The Everglades was never a place that made it onto our Bucket List but our travels found us in the vicinity so we decided to check it out.
Everglades National Park splits into 2 sections, northern and southern and both can't really be experienced in one day. We were overnighting in Homestead and had some free time so we took the 48-mile southern route down to Flamingo Point. It's mostly an uninteresting grassland/wetland drive with a few miles through Cypress trees, not at all what I expected. I expected swamps and alligators but didn't see any.
Flamingo Point is the southern-most point on mainland U.S. (Key West is the southern-most point in the continental U.S.) We didn't see any flamingoes anywhere, but we did get to see a Manatee in the cove and an active Osprey nest right next to the ranger station. There was no shortage of mosquitoes and with no desire to contract West Nile Virus we escaped to the shelter of Romin and shortened our trip.
Another curious fact about the Everglades is that vultures in this area like to snack on any exposed rubber on your car.
They will rip apart your windshield wipers and your window gaskets. Apparently, they don't really eat the rubber, they just like to tear it apart making for potentially costly repairs to your vehicle. They lie in wait in the trees in the parking lot, like delinquent teenagers scoping out their next victim. Google it, it's a thing!
The following day, we headed up to Sanibel Island, via Route 41, the Tamiami Trail, which took us through the northern portion of the Everglades. The drive was very similar to the southern route with lots of grassland wetlands.
We decided to take the side trip through the 30-mile loop road and this was more like my vision of the Everglades. It was drizzly rain with the deep, dark swamps coming up the edge of both sides of the muddy, dirt road. Cypress trees dripping with Spanish Moss and weird noises combined to make the atmosphere like something out of a Stephen King novel.
Lack of seeing other humans and signs warning of panthers and alligators didn't help.
There was a large abundance and variety of BIG birds, egrets, herons, ibis, vultures, and storks, which Pete was more than excited to photograph. Every 100 yards or so there would be a small bridge with a small clearing where the water passes under the road and allows you to see into the mangrove a little better. There were always birds in the clearings hunting for fish in the deeper water. Here is a link to our Everglades photo album: Everglades
I, on the other hand, really couldn't wait to get out of there. I think I watch too many movies...LOL!!
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Until next time, peace
Pete & Lori
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