20 July 2022
It’s been a long, long time since I traveled US27. I left the house at 10:30 am and headed west on I595 until it veered off to 27. I used to take students on a field trip to Archbold Biological Station just south of Lake Placid and the easiest way was US27. Back in the day, the road was two lane and you would get your ass run over by sugar cane trucks coming and going. They were reckless and didn’t hesitate to either cut you off or pass into your lane while passing slower vehicles in their lane. The last few years I took students to Archbold, it was 4 lane all the way. However, the sugar cane trucks are still a hazard.
Most of the way to Belle Glade was under construction and you were either traveling 45 mph or 65 mph or variations thereof. Belle Glade had a brief claim to fame during the AIDS epidemic when it was thought people in Belle Glade were getting infected with AIDS from mosquitoes. The line of reasoning was sugar cane is seasonal work and the seasonal workers were housed where there were no screens on the windows and no air conditioning. That led to some panic through the state of Florida but was soon proved to be untrue.
Belle Glade used to be a very small town at an intersection where FL80 connected with US27. It still is pretty much a small town at that intersection but has modernized a tiny bit.
About halfway between Belle Glade and Clewiston is John Stretch Park, a county park that borders the levee of Lake Okeechobee. It’s a neat little park and me and my students would often stop their either on the way to Archbold or on the way back to either have lunch or simply a bathroom break. As you might guess, it’s changed significantly over the years with lots more picnic tables and shelters. Truckers seem to like it as much as I do.
It’s a great place to stop and stretch your legs (no pun intended). Careful! The lake has alligators so I don’t suggest swimming.
Up next was Clewiston. I had recently read that the Clewiston Inn was back in business. It closed for a few years but was recently reopened as an Americas Best Value Inn.
This is one of those old, classic, Florida hotels from the 30’s. It was originally built by the U.S. Sugar Corporation for visiting dignitaries or company executives in 1938. It still has that 30’s charm. One time I asked to see one of the rooms and they were happy to oblige. The rooms were small but well laid out and exceptionally clean.
The old Clewison Inn used to be a favorite place to stop on the way back from Archbold for their Sunday luncheon. They had some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever eaten. It was a really classy Sunday dinner (Southern term – supper is at night). It had white table cloths, waitresses in uniform, and fine china. You could see the place fill up just after noon on Sunday from the turnout from the local churches.
One of the highlights of the inn is the Everglades Bar. Inside the very small bar is a mural by J. Clinton Shepherd that covers all four walls with scenes of Everglades flora and fauna. It’s worth a drink at the bar just for the mural. Look for the Florida panther.
The rest of US27 is pretty much one small town after another with plenty of stoplights along the way. I could have taken the Florida Turnpike (I refuse to call it the Ronald Reagan Turnpike) and make the trip in about 3 hours but even though the scenery is about the same as the turnpike, at least the small towns gave you some visual interest. It took me 4 hours to make it to Clermont.
The Home2 Inn Suites by Hilton is a nice place. I did the automatic check in and found my room on the top (4th) floor. I hate when someone is over me and they tromp the floor like elephants all night so I usually opt for the uppermost floor in hotels when possible.
I asked at the front desk about how to find “old” Clermont and the young lady didn’t quite understand what I was asking until I said “downtown.” As it turns out, it was a straight shot west down FL50. She suggested I take 5th St which lead to Lake Minneola.
I found a parking space and got out to stretch my legs and walk the pier.
It’s a pretty big lake.
From Osceola Street where I parked, it was a short two blocks to “downtown.”
The main drag is along Montrose Street.
For a Wednesday afternoon at 4 pm I expected to see a lot more traffic.
Sadly, most of the businesses were closed for the day and there were several stores that were shuttered and out of business. The downtown looks like it is trying to attract people but somehow missing that goal. Most of the activity in Clermont is on the outskirts (if traffic is any indication).
One town in Florida has figured out the secret to bringing people downtown and that is Lakeland, Florida. Most of Lakeland is centered around one central lake downtown and the town square is bustling. Lakeland has figured out something that Clermont has not.
I stopped for dinner at The Southerner. What attracted me was their buttermilk fried chicken. One of the best buttermilk fried chicken meals I’ve had is in Key West at Sarabeth’s. The Southerner’s fried chicken is not very good. It had a coating that was more like a coat of armor and if there was buttermilk in the coating, I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t even tell which part of the chicken I was eating except for the drumstick. The other pieces were cut so irregular it was anyone’s guess as to the piece.
Tomorrow, I intend to head to Lake Louisa State Park and do some hiking. I’ve downloaded the trail map and it is one of the most confusing maps I’ve ever seen. I usually get lost or turned around on clearly marked trails so you may never hear from me after tonight.
Stay tuned in any case!
I hope Lake Louisa works out for you. Their cabins are a bargain, when available. I fear the hiking trails may be too exposed in July. You might venture over to Lake Apopka. The trails are uncovered there, too, but the wildlife is plentiful—birds and gators.
Hope you got to the Tiki Hut on Lake Minneola. They used to have loads of catfish—black catfish in the red clay waters of the lake. Quite an apparition.