Marco Island-March 19, 2017



Marco Island, a small island off the coast of the Everglades, just south of Naples hosts a race that I have been following for a few years now. Unfortunately, Marco Island is also not a cheap piece of hidden paradise in Southern Florida during Spring Break month. Thankfully I finally came up with a game plan this year! I would camp! Collier Seminole State Park is just 20 minutes from Marco Island and was a perfect way for me to stay in budget and experience the race!

It is about a six hour drive from Northeast Florida to Marco Island, so I decided to chop it up and stay a night at Cayo Costa State Park the Friday before race day which is about an hour and half north of Marco Island. And well, while I was at it and so close to the Everglades National Park, I decided I needed to stay at the Flamingo campground the night after the race. Three nights, three campgrounds. One memorable race weekend!



CAYO COSTA STATE PARK
Listed as Florida's #1 campground by Travel and Leisure, Cayo Costa is only accessible by boat. After securing a reservation at the campground, you must then secure a second reservation with Tropic Star ferry out of Bookelia, FL if you do not have your own boat. Make sure to arrive early as you will want to stop at the SUPER cute town of Matlacha, FL for a shrimp and bacon bloody mary with the manatees at Island Cafe, lunch and live music at Old Fish Marina, and do some shopping in the towns colorful market; all while soaking in the awesome water views!



The ferry carries about 20 passengers and all the gear you will need for your stay. Kayaks, paddleboards, bikes are an extra charge. Once you are loaded, sit back and relax on the slow 50 minute ride to your deserted island. And don't forget to watch for dolphins swimming in the wake!


The island consists of a ranger station; a tiny concessionaire for bike and kayak rentals, and a chance to purchase wood, ice and  maybe a couple of souvenirs; and two bathrooms. There is no electricity and only one outdoor cold shower.

The campground is about a mile from the arrival dock and there is a tram that runs every hour to transport you and your gear. There are 30 primitive camp sites on one side and 11 very basic and rustic cabins on the other. The island is packed full of wildlife so food and such must be packed in hard cases.

The tent sites are randomly spaced. Some in perfectly secluded areas and others right on top of your neighbor. So make sure you talk to the ranger and let them know exactly what kind of experience you are looking for. Sites 9, 10, 11, 13, 19, 20 seemed to be the most private to me. I stayed at site 10 which is the closest to the water so you can hear the waves crashing. It also has an open area at the fire pit so you can watch the amazing star filled sky! Being a remote island, creatures do stir throughout the night, so don't be surprised if you get a visit by a raccoon or rat as you sit by the fire! (apparently there's wild boar too, but I never got a chance to see one).


Exploring this 9 mile long island will definitely keep you busy. The west side is where you will find the stretch of gorgeous white sand beach with tons of shells at the southernmost point. The middle of the island has trails for running and biking, and the east side of the island has the marina where kayaking and paddle boarding are available.





So what did I think? The beach was pretty spectacular! I was completely amazed at how many and how large the shells were along the beach. Fishermen seemed to be happy as well. The sunset was gorgeous as expected. The trails were very remote and hard packed for some good running. I came across unexpected critters such as alligators and snakes and lots of birds. Renting the kayak was easy and there was a hidden cove where a slew of manatees were hanging out! Be careful, if you get too up close and personal, they will definitely give you a splash!



Overall it was definitely one of my best camping experiences ever! ...a perfect 24 hour get away! However, did I get that 'escape to paradise on a deserted island vibe'?....not so much. Besides being with everyone staying at the campground, other tour companies bring 'day trippers' to the beach, so be prepared to see about 50 people coming at once to claim their spot on the sand next to your private oasis. I came to this island thinking I needed some alone time to relax, clear my head, and figure some things out in life. However, everyone that came over on the boat together seemed to be on a contagious "dont worry be happy" island vibe which quickly caught on and it was fun to share this unique camping excursion!

COLLIER SEMINOLE STATE PARK
Back at the dock by 2p, I headed over to Collier Seminole State Park which was about an hour and half drive away. After a quick set up of camp, I drove the straight 20 minute drive to Marco Island to see the sunset (be prepared to pay a flat $8 fee to access the beach. or head to Sunset Cafe, order a drink, and get your parking validated).  Afterwards, the campground hosted a star gazing event where the ranger discussed the different constellations and had some pretty large viewing telescopes.

Because I arrived late to Collier Island SP and left right after the race, I didn't get to experience much of the grounds, trails, waterways. I did like how the very wooded tent site area is completely separate from the Rvs and the location was perfect for an inexpensive stay to visit Marco Island.

ABOUT THE RACE
Marco Island Bridge run is a small town race located just south of Naples hosting both a 5k and half marathon. This was the 9th successful running with approximately 400 runners.

RACE MORNING-PACKET PICK UP/PARKING/START
The race offers packet pick up the morning of, which worked perfect for me. The parking was in the Publix parking lot and was seamless. The half marathon starts first with the 5k shortly following. This simple race didn't have much to offer at the Start besides porta potties, so I waited in the car as it was still cold. Yes, thats right, cold in Southern Florida! It was 55 degrees and it was going to be a perfect running weather day!... clear skies and still only 65 degrees by finish time!

COURSE
Yes Marco Island is technically an island and has a beach, but you wouldn't know that running this course! In fact it doesn't even run anywhere near the beach. This out and back course starts mid island, and takes you straight to The Goodland bridge a few miles headed off the island. Up and over the bridge and a quick turn around to go back over. It then takes you into some extremely rich (but abandoned?) neighborhood with beautifully landscaped mansions on the intercoastal with rolling hills throughout.

FUEL STATIONS/SPECTATORS
All the fuel stations were properly stocked and manned. There was gatorade and water and they even offered Gu twice. Besides having a couple of bands playing on our approach to and from the bridge, there were no spectators cheering you on for this race.

RESULTS
I felt amazing! Not only was it perfect running weather for me, but I felt strong as I have been doing a running streak since The DONNA marathon. I conquered the bridge easily and was running nonstop for about 6 miles. The second half I felt the exhaustion start to kick in, so I started the 30sec walk breaks. Unfortunately I had forgotten my ipod, so I didn't have the extra motivation this time around; it was just me and my breathing. But this course is so peaceful and quiet it was perfect to be one with nature.


FINISH/AFTER PARTY
This was my 71st half marathon finish line crossing and this was the first time I had the two girls passing out medals excitedly cheering me on as I approached the line!

There were the normal bagels, bananas, oranges and water at the finish. They did the awards and then told us to meet at Speakeasy patio for the after party which was about a 5 minute drive to a little Chicago restaurant on a small neighborhood waterway. The race paid for our first beer and they held a raffle where I ended up winning movie theater tickets.














SHIRT/MEDAL
I was surprised to see a four leaf clover on the green race shirt and equally surprised to see a green ribbon on the medal which both clashed with their traditional red and white bridge logo. The race is not advertised as a St Patrick's Day race, nor does it fall on St Patrick's Day so its a bit disappointing. The generic medal unfortunately also is not date specific. However, I do love that the shirt is not splattered with sponsor logos. When I picked up my shirt, they said I registered for a Womens Small which I knew was a mistake. I checked my email confirmation and no size was mentioned, however, I rechecked the registration process on the website and it does not mention the shirts will be gender specific, so I chose Small thinking Unisex. If you like to wear your shirts, you may want to double check with the race before registering.

OVERALL THOUGHTS
I loved the peaceful nature of this challenging course. You will definitely want to make this a long weekend/week vacation and explore the surrounding area of not only Marco Island Beach, but the Everglades and possibly the nearby State Parks.

AFTER THE RACE...
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK/FLAMINGO CAMPGROUND
The drive from Collier State Park to Flamingo Campground in the Everglades National Park was about 3 hours. But the Everglades National Park is so expansive, I felt like I was in it the entire drive. It is pretty much a straight drive across the state where you will see multiple alligator viewing areas as well as multiple air boat tour companies. Once on the east coast there is nothing but nurseries and farmland until you hit the entrance to the Everglades National Park. Once inside the park, it is another 45 minutes drive to the Flamingo Campground located at the very southern point of the Florida peninsula. There is not much to see, actually, there is nothing to see just driving the desolate route to the campground. However there are lots of opportunities to pull over and do a trail or drop in a boat/kayak.

























There are two portions of the Flamingo campground, located on the Florida Bay. One which is a first come first serve, open field walk in. This is the one I chose with waterfront views. Unfortunately I quickly realized there would not be much of a sunset from the vantage point, but we would get a nice sunrise over the water.
















After claiming my territory for the night, I quickly realized everything was not as I thought it would be. Instead of rambling on about the negative, I will just quickly list.

-there is no parking next to your tent if you are in the open field. The closer to the water you go, the further you have to walk back and forth to haul your gear.
-the grounds and beach were trashed with garbage and glass (as the night progressed I realized vultures like to hang out here which is probably the problem)
-its no joke about the mosquitoes. The wind and fire help to keep them away at the open camp field but not on trails, and of course a good bug spray is a must, but you will definitely still want all your skin to be covered.
-staff is just plain rude-ranger who checked me in, as well as at the marina store
-Flamingo Park doesn't have flamingo visits any more
-3 small pieces of firewood is $8




















I did try to do a short trail, but as I looked down I was completely covered in mosquitoes so just opted to spend the evening at the bonfire relaxing. Everyone seemed to go to bed after sunset, so I felt like I had the place to myself once dark hit and the expansive sky full of stars came out. There were shooting stars galore! Because I had to work the next day, I didn't get to experience what I know the park has to offer. I would suggest checking out the nature boat tours and visit the alligator viewing area where thousands of gators hang out, which I did last time and enjoyed.






HM#71
13.1-2:25

I am on a 10 year mission to run a half marathon a month as well as run one in each of the 50 states, all to help spread the word of breast caner prevention, early detection, and living a healthy lifestyle. Please consider making a DONATION today to show your support. 100% net proceeds go towards the Mayo Clinic and Donna Foundation.

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