I had not been to The Rod and Gun Club in Everglades City for at least ten years, good enough reason to meet some friends there for lunch this past week. If traffic is moving you can make the drive from Bonita Springs down US 41 S or as it is also known, Tamiami Trail to Everglades City easily in an hour, it took us about 15 minutes longer since 41 was crawling in Naples and we hit every traffic signal. I went there with my sister Cass and girlfriend Carol where we met our pals George and Heather. 
The appeal for the area is its rich history as an outpost in the early development of the everglades, a hunting and fishing lodge and its most recent storied past as drug runners paradise in the late 70's and early 80's. There was a bust down there in the mid 80's when just about the entire town was hauled off to jail mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and the grandchildren. When the feds came down on the city every manner of transportation from pick ups to swamp buggies and air boats were heard to fire up and take off across the gator infested grass and water trying to avoid arrest. The area was known for both cocaine and marijuana.
The Rod and Gun Club was built in 1864 as a private club and hunting preserve. The cypress building with the large wrap around veranda was host to past presidents, writers, adventure seekers, the occasional ex patriot and gangster. Some of the original furniture and fixtures remain, the oak secretary, copper topped fireplace, taxidermy fish, animal heads, gator skins, stuffed otter and bobcat adorn the walls and floors. Not a good place for those who are squemish abo
ut dead animals being used as decorations.
The appeal for the area is its rich history as an outpost in the early development of the everglades, a hunting and fishing lodge and its most recent storied past as drug runners paradise in the late 70's and early 80's. There was a bust down there in the mid 80's when just about the entire town was hauled off to jail mom, dad, grandpa, grandma and the grandchildren. When the feds came down on the city every manner of transportation from pick ups to swamp buggies and air boats were heard to fire up and take off across the gator infested grass and water trying to avoid arrest. The area was known for both cocaine and marijuana.
The Rod and Gun Club was built in 1864 as a private club and hunting preserve. The cypress building with the large wrap around veranda was host to past presidents, writers, adventure seekers, the occasional ex patriot and gangster. Some of the original furniture and fixtures remain, the oak secretary, copper topped fireplace, taxidermy fish, animal heads, gator skins, stuffed otter and bobcat adorn the walls and floors. Not a good place for those who are squemish abo
ut dead animals being used as decorations. 
Lunch was good the wings nice and crisp, Heather ordered gator tail it was as rubbery as I remember, not a creature I enjoy eating. Strolling the building and grounds was fun but the drive back was the best. We cruised back on 41 at a leisurely pace stopping to photograph gators and birds that were out in force on the sunny grassy banks on the everglades canals. Bald eagles, great white egrets, blue herons and about 50 gators were some of the fauna we enjoyed. The glades were exceptionally green especially for th
is time of year everything seemed so healthy and alive making the day even b
etter.
is time of year everything seemed so healthy and alive making the day even b
etter.
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