ADVENTURES IN PARADISE PART THREE

ALL PHOTOS ARE MINE SO NO DONWLOADING PLEASE!

APRIL 14

We went to the Everglades today. A dream that I've had for a long time.

Some background........With an 1.5 million acers, this protected section of Florida's Everglades covers the southwestern end of the state and a vast section of shallow Florida Bay dotted with tiny keys. There is no other park like it in the world. Geologically and climatically unique, the Everglades is a 50 mile wide subtropical *river of grass* flowing almost imperceptibly from Lake Okeechobee to the sea. To fully appreciate it, one needs to spend time there, for it does not overwhelm with spectacular scenery. Rather, its gentle waving grass dotted with stunted bald cypress, its clear ponds, its hardwood hammocks and pinelands are home to plants and animal life native to both the Caribbean Islands and the temperate Untied States. ( Hidden Florida Keys & Everglades by Candase Leslie and Ann Boese, pg. 75)

Up early morning, hopped in the Shelby GT and headed up the Keys toward Miami. At 344 St. we make a left hand turn heading for Florida City. Florida City is a rich farm land area. We saw migrate workers picking tomatoes, green beans, summer squash and peppers, just to name a few. We also saw orchards of mangoes, papayas and avocados.

Entering the park by the main park area, the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. Looked around at all the exhibits and paid our $10 at the gate. We are on our way to the 38 mile road through the Everglades.

First stop, Royal Palm, which contains two trails different as night and day, even though they are just feet from each other. The Anhinga Trail is a 1/4 mile loop boardwalk trail that winds through saw grass where we saw tons of alligators ( it was mating season), fish, like the Florida gar, largemouth bass, bluegill and unfortunately non-native fish like the Mayan cichlids, tiger and common oscers (also cichlids), which have impacted the native fish in a bad way. The trail is named after a big bird. We saw one sitting on a nest in a tree. I couldn't get a clean shot of it. We hung out here for awhile watching the male gators * posturing* for the affection of the only female I saw. The sound the males were making was interesting, a kind of hissing grunt. We were surrounded by males. Thank goodness we were up on that boardwalk trail.

Just across the way was the Gumbo Limbo ( I love saying this) Trail. This is a 1/2 mile loop that winds through a jungle like tropical hardwood hammock reshaped by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Along with the Gumbo Limbo trees, which the native Indians call *peeling man*. The trees are red in color with peeling bark. They used these trees to make canoes and in cooking gumbo. We also saw a variety of ferns, some as tall as me, air plants, royal palms. The strangest and interesting of all was the strangling fig. It starts out on a host tree and eventually takes it over and nothing is left of the host tree. It had long twisted roots, that go everywhere. This place is a thick jungle. I wondered as I walked along the path at what the first humans must have thought and how they even dared to enter this place. With the thick forest, alligators, panthers, and other dangerous critters.



Back in the car we drive to Pa-hay-okee (American Indian word meaning *grassy sea*) Overlook. Elevation at this point was 4 feet above sea level, we were actually going up hill. This 1/4 mile boardwalk trail takes you through dwarf cypress trees and the slash pine, to an observation deck overlooking the 8 mile wide *sea of grass.*

We were a little late to see the migrating birds. Did see one white heron in the distance. The only birds I saw was these guys. I think they were crows.

Next we go to the Mahogany Hammock. The 1/2 mile boardwalk trail crosses the Glades and loops through a subtropic tree island with massive mahogany trees, including one said to be the largest in the United States. I think we saw this tree. We talked under a monster tree, with all sorts of air plants hanging off it. We didn't see any critters. The trees and jungle enviorment certainly was impressive.

Our next stop was at West Lake were we ate our lunch. After lunch, we walked the 1/2 mile boardwalk trial through the thickest forest yet. Without the boardwalk it would have been totally impossible to travel through here. This forest was made up of the white mangrove, the black mangrove, red mangrove and the buttonwoood mangrove. Each mangrove has it's own characteristics. The lake was experiencing an algae bloom, so we weren't able to see anything in the water. Plenty of osprey flying around though. There are osprey everywhere in the Glades.

The last stop was Flamingo. Flamingo has all but been destroyed by hurricanes, Katrina, Rita and Wilma. Not much is left but the campground. Didn't see much here. Quite a few osprey and their nests.

Going to Big Pine Key tomorrow to the Key Deer Native Wildlife refuse to see little deer the size of dogs. Should be pretty cute.