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Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. Help!

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 4:17 pm
by ruskinTR
Ok guys....if the govt. fails to pass a budget, Everglades Nat. Park is going to shut down 2 days before my 30th bday trip to Flamingo. I have a room at the Florida City Travelodge, arriving Wednesday night, with fishing Thursday and Friday. I'm debating canceling the trip, but the drive from the hotel to flamingo is about the same as to Islamorada, so the upper keys are within reach. I have never kayak fished the area.

We are geared for everything from Trout to Tarpon. If anyone could help me come up with a backup plan, I would really appreciate it, as it would be saving a trip I've been planning for a long time.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:31 pm
by cag215
Everglades National Park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. How do you close something that is always open?

http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:37 pm
by bluebill
You may also want to consider a motel in Key Largo. That would put you in the upper portion of Florida Bay. You could Google the location of public parks and boat launches in the Upper Keys, assuming you need a kayak launch. There should be trout and jacks and maybe some tarpon and barracuda. Good luck

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:43 am
by ChrisR
cag215 wrote:Everglades National Park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. How do you close something that is always open?

http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Park rangers are considerd nonessential staff, and will be furloughed if congress doesn't fund the government by midnight.

You may want to gonsider the other side of the glades if you can cancel your hotel reservation. The 10K Islands have more public access points that do not require the park system than does the east side of the park. You can launch from a few places in Chokoloskee and Everglades City as well as Port of the Isles and Goodland. The fishing is different, but just as good. I hope that you get to take your trip as planned. Good luck.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 7:58 am
by gks0409
Crap I am planning a trip as well when shutdown supposed to occur

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 4

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 8:28 am
by Todd
We are the government and we are here to help.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Mon Sep 30, 2013 9:48 am
by Evan
ChrisR wrote:You may want to gonsider the other side of the glades if you can cancel your hotel reservation. The 10K Islands have more public access points that do not require the park system than does the east side of the park. You can launch from a few places in Chokoloskee and Everglades City as well as Port of the Isles and Goodland. The fishing is different, but just as good.
I was going to say this exact same thing. Save yourself 4 hours of drive time and fish Choko instead.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 1:06 pm
by DaveR
At least get ya some Dion's chicken! I'm sorry man. I wondered if anyone here would be impacted. Where did I put that pitchfork?

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Tue Oct 01, 2013 4:16 pm
by krash
cag215 wrote:Everglades National Park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. How do you close something that is always open?

http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/hours.htm
Simple, they send Betty home and lock the gates.....

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:53 am
by Wuluf
Flamingo is closed per Miami news this morning. Fish Key Largo Blackwater sound. Put in at Florida Bay Outfitters on your right as you head south. Fish the docks on your way south to dusenberry creek.

Garden cove is just ok. It is behind the Circle K right when you come into key largo. Go to the outside of rattlesnake key to fish the ocean flat. Big baracuda are common there.

Islamorada is easy to reach as well. Florida City is an easy drive to any of these places.

Check to see if Pennekamp is open. If you launch from there you can fish El Radabob key which holds bonefish.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:21 am
by Rik
krash wrote:Simple, they send Betty home and lock the gates.....
I don't get why they have to lock the gates. Send Betty home (sorry Betty) and leave the gates open. I don't need anything from Betty when I go there. I've never had any need for any of the Rangers. I drove in, parked at the launch and went fishing. That's pretty much what happens at every state or federal park I visit.

The only thing Betty ever did was take my money as I went through the gate. Leave the gates open. I promise I'll leave no trace, will most likely bring home trace from other folks and will have words with folks who I see leaving a trace.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:43 am
by ChrisR
Rik wrote:I promise I'll leave no trace, will most likely bring home trace from other folks and will have words with folks who I see leaving a trace.
Unfortunately, you are probably the exception and not the rule on this. Personally, especially with Flamingo, I'd rather see it closed than have it be a free for all down there. I can only imagine how quickly the trash will pile up, the facilities get vandalized, and, god forbid, the wildlife harrassed and/or ilegally harvested more than already happens. It is sad, but I don't believe many share that same values that are common among our group here.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 8:43 am
by Evan
Rik wrote: I promise I'll leave no trace, will most likely bring home trace from other folks and will have words with folks who I see leaving a trace.
If everyone treated our Parks this way, there'd be no need for Betty, but unfortunately that just isn't the case.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 11:48 am
by Rik
Interesting note - all of the National Monuments and Parks in DC are closed except for First Amendment activities. The sign reads: "Because of the federal government shutdown, this National Park Service area is closed, except for First Amendment activities."

So, go to Everglades and call your fishing a First Amendment free exercise of religion. Or go with a couple people and peaceably assemble around a fishing hole. Or talk about your need for a governmental redress of grievances - your grievance obviously being that the park is closed.

Might help if you wear one of these hats

Image

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 4:21 pm
by krash
Evan wrote:
Rik wrote: I promise I'll leave no trace, will most likely bring home trace from other folks and will have words with folks who I see leaving a trace.
If everyone treated our Parks this way, there'd be no need for Betty, but unfortunately that just isn't the case.
Betty collects the cash and tells you the skeeter warning level....

I hear that Choko is also closed down, at least any part within Park boundries, but the same report said Rangers will patrol, issue tickets or arrest trespassers... Sad thing is the small business affected, like Capt. Wright, will loose, the government employees will likely get back pay as part of the final agreement to restart the government, or maybe they will keep it shut down and out-source it all to India and China.

Re: Govt. Shutdown is going to cancel my trip to Flamingo. H

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2013 9:42 pm
by Mark R
krash wrote:I hear that Choko is also closed down, at least any part within Park boundries, but the same report said Rangers will patrol, issue tickets or assest...
If the rangers are going to patrol anyway....why in hades is the f_ing park closed??????????? Sorry, My bad - I was mixing Guvment and logic. :oops: