We decided this time we would travel to the most southern point...on land that is...called Flamingo which used to have a restaurant and hotel before two hurricanes took them out. Now just a park visitors center, marina, ranger station and a small cafeteria run out of a trailer greet you after your 45 mile journey through the everglades. Of course there was camping, some with electric but most without. We had the juice but no cell service, internet or over the air tv...but we were able to watch Ohio State win the National Championship of Collage Football on our Direct TV so it wasn't a total loss.
When you are used to all the modern convinces of modern life...to be off the grid for ten days took a little getting used to...and we actually didn't.
The pictures that follow are from our two and half weeks in the Everglades...
We were told the Everglades had 12 specs of Mosquitos...
Buy only 8 of them bite!
More than just a few birds make there winter home here.
Above the female Osprey tends to the nest and
the male tends to lunch.
This is the only place in the United States where you will find the American Crocodile...similar to the Alligator but far more sensitive to the change of temperature...in fact when it dips to 50 during the day and 40 at night for a few days it usually ends up eliminating a number of them.
Another animal that is found in the warm waters of Southern Florida is the Manatee. An odd looking creature with a rather cult fallowing...So much that people have to be constantly warned not to touch them...not because they will harm you, but you can add to there fragileness. Some people will go out and swim with them...we past on that one!
The Ranger Programs in Flamingo were some of the best in America and we have been to a lot over the years. The highlight at this stop was a guided canoe trip into the Everglades which lasted four hours and was at no cost. We saw close up over 15 species of birds, Crocodiles, Alligators and indigenous plants to the area.
We even saw a Sting Ray ....which we have never seen in the wild.
We didn't see any Pythons which are beginning to be a real problem down here because they multiply so fast and they have very few enemy's. This Ranger which we named Brad {...after our nephew, actually sounded and acted exactly like him...} gave a talk on the subject which included a rather large skin to enhance the magnitude of the problem and help us understand why we don't see any of the small animals like Raccoons, Rabbits, Squirrels or even Deer anymore. This all started when a hurricane destroyed a business that housed exotic animals and some Pythons made there way into the Everglades along with some pet owners releasing unwanted reptiles.
Yes we were off the grid...but that also means great camping!
When you are away from it all you also stumble across things like "THE SMALLEST POSTOFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES"
LIVE
LAUGH
LOVE
SanTony
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