Today was a really fun day. Getting off the cruise ship was a smooth affair, since they have everything down to an art. Then we headed to the Everglades and took a walk in the national park by the Shark Valley Visitor Center. You have to pay $25 a car to get in, but it is well worth the cost. You would think they paid the animals to just hang out and pose by the side of the canal, because that is what they were all doing. They weren't even scared of people! We saw so many birds, and a number of turtles and alligators too. We were standing on a bridge from which you could see a number of gar fish, and suddenly an alligator swam out from under the bridge.
After the park we went to the Miccosukee restaurant and had frog legs, alligator bites, and Indian fry bread for lunch. Then we took an airboat ride, and halfway through it the Native guide took us to a place where he said there are often baby alligators - and we saw two tiny ones! Then he took us back into the swamp, and suddenly he stopped and showed us a big one. After the airboat ride, Travalon and I went across the street to the Miccosukee Indian Village, and we watched an alligator show. At the end of the show, everyone got to hold a young alligator, and then Travalon was brave enough to sit on the back of a full-grown one!
We drove along Lake Okachobee, but you really can't see it from the road because there is an embankment built up along it. We did go through the very cute town of Pahokee, which is a historically black town, and where I saw just about the only Catholic church I have seen in this state, outside of the basilica in St. Augustine. For dinner we had fried oysters and more alligator!
Here are some pictures from our adventures.
Anhinga
Snowy Egret
Anyone know?
Blue Heron
Alligator
Gar
Another Alligator
Bougainvillea
The next two shots are decorations from the Miccosukee.
Baby Alligators
Alligator we saw from the airboat.
Here are a couple of pictures of Travalon with alligators at the Miccosukee Village.
This is a shot of beautiful Pahokee State Park.
And finally, a movie of one of the alligators swimming.
Famous Hat
1 comment:
This was a really nice stress-free day. Glad we chose to spend some significant time in the Everglades and avoid Miami traffic.The Micosoukee are a branch of the Seminole tribe and have a fascinating culture. The wildlife spotting opportunities in the Everglades are endless. Imagine seeing a very rare almost extinct Florida panther.My respect for alligators has been greater after this experience. They aren't harmful to humans unless scared, like a mother protecting her young.
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