Author: Donald Reeves
Donald Reeves
Donald Reeves writes about Everglades City the way the place deserves to be written about: without the brochure language, without the manufactured wonder, and without pretending that a town of 400 people sitting at the edge of a swamp is something it is not.
THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER!
He has spent considerable time in Collier County's oldest settlement, arriving during stone crab season when the waterfront smells of brine and work, and returning in the off-season when the tourists are gone and the town goes quiet in the particular way that only genuinely remote places can. He has paddled the mangrove tunnels of the Ten Thousand Islands, eaten at places with no hours posted on the door, and spoken at length with fishing guides who navigate these waters by memory rather than chart.
His writing on Everglades City FL covers everything from tidal fishing conditions and kayak trails to lodging, local history, and the complex past that most Florida travel content carefully avoids.
He writes to give readers the honest version.
The parking lot at the Gulf Coast visitor center had eleven cars in it on a Tuesday in April, which is a good day for Everglades City. Down in Naples, forty minutes north, hotel occupancy had been running near ninety percent for several weeks. Florida is outperforming every other US state in tourism this year, by most measures by a significant margin. None of that momentum is arriving here in any proportionate way. I have been tracking this disparity in a way that feels almost personal by now. Florida’s tourism boom is real, and the numbers behind it are not…
The Cameron Winter tour is the solo headline tour supporting his debut solo album, “Heavy Metal,” released on December 6, 2024, through Partisan Records. Cameron Winter, the frontman of New York rock band Geese, performed across the East Coast, London, and Paris on the “Heavy Metal Tour Continued” in 2025. The tour ran across 23 shows in 2025 and extended into 2026 with international dates.What Is the Cameron Winter Tour?The Cameron Winter tour is a solo headline concert series tied to his debut solo album, “Heavy Metal.” Cameron Winter steps into a surreal and soul-baring new chapter with “Heavy Metal,”…
The Airbnb listing described it as a waterfront retreat with authentic Florida charm. The couple who booked it drove down from Orlando on a Friday in March, turned off the Tamiami Trail, and called me from the parking area behind the ranger station. They had expected a town. What they found was Everglades City. I do not say that as a criticism of the place. I say it as a description of the gap between what the townsizing trend is selling and what a working fishing community of under five hundred people actually is. Those are different things, and the…
A BMW touring motorcycle is a long-distance road bike built for comfort, range, and two-up riding. BMW Motorrad produces 5 dedicated touring models in 2026. These include the R 1300 RT, R 1300 RS, K 1600 GT, K 1600 GTL, and K 1600 Grand America. Starting prices range from $19,895 to $29,995 plus destination for the 2026 model year.What Is a BMW Touring Motorcycle?A BMW touring motorcycle is a fully equipped road motorcycle designed for long-distance travel. Touring motorcycles are characterized by 4 features: large-displacement engines, integrated luggage systems, weather protection, and two-up passenger comfort. For context, see our previous…
Salto Angel tours offer access to the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall, standing at 979 meters (3,212 feet) in Canaima National Park, Venezuela. Tour packages depart from Caracas and are priced from $675 to $850 per person for 4 to 5-day expeditions, with a separate Canaima National Park entrance fee of $40. 95 percent of visitors to Venezuela list Angel Falls as their primary destination.What Is Salto Angel?Salto Angel, or Angel Falls, is the world’s highest uninterrupted waterfall, located in Canaima National Park in the Gran Sabana region of Bolivar State, Venezuela. The waterfall drops over the edge of the Auyantepui…
A woman I met at the boat ramp in October had been to three small towns in eighteen months. All three came from the same travel newsletter she subscribed to, and she was planning a fourth. She was at the boat ramp because someone had told her Everglades City was authentic, and she had come to find out what that meant. The low tide smell was coming off the mud flats, and she had her phone out, trying to get a signal. I have been thinking about that encounter since, because it contained most of what I know about how…
A Nakano and Shinjuku tour covers 2 of Tokyo’s most distinct neighborhoods within a single day. Nakano is 10 minutes from Shinjuku by the JR Chuo Line and offers anime subculture, vintage shopping, and local food culture. Shinjuku delivers 4 major experiences: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Golden Gai, Kabukicho entertainment district, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation deck.What Are Nakano and Shinjuku in Tokyo?Nakano and Shinjuku are 2 adjacent neighborhoods in western central Tokyo, both accessible from Shinjuku Station, the world’s busiest train station by passenger volume. Nakano is a residential and subculture district known for otaku (anime and…
I read about the $52 million aquarium coming to John Pennekamp from the dock in Everglades City. The afternoon light was going gold over the water and the mangrove smell was coming off the low tide mud the way it does at that hour. The water I was looking at and the water the $52 million is being spent on are part of the same system. One end of that system will have a 23,000-gallon tank devoted to Florida’s coral reef and a storm simulator showing how mangroves protect the coast. The other end has Triad Seafood and a boat…
Jordan Davis is touring in 2026 on the Ain’t Enough Road Tour, with dates spanning the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. The tour supports his third studio album, Learn the Hard Way, released on August 15, 2025, via MCA Nashville. The 2026 leg covers multiple continents and includes festival appearances, headline arena shows, and summer outdoor venues across North America.Who Is Jordan Davis?Jordan Carl Wheeler Davis was born on March 30, 1988, in Shreveport, Louisiana. He is signed to MCA Nashville and has released 3 albums: Home State in 2018, Bluebird Days in 2023, and Learn…
The Goodbye Yesterday Tour is the first-ever headlining concert tour by Elevation Rhythm, a Christian worship collective based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tour spans 2 parts. Part 1 launched in fall 2025 across the United States and international stages. Part 2 kicked off in January 2026 with a West Coast run featuring special guests Strings and Heart. The tour draws its name from the group’s No. 1 Christian radio single “Goodbye Yesterday” and is inspired by their 2025 album Victory Lap.Who Is Elevation Rhythm?Elevation Rhythm is the youth expression of Elevation Church, a megachurch based in Charlotte, North Carolina.…