On Saturday, February
7, a group of 30 CCC members met at Laishley Park Marina to take an
Eco-tour up the Peace River and back, including a stop for lunch at
the Nav-A-Gator Grill. With Captain Louie Desquin as our guide, we
left the marina at 9:45 a.m. and started up the river.
Everyone was dressed warmly as it was a chilly morning.
Capt. Louie grew up on the Peace River and shared a lot of knowledge
of the river, history of the area, and local flora and fauna.
He liked to tell stories, and sharing his childhood experiences added
a lot to our enjoyment of the trip. Now we know the difference
between a snowy egret and a great white and lots of other details of
local wildlife. Imagine what we would have learned if his
microphone worked all the time!
We enjoyed a nice lunch at the Nav-A-Gator. Lots of menu
choices made it possible for everyone to find something to satisfy
their appetite. Captain Kirk, the owner, even sat down at our
table and became a new Sponsor for our club. He donated $100
for this year's show and expressed an interest in repeated
sponsorship in the future. We had plenty of time to check out
the shops too.
After lunch we headed back to the boat and took off downriver for
the return trip. Going through Hunter’s Creek this time, the
Captain thought surely we would see some bull gators sunning
themselves, but they must have had other plans. Not one gator showed
itself, but we got to see the North Bird Island rookery full of
American wood storks, black vultures and Roseate Spoonbills.
Back at the marina, Mary and Tom Schuckel
invited everyone to their place for ice cream sundaes and coffee.
Imagine vanilla and chocolate ice cream, hot fudge, caramel,
brownies, cherries, nuts, and whipped cream! It was like hog
heaven and we all thank you kindly, Tom and Mary, for your
generosity and hospitality.
A nice ending to a fun outing planned by Jim and Bonnie.
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