Everglades/Big Cypress National Preserve

Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park - February 26 - 29

OK, OK.... I haven't been very faithful to keeping up with my blog have I.... I think I've had writer's block because I've tried working on this several times and just can't quite figure out what to say.  Part of it is because Big Cypress and the Everglades have been a most enjoyable place to visit.  I haven't been able to come up with the right words to describe how beautiful it is.  We've seen the same birds and the alligators in other places on our journey, but there's just something about this place that intrigues me. 

We've had some excellent opportunities to see alot of the same species of birds that we've been seeing all along, but this time we were able to get real close to them.  The seemed to ignore us - even tho we were only 5 - 10 feet away!  We watched a Great White Heron catch a snake - kind of neat to see but too bad for the snake!  There's another tab at the top of the blog that has alot of photos of the birds - I guess Mom got a little crazy with clicking the camera....  And we also got to see some very young alligators.  One of the momma alligators hissed at Jay for standing just a little to close for comfort!  So he moved on and let them be!

There's a loop road that we drove along that takes you through a variety of habitats and settings.  Again - we saw the same birds and alligators, but each turn of the road and each slough that crossed (you pronounce that SLOO) had birds roosting in trees or wading in the water, waiting for a fish to come by.  We drove down the same road in the evening and discovered an ibis rookery.  Talk about a racket!  There were a couple of hundred birds, all yacking and carrying on.  I guess they were squabbling over who should perch on which branch for the nite.  (hmmmm is that where the term pecking order comes from?)  What was really neat was to see it during the daytime.... and then again at dusk....  check it out!

Big slough at nite



Big slough during the day....

The cypress bogs are really neat.  The cypress knees look like an army of gnomes, on guard....  Seeing them with the reflections in the clear, still water is very eerie.  Especially as the sun is setting, when you're down the end of a long dirt road! 

We stayed at a campground that is midway between Naples and Miama.  No cell coverage, very few lights and some crystal clear evenings to look at the stars and the planets.  I don't think I've ever been in the dark when it is quite that dark!  Very neat... 

We also got to visit the southern portion of the Everglades.  We spent a couple of nights in Florida City and spent the day driving to the southern extent of the National Park.  We were able to see some crocodiles and manatees at the marina (crocs are just plain ugly - no other way to describe them!)   The real treat for the day, though, was taking a walk to see some mahogany trees and stumbling upon two baby barred owls.  They were only 2 or three weeks old - but were still a sizable bundle of fluff!!!!

And as much as we enjoyed the Everglades, we were anxious to get to our next stop...  Key West and a visit with Allison!  Yippee!!!!!

Fort Myers/Sanibel Island - February 25th

Today was best day ever- I'd call it a four paws up kind of day!!! (I know, I said that once before, but somehow, the days on this trip just keep getting better and better!)  And I also have to let the dog world know  Sanibel Island is the place to go.  After all of the ‘NO DOGS ALLOWED’ signs, we finally found a place that is welcoming to those of us with 4 paws!  I was allowed on the beaches and was even allowed to walk around on the trails at the US Fish and Wildlife Service refuge – the DN Ding Darling Refuge.  What a place! 



Fidder crab waiting to grab my nose!

 We took a walk thru a mangrove swamp.  Those are some strange looking trees!  And the critters that hide in and among them are pretty neat too.  Saw some alligators (I’m becoming used to seeing them altho I still don’t trust them!)  and a lot of birds...  and these Fiddler crabs.

No trip to Sanibel Island is complete without a walk on the beach and a search for shells.  I’m not really into that, but I guess it was an OK way to spend part of the afternoon!  I tried to act interested in all of that….   and we did find some pretty shells, thanks to my careful watching!

Back at the RV park, that evening, we were treated to some neighbors who had a campfire, a few guitars and some really really old songs.  Mom and Jay were singing along, but I didn’t know the words, so I slept quietly at their feet.  Guess that’s what you do when you get old!