

Jack got a lot of great birdlife photos and we all really enjoyed being immersed in this ecosystem, which feels prehistoric and other-worldly.
Travel with us:
Travel Diary
Travel
This is a daily log and photos of what we’re up to.
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 4: Fiji to Brisbane Passage A Long-Awaited Departure After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French...
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 3: Bora Bora to Fiji Passage
After having waited in French Polynesia for two and a half months, we excitedly sailed out of Bora Bora around 7:30 am on Saturday, September 4th. Like the rest of French Polynesia, Bora Bora was in COVID lockdown, and we had spent the last week waiting for our departure paperwork to go through all the requisite bureaucratic channels. This required multiple trips to the local gendarmerie (police station), where Grant quickly befriended the two kind and helpful officers, Alex and Bruno.
Sailing Tahiti to Australia | Leg 2: Mo’orea to Bora Bora
It took us about 24 hours to get from Mo’orea to Bora Bora on August 28 2021. Like the rest of French Polynesia, Bora Bora was in COVID lockdown, and we spent a week there waiting for our departure paperwork to go through all the requisite bureaucratic channels. This required multiple trips to the local gendarmerie (police station), where Grant quickly befriended the two kind and helpful officers, Alex and Bruno.
We made trips to get water, fuel and provisions, but apart from that we had to stay on the boat. We passed the time snorkeling (saw a giant moray eel!) and inventing new water sports.
Once we received our exit paperwork, we were finally free to leave for Fiji.
Reflections
Reflections
These are our personal thoughts on some of our experiences.
How Big Is Too Big?
Lessons From the Road | How Big Is Too Big?Does Our Built Environment Affect Our Relationships? The “Big Mac” symbolizes the belief that more is better. If one beef patty is good, wouldn’t two beef patties be better? Similarly, the colloquialism of the “McMansion”...
Lessons from the Road | Less is More: Adventure over Stuff
Lessons From the Road | Less is More: Adventure Over StuffWe have been on the road for about four months, and while that’s a relatively short time, I think that some of the big lessons happen in the initial “adjustment period” of an experience like this. One thing is...
My 10 Favorite Books of 2020
My 10 Favorite Books of 2020Welcome to 2021! Most of us couldn't wait to see the back of 2020, looking forward to better times with hope and anticipation. If you are at all astrologically inclined like I am, you know that on December 21st, our world experienced a rare...
We recently had the incredible opportunity to share our year-long family travel adventure on the @age.rebels Podcast with @sommerlouiseb @theixmethod . (Link in bio)
Join us as we delve into @culture_nomads new book, “Culture Nomads: How Giving Up Everything for a Year of Travel Transformed Our Family and Our Lives.” We share the story of how embracing the unknown turned our lives upside down in the most extraordinary way.
In this podcast episode, we open up about our decision to break free from the mainstream and embark on a year-long family adventure around the globe, exploring diverse cultures, breathtaking landscapes, and discovering the true essence of the human spirit.
We share heartwarming tales of personal growth, unbreakable family bonds, and the invaluable lessons we learned along the way. From traveling the U.S. and Mexico on a bus for 8 months to our intrepid crossing of the South Pacific ocean on a 38-foot catamaran, our experiences will ignite your wanderlust and leave you yearning for your own transformative journey.
Join us on the Age Rebels Podcast as we discuss the joys and challenges of living life as Culture Nomads, and how this incredible odyssey has forever altered our perspectives on the world, our family, and ourselves.
If you’re passionate about travel, adventure, and the power of embracing different cultures, you won’t want to miss this episode. Get ready to be inspired, captivated, and motivated to embark on your own extraordinary journey of self-discovery and family connection.
Don’t forget to check out our book, “Culture Nomads: How Giving Up Everything for a Year of Travel Transformed Our Family and Our Lives,” available now on Amazon. (Link in bio). It’s your ultimate guide to crafting a life filled with adventure, love, and unforgettable memories.
#CultureNomads #AgeRebelsPodcast #FamilyAdventure #TravelTransforms #Wanderlust #travel #familytravel #travelbook #sailing #rv #podcast
Our Trip
Trip
Our Trip
Trip

TRAVEL WITH US!
We are currently sailing the South Pacific to Australia.
Thank you for joining us, have a great day!