Alligators were the furthest thing from our minds as my wife Ana and I traveled along the coast of northern Florida. We had paid $23 to camp in our conversion van at a beautiful state park on the beach the night before. In the morning we saw a dolphin swimming near shore.
Then we heard we could camp for free at the isolated campgrounds which dotted the Apalachicola National Forest. Our frugality sent us into alligator country.
We spent two nights in the dark woods next to the dark waters of a slow river. Our only company was an old guy who seemed to be living there, and a nice couple with their two-year-old daughter. Lester was from England, Kari from Texas, and Indya was born in Guatamala. They met in India, of course.
Our little group circled the fire at night, trading stories, and occasionally sneaking down to the water with flashlights to look for the eyes of alligators. We heard splashes in the night, but saw nothing.
The Lake Talquin Monster
When the old guy told us camping was free at Wiliams Landing, on Lake Talquin, we all moved up there for a week. The hot showers convinced us. We continued trading stories around the fire each...