Trip to the Everglades National Park - October 18 thru 28, 2013

Freedom from habits, routines, and obligations…let the travels begin.



 

Theme:  dreaming out

the jetty at Cape Canaveral

  

 

Making our way along the jetty, we witness the full moon ascending up from the horizon, mixing with dusky shadows to create soft violets and blues.  Fishing men and women of varied ethnicities have claimed their spots along the rocks that form this part of the Canaveral landscape.  Warm, moist ocean breezes comingle with the sound of different languages and if you close your eyes you feel like you could be in another country.  Until, of course, you open them again and see a giant cruise ship silently gliding thru the dark inlet out to sea.  Lit with twinkling lights and drifting sounds of glitzy music, tiny human forms dot the ship decks in anticipation of a night of gambling and carousing out on the Atlantic.

 

One of the sights that interested us was a fisherman pulling up several eel like creatures that we later learned were ribbon fish.  We watched the man take the hook out of the fishes’ mouth and noticed quite a set of teeth there as he quickly slid it into a nearby cooler before the fish could decide to take one of his fingers with it.

 

Early morning moon ride on our bikes thru the pine scrub forest.  Wild turkey, osprey, turtle, and a bunny were among the wild life we were fortunate to observe. 

 

 

 

We enjoyed a panoramic view of the park and ocean from the Hobe Mountain Observation Tower in the Jonathon Dickinson State Park.  Just a glimpse of the Loxahatchee River was all we needed to satisfy our curiosity.
 

young crocodile

Flamingo Campground

A virtual wilderness for the soul, the Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical preserve in North America providing habitat for hundreds of bird species.  We learned that south Florida is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist…amazing!
 


Roseate Spoonbill on Florida Bay

 

 
 

Gumbo Limbo Tree

 Water management is the key issue for the survival of the Everglades, whose watershed begins in the Kissimmee River basin in central Florida.  Elaborate water controls now disrupt the natural flow allowing either too much or too little water to flow southward.  In other words, without clean water at the critical seasons and in the right quantities, the “River of Grass” and much of its wild life will die.

This strangely beautiful place boasts the largest mangrove forest in the world.  In this floating forest where fresh water mixes with salt we observe the red and black mangrove trees reaching out with their finger like roots for establishment.



emerging from the mangrove forest

The dark water here is tannin stained from fallen leaves and debris creating a soup of nutrients at the base of the mangroves and is the primary nursery for shrimp and fish.

Lance-Leaved Arrowhead

 

Some wild flowers we saw are Swamp Lily, Lance-Leaved Arrowhead, Spatterdock, Morning Glory. 

Fear less. 

 

Anhinga is a bird here in the Everglades and a wildlife trail is named after it. 

The Gumbo Limbo Trail introduced us to the Gumbo Limbo tree also known as the tourist tree for its red, pealing bark.

 

Pay-Hay-Okee Overlook for a panoramic view of the “River of Grass”.  



Dwarf Cypress Forest

 



Mahogany Forest

Pontoon boat cruise of the Florida Bay and its diverse wild life provided an opportunity to view an amazing selection of birds.  Birds of a feather:  Brown Pelican, Anhinga, Great Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Green Heron, Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, White Ibis, Turkey and Black Vultures, Osprey, variety of Hawks.  Throughout our stay here we heard the distinct hoo notes of the Barred Owl at dusk. 

campground at dawn

We ended our stay here with an airboat ride just outside the park.  Seated on board with a dozen other souls, our captain fearlessly led us out into the glades as gators scurried from our path.  Once out in the open river of grass the captain took us on a fast and furious journey, swirling and turning the boat to create sprays of water that soaked us tourists sitting in the front of the craft.  It was super fun and well worth our time. 

 

Lunch time at the
Alligator Farm

 

 

 

Last stop before home is Fort Pierce.  We even enjoyed some wine tasting at the Endless Summer Vineyard.  They specialize in growing the muscadine grape which is able to withstand the hot Florida summers.  A sweeter grape than my palette favors but it is always nice to experience something different.