March 20-23, 2014 -- The Everglades!

We got up early (for us…) and were on the road by 9am.  It is 236 miles to our next camp in the Everglades National  Park and we hope to stop along the way and take an airboat ride.  I reserved a place to stay and decided to make this a two day move.

We stopped at the Everglades City Chamber of Commerce and talked to them about airboat rides in the area. We figured we could park there on the highway and grab the DRZ’s to ride down to Everglades City.  I had checked out all the vendors on Google Earth and decided that we did NOT want to take the Beast and the Toad down there; nowhere to turn around or park.  The lady at the desk said that the vendors along the highway all did grassland tours (that’s what we wanted, the adrenalin rush).  So we walked the half mile down the highway to Jungle Erv’s to take our ride.

This mom and her two babies are wild pigs that wander around the property.  There is another family unit out in the mangroves as well.

Our boat

The lady at the C of C was miss-informed; this group does not go into the grass, only into the mangroves.  Silly us, we didn’t ask before we paid for our ride

It was still pretty cool

After our ride we continued on to Trail Lakes Campground where we had reservations.  They claim to be the headquarters of the ‘Swamp Ape’.  Yeah, right.  Well, they do have a nifty animal exhibit.

This snake is 20’ long, 20 years old and 300 lbs.

The handler was feeding this little one.  Man was it fast…

Yes I held the baby gator; I think it’s a rule

Linda did too

They had some great birds there

This is Doo Doo.  He likes to be held

 

We only stayed the one night, heading to the Flamingo Campground in the park where we would stay 3 nights.

 

We stopped at the Oasis Visitors Center in the Big Cypress National Preserve. 

The water was full of jumping fish

See the eyes; this gator was just hangin’ out 

This guy was close to shore; we were above him on a boardwalk

After running some errands (we have to buy food almost every time we move) we got to camp in the late afternoon.  The next day we walked down to the visitor’s center about a mile away and attended the Ranger-led Manatee Talk.  We would eventually see one in the marina, so Linda can say she saw one!

Some of the trees have strange pods, Wayne just had to touch 

The two of them were enthralled with the weird seeds 

After the Manatee talk we wandered over to the boat dock area to sign up for the sunset boat ride. There is a tower on the dock with a nest in it.  Momma Osprey keeps watch.

Linda and Wayne ready for our boat ride 

This lone Mangrove tree managed to live through the hurricane that destroyed the hotel on shore.  One tough tree…

Beautiful sunset 

What a great way to end the day

Our last day was spent listening to the ranger Tim Taylor again, this time about the nature and history of Flamingo Florida.  Before this was a park, very strong, tough people lived along these shores.  It was amazing what they accomplished and lived through.

The Visitor’s Center 

Yes, it’s pink.  After all it is the Flamingo Visitor's Center 

This is actually a crocodile, not a gator. Like I could tell the difference 

After our nature walk was over we headed back to our camp via the trail. The everglades are a very unique and interesting place.  But if we ever get back here, we are really going to take that ride through the grass lands!!!