the wandering chick
...the Everglades National Park

My two travel partners and I were surprised at the Everglades and intrigued by Big Cypress. The vision we had of the Everglades was mostly what we'd seen on TV and read about...marshy waterways that travel through 10-foot high sawgrass. Seeing it in person, we learned otherwise. We almost could have been in the open prairie of South Dakota. Okay, perhaps the Everglades Park is a bit wetter, but from road level one doesn't see the low-lying paths of water that are so important to the welfare of the Everglades and the wildlife that live there.

Stops at a couple of visitor centers were helpful in recommending hiking trails and scenic drives we could take. We covered the Highway 9336 from Florida City to the Flamingo Visitor Center on one trip. On a second trip we traveled the Highway 41 east to west, also called the Tamiami Trail. A large portion of that trail, along with a 24-mile scenic loop, travels through the Big Cypress National Preserve which, for reasons unknown, takes second seat to the Everglades.

On both days we saw alligators, beautiful shorebirds and two different kinds of turtles...oh! and huge grasshoppers. Here are the pictures.

and Big Cypress National Preserve
osprey and baby chick in nest
ride through the Everglades
Ospreys are quite common in south Florida; we never had to travel far before we would see a nest, usually with Mom or Dad and, since it was spring time, babies as well.
ride through the Everglades
ride through the Everglades
On our initial introduction to the Everglades, we took a boat ride such as the one in the photo on the right. We didn't see any alligators, but we learned more than enough about the mangrove plant.
Everglades prairie
Everglades prairie
Much of the Everglades, from the drive on the 9336 to the Flamingo Visitor Center, looked like this, which we were surprised by. This picture and the next two were taken from the Pa-hay-okee Overlook.
Everglades prairie
pig-nosed turtle
pig-nosed turtle
This may be a Florida soft-shelled turtle, but there is a species of turtle called a pig-nosed; I'd say this one fits the bill.
waterfowl
Also on the 9336 through the Everglades, we stopped along the road where these three or four different kinds of birds were seen. Above is the Wood Stork. Below and left is the Roseate Spoonbill. There were Ibis, as well, pictured far below.
waterfowl
waterfowl
waterfowl
waterfowl
waterfowl
spoonbill in tree
grasshopper
turtle and lily pad
Florida has the Giant Orange Grasshopper, also called the Lubber Grasshopper. It is 4 inches long and very toxic. We found several of them here in the Everglades.
alligator
turtle and lily pad
This and three more pictures are of this little guy who was hungry for a lily pad flower. I watched him for three minutes until success finally came.
turtle and lily pad
turtle and lily pad
alligator
alligator
We saw a good number of alligators in both the Everglades and Big Cypress parks. I think we counted nine on the scenic loop road in Big Cypress. Others, maybe four or five, were here and there and in the Everglades.
alligator
alligator
alligator
alligator
alligator
cypress knees
alligator
Cypress trees
Cypress knees (stumps) in the Big Cypress National Preserve
bromeliades on cypress trees
Bromeliades grow in multitudes on the cypress trees. In bloom, it must be stunning.
bromeliades on cypress trees
bromeliade on cypress trees
I suppose this is just a cypress stump, but I could swear I see a couple of beady eyes and a perturbed expression. Perhaps his feet are cold.

Check out our next, and last, destination: Sanibel Island

Or, return to the Florida home page.

cypress stump

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