Never a Wrong Turn (Ever): Everglades: A photographer's dream!

We seriously considered skipping the Everglades and not going as far south in Florida. I am so glad we reconsidered! Not only did we enjoy weather in the 80s, but we saw the most incredible wildlife concentrated in one park. Everglades National Park should be on every one's bucket list! Unfortunately, the park's eco system is threatened by development to the North and drought. It is a jewel we must not allow to disappear. Now I am done preaching!

We entered the park outside of Homestead, Florida. We passed "Robert is Here" which is a fruit stand with every possible type of tropical fruit and famous for fruit smoothies. We chose one made of chocolate fruit and banana which was very different! It was a little slimy and had a weird texture. Mike described it as gritty and not very chocolaty. I enjoyed mine, but I am not sure I would order it again. Mike left his on the bumper of the trailer. Several hours later, the spoon was still standing up. It wasn't ice cream making it thick! The next day it exploded, spilling out of the cup and looking just like what we pick up after the dogs "do their business". But I digress! We camped at Flamingo campground which is at the southern edge of the park. We walked some boardwalk trails and took a boat trip through a canal, stream and inter coastal sea. And I loved taking pictures! Can you tell?

These white egrets were walking everywhere in the campground.

Honey bees were busy on the ground cover in January! Do they have a dormant period here?

Canoeing in the park is very popular and most of the "trails" are actually canoe trails.

View from the water's edge.

Black Pelican.

Heron.

Small lizards were numerous!

Low tide from the water's edge.

Osprey fishing. The fish doesn't look too happy!

Osprey nest with chick.

There are panthers in southern Florida.

White Pelican.

Terns.

More Terns.

Turkey Vulture. They were everywhere as were warnings that they will each the rubber/plastic from the windows on vehicles.

Several different species of air plants are on many of the bushes and trees.

The alligators looks so lazy and uninterested, until you look at their eyes!

He got up on the wrong side of the nest.

Anhingus bird.

We saw many Anhingus along the waterways. We learned that they do not have any wax or oil on their wings so that they can dive deeply to catch fish. Once they are done diving they must dry out their wings to fly. You see them in the trees with their wings open drying all along the waterways.

Anhingus chicks.

Anhingus apartment house.

The terns were always gathered at the water's edge in this location, and their beaks were always pointing in one direction.

Blue heron.

This green heron seems pretty secure by this gator.

Great White Egret. Notice the proximity of the alligators.

Tern committee.

Crocodile. You can distinguish them from alligators by their lighter coloring and their visible bottom teeth. You can't see the bottom teeth on an alligator unless it opens its mouth to show you!

Crocodile

Great white egret.

We saw a sign for a "pass" with an elevation of 3 feet, but I wasn't quick enough to get a picture.

Blue heron.

Anhingus head.

Webbed feet capable of grabbing.

Green heron.

Hard day in paradise!

Red shouldered hawk.

Mike with his vulture friends.

Oysters on the mangrove roots.

Mangrove roots. Mangroves are one of the only trees that can withstand salt water.

Pygmy rattlesnake.

When we registered at the campground, Mike was told not to tie the dogs up under trees because of the snakes. He came back to the truck and told me that we couldn't put the dogs under trees because of the snakes in the trees. When we got to camp, I was a little concerned that our picnic table was under a tree and we were not allowed to move it. A volunteer later came by weed wacking the weeds under the trees. He explained that they keep the weeds down because pygmy rattlesnakes burrow in the bases of the trees. (Not up in the trees!) As he was talking and wacking, a rattlesnake came out of its hole right by our camp. The volunteer calmly picked up the snake with a tool I thought was for picking up trash. Then he put him in a bucket and dumped him, alive, into the grass 50 feet away. I felt so much safer (not)!