Ochopee,
Florida is located between
Naples and
Miami on the
Tamiami Trail (
Highway 41). It is located east of
Highway 29, which leads north to
Immokalee and south to
Chokoloskee.
To call Ochopee a small town is being generous.
From 41, as you travel through Ochopee, going west, you will notice only a few buildings. The first is the Ochopee fire department. The second, a little ways down the road, is a general store. The third is the post office. Next to the general store is a gas station, which was featured in the movie Gone Fishin'. Last time I was by there, it was closed... it seems to always be in fairly intermittent operation, as opposed to the Texaco in Carnestown, to the west.
Near the store is a small dirt road which leads north to some fairly nice houses, located on large plots of swamp.
My family has a bizarre connection to Ochopee; about 40 years ago, my mom tried to steal the post office. <Dave Barry>I am NOT making this up.</Dave Barry>. The Ochopee post office is a small building, about 6x6 feet, made of wood. In her (probably) teenage years, she and a friend attempted to load the post office onto a flatbed truck and drive off with it.