Florida 2015

Norma, Carmen, and I had been kicking around the idea of a winter trip in early 2015. We discussed New Mexico but after some research, Norma decided that winter was not a good time to visit. So we considered other alternatives.

In my opinion, the best trip that Norma and I had ever done was to northern Florida in 2010. I know that trip would be really hard to beat but we decided to give it a try. This time, we would venture to southern Florida. Driving to the north was quite a haul so it didn't take too much thought before we decided to fly to the south instead. We would meet Carmen who was staying out there with her parents and do a road trip traveling counterclockwise from the Atlantic side.

Our last trip was Norway 2014. For that, I mostly sat back and let the girls do the planning. But I was much more active with the planning of this one since we would be spending much of our time on the water. I found my Canoeing & Kayaking Florida book to be a valuable resource when choosing paddling routes. My DeLorme Florida Atlas & Gazetteer was also very helpful.

After the novelty of Christmas and New Year wore off, this trip gave Norma and me something to look forward to. It helped keep the winter from seeming quite so dark and cold. Thinking of all our seasonal trips, I enjoy the winter ones the most for this reason exactly.

So sit back, take your shoes off, pour yourself a cold one and read on as I begin the story of Team SNaCk (Saki, Norma, and Carmen) in southern Florida.

Several days prior, I ordered a new handheld GPSMAP 78 Handheld global positioning system (GPS) from Shopepal. I was billed for it, it never arrived, I (perhaps not so coincidentally) then had my credit card number used fraudulently, and eventually, my credit card company gave me a refund. I found out later that several people reported extremely poor service with this company. Fortunately, the Garmin GPSmap 76CSx I had still worked...it just had a cracked screen that made about a third of it unusable.

While I had been keeping a checklist of things to pack, I didn't actually start packing until the day we were to fly out. Since we were carrying a big tent, sleeping bags, and other bulky outdoor gear, I decided to load most of it in my 27 year old military issue sea bag. Our good friend and neighbor Sara drove us to Baltimore Washington Airport (BWI) for our Southwest Airlines departure. Walking around the airport, I realized why I never use my sea bag. Wheels are much easier in most situations.

We had a most entertaining flight with a very flamboyant steward. Except for a little turbulence near the end, everything was pretty smooth. Norma and I landed at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport. After retrieving our luggage, we rented a car from Payless Car Rental. They did not seem to be very organized and I don't think we would choose them again.

The two of us drove out to Pompano Beach to meet Carmen at her sister Gladys' house. Gladys was away so we didn't have a chance to meet her. The three of us stayed there for the night.

As I unpacked my gear, I noticed that my empty water bottles had broken in my sea bag. Unlike standard luggage which has a hard shell, a sea bag is just a big nylon bag...so don't put in anything that can't handle a good bit of pressure.

I awoke to a sunny, warm morning. Carmen didn't think it was terribly warm but compared to Maryland winters, it seemed like we were in a tropical paradise.

After picking up some food at a local convenience store, we drove north to Riverbend Park in the wealthy town of Jupiter. Here, we stopped in at Canoe Outfitters of Florida where we had reserved boats and shuttle service. It would have been nice to sleep in and take it easy on our first day but the outfitter only offers this shuttle trip on weekends.

I expected this to be the highlight of our trip and looking back at the photos, I think this was my favorite day.

There were two main reasons why I chose this route on the Loxahatchee River. First, my book gave it its highest rating...A+, for scenery. Second, I read that
The upper river winds its way under a canopy of centuries-old cypress trees, giving a real 'back-in-time' experience. On the lower section, the river becomes a mangrove-lined estuary, with ample bird life along its shores. In 1985, the Loxahatchee became Florida's first federally designated "Wild & Scenic River."
- from Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Norma and Carmen shared an Old Town Twin Otter tandem kayak while I paddled an Old Town Loon 111. The outfitter provided the heaviest paddles I've ever held in my life. These things were truly alligator-proof.

From the moment we got on the water, the scenery was spectacular. The flora in Florida is very exotic by Maryland standards and I kept thinking we were not in the continental U.S. There were numerous air plants...some of which were blooming along with other flowers on the water.
One particularly pretty plant we saw was the Cardinal Airplant.
Cardinal Airplant, also known as quill-leaf and dog-drink-water, among others, is a tank epiphyte and a member of the bromeliad family. It grows on trees but uses the "host" only for structure. It collects water in the joints of its leaves - the tanks - where special cells called trichomes absorb it along with whatever nutrients via dead and decaying plant material and insects might have fallen there. The cardinal airplant is considered endangered because of poaching, declining habitat and the Mexican bromeliad weevil.
- from Cardinal Airplant
The first half of our trip was on a narrow waterway with plenty of trees and shrubs on either side. Yet we never had a problem with it ever being too shallow.

Unusual plants weren't just on land. Some floated on or grew out of the water.
Seeing alligators is something I look forward to in Florida. We weren't on the water more than 15 minutes before we saw four of them! Each was only about a foot long. One jumped into the water pretty quickly but the other three sat and posed for us.
In addition to exotic wildlife, we also saw plenty that were more familiar such as great blue herons and turtles.
I think all were painted turtles or some type of cooter though I am no turtle expert so feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Sadly, we did not see any snakes for our entire trip, which Carmen didn't mind.

There were lots of small lizards running amok. One was a brown anole. The last time I saw an anole was on March 31, 2014 in Texas. Carmen was hoping to show us some of the iguanas she's seen but we didn't encounter any on this trip.

After a few miles, we came to our first of two dams. This was the Lainhart Dam. The drop was only about 16 inches so we just went over it. Click on the below image to start a video.
Here's Carmen and Norma before and after going over the dam.

Numerous palm and and cypress trees dotted the landscape.

Occasionally, we ran across some applesnail eggs. These pink eggs are invasive. I don't know why they are the color they are.
I was as happy as a pig in mud being on the water in such a lovely place with two good looking chicks.
I think Norma and Carmen were enjoying themselves too.
There were other paddlers out but it never felt crowded. Any less people and we might have thought we were heading in the wrong direction.
In some areas, we had to do a little maneuvering to get around some obstacles but overall it was very easy. The downstream current gave us a gentle push so we didn't have to work too hard.

Eventually, we came to our second dam, the Masten Dam. Water wasn't flowing over this one so we had to portage. This ended up being a good rest stop with a toilet nearby.

We continued our kayak adventure.

Further downstream, we came to the pier at Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site.
When he arrived from New Jersey in the early 1930s, Vincent Natulkiewicz, also known as Vince "Trapper" Nelson found the area still teeming with wildlife. For decades he lived off the land, supplementing his diet of raccoon, gopher tortoise, opossum and with fruit from his citrus grove. In addition to trapping, he made his living by developing a business that he called "Trapper's Zoo and Jungle Garden." His docks, cages, cabins and shelters were hand made from pine trees. While he lived there, Trapper introduced hundreds of tourists and local visitors to the river's mystery and beauty, building the image of Eden in South Florida. Trapper Nelson lived in his camp until his mysterious death in 1968. The Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site is a rare survivor of a formerly common building type, exemplary of a vanished occupation and lifestyle, enhanced by its location in equally rare pristine woodland. Trapper Nelson actively engaged in efforts to preserve the Loxahatchee River and to protect his ownership of large tracts along its banks. Trapper's estate was sold by his family to a developer. The Florida Park Service acquired the estate through a land swap and maintains and protects the site for future generations to enjoy.
- from sign at Interpretive Site
The three of us ate lunch at the site and looked around. There were various log cabins he built along with cages for his zoo. An alligator skull hung on the wall of one building.
There were also gourds on a sausage tree growing nearby. This fruit can sometimes weigh more than 20 pounds!

Downstream from the Trapper Nelson site, the river opened up. We started seeing a few small power boats. The scenery was still nice but not as good as further upstream. The vegetation began to change from cypress forest to mangrove swamp as the section of river we now paddled became tidal. Prior to the site, Norma and Carmen had been in the tandem but now it was Norma and me. I soon realized just how challenging it was to control this beast of a boat. The wind, which had been hardly noticeable in the narrower sections, was now slowing us down.

The wider sections of the river allowed us to see the enormity of some of the Spanish Moss-covered trees.
Spanish moss is a native, perennial epiphytic herb. It is not Spanish, nor a moss, but a flowering plant. The slender, wiry, long, branching stems (reaching over 20 feet) grow as suspended, bluish-gray streamers and garlands draping among tree branches and sometimes telephone lines and fences. The plant is not parasitic, as is often thought, but attaches itself to trees for support.
- from Growing Spanish Moss
We continued to see turtles and several birds but now we were also seeing manatees. If you were to ask me why I like Florida, these beautiful creatures would be near the top of my list. There were about three lounging about or perhaps feeding near a mangrove.
Manatees are sometimes called sea cows, and their languid pace lends merit to the comparison. However, despite their massive bulk, they are graceful swimmers in coastal waters and rivers. Powering themselves with their strong tails, manatees typically glide along at five miles an hour but can swim 15 miles an hour in short bursts.
Manatees are usually seen alone, in pairs, or in small groups of a half dozen or fewer animals. From above the water's surface, the animal's nose and nostrils are often the only thing visible. Manatees never leave the water but, like all marine mammals, they must breathe air at the surface. A resting manatee can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes, but while swimming, it must surface every three or four minutes.
     Average life span in the wild: 40 years
     Size: 8 to 13 feet
     Weight: 440 to 1300 lbs
- from National Geographic - Manatee

Later, I learned how to spot a manatee.

Look for a swirl on the water's surface.

Look for a tail or nose (usually the only parts of the manatee's body that break the surface of the water).

Listen for their breath.

- from park sign

Next, we saw a fairly large alligator. Actually, some paddlers ahead of us spotted it first and Carmen, who was ahead of Norma and me, spotted it next. She relayed the message with hand and arm signals by pointing to the animal and then moving her straightened horizontal arms as an alligator might move its mouth if it were chomping on something. By her gestures, it was obvious we would be approaching. The alligator was tangled up in the mangroves. I'm guessing it intended to be in that position. It appeared to be 7-10 feet long.
Female alligators rarely exceed 10 feet in length, but males can grow much larger. The Florida state record is a 14 foot 3-1/2 inch male... The Florida record for weight is 1,043 pounds...
What do they eat besides careless kayakers?
Alligators are opportunistic feeders. Their diets include prey species that are abundant and easily accessible. Juvenile alligators eat primarily insects, amphibians, small fish, and other invertebrates. Adult alligators eat rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds.
- from "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Alligator Facts" (broken link as of 2024)
The last couple of miles were not so interesting.

We completed our 8.5 mile trip by taking out at Jonathan Dickinson State Park. It was supposed to be a 5-7 hour journey and we were much closer to seven than five hours.

The authors of my book gave this an A+ rating and I would agree. The whole thing wasn't scenic but most of it was extremely scenic and well worth the money to hire an outfitter for the boat rental and shuttle.

Norma, Carmen, and I packed up, loaded up our Nissan Xterra sports utility vehicle, then headed to the beachy section of Pompano Beach.
The place was very upscale. It looked like there were a lot of well-off retirees. But it wasn't just the number of senior citizens that surprised me...it was how many of them looked fit. There were a lot that were out walking, running, and bicycling. In an astro-turf section near the beach, there were a couple dozen practicing yoga outside. Surely the warm winter weather has a lot to do with people's level of activity. But a lot also has to do with their mindset. I really think that a lot of the folks here have a positive outlook on life and are not willing to let age keep them from doing the things they love.

Carmen, or wife number two as she calls herself, showed us the skateboard she recently purchased. I was hoping to demonstrate a few things I learned from my numerous years of skateboarding in my youth but the fact of the matter is I was never all that good to start. Norma gave it a whirl too.

There were benches that appeared to be made of concrete but on closer examination, they contained a lot of coral.
We ate breakfast and then walked along the beach, looking for shells. I found some coral.

I drove us west. I was enjoying driving the Xterra. It handled well and had plenty of power.

The three of us stopped at Lake Okeechobee a few times both at and near South Bay. We were hoping to get a nice view of the enormity of the lake but that wasn't so easy where we were since the vista was often broken up by trees and small islands.
Signs on the lake warned boaters to watch out for manatees. I found a lotus seed pod on the shore.
Lake Okeechobee means "big water" in the Seminole Indian language, an appropriate name for a water body whose opposite shore can't be seen from the water's edge. With a surface area of 730 square miles, it is the largest lake in the southeastern United States. Despite its impressive size, the lake is shallow, with an average depth of only nine feet.
- from Restoring Lake Okeechobee

Lake Okeechobee is famously remembered in Hank Williams Jr.'s number one Billboard country hit song "Dixie on My Mind"...a song I have on compact disc.
I've always heard lots about the Big Apple
So I thought I'd come up here and see.
But all I've seen so far is one big hassle
Wish I was camped out on the Okeechobee

We saw the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail (LOST).
[It] is an approximately 110 mile trail encircling Lake Okeechobee. Most of the trail consists of crushed gravel roadway on top of the 35 feet high Herbert Hoover Dike.
- from trail sign

Continuing our westward drive, we stopped at Fort Myers to tour the Edison and Ford Winter Estates.
The present site dates from 1885, when [Thomas Alva] Edison first visited Florida and purchased the property to build a vacation home. His home, completed in 1886 and later dubbed "Seminole Lodge," served as a winter retreat and place of relaxation until Edison's death in 1931. Edison's good friend Henry Ford purchased the adjoining property...
- from Wikipedia - Edison and Ford Winter Estates

I don't think there are many people that can fill Edison's shoes today. Especially if he were as big as the larger-than-life statue of him shown below.
Named the 20th century "Man of the Millennium" by LIFE Magazine, Thomas Alva Edison is best known for perfecting a commercially viable incandescent light bulb. However, Edison was also a newspaper printer, telegrapher, inventor, businessman, boss, husband, father, and friend.
During his remarkable career, Edison was awarded 1093 United States patents and is the only person granted a patent every year for 65 consecutive years. His purpose for invention was to "transform middle-class life."
- from sign at the Estates
In my opinion, Edison's friend, Henry Ford, was in many ways every bit at brilliant as Edison. He will always be remembered for his automobile but there were plenty of other things he did that also deserve credit. My ancestors had a deep appreciation for soybeans (what tofu is made of) but I think Henry Ford took it a step further.
Henry Ford created a suit and even an entire car body using experimental soybean products. In his quest to find industrial uses for agricultural products, Ford tested 300 varieties of soybean in over 8,000 acres of farmland by 1936...Ford manufactured soybean-based paints, lubricants, and plastics...
- from sign at the Estates

The vegetation at the Estates was most interesting. But unlike many gardens, several of these plants (like the soybeans that Ford grew) had a more practical than decorative purpose. In particular was a banyan tree which they planted as a sapling in 1927.
Edison, Ford, and Firestone formed the Edison Botanic Research Corporation in 1927 to find a fast-growing, natural source of rubber that could be grown in the United States. The banyan tree was one of more than 17,000 plant specimens that were tested during this project.
- from sign at the Estates
As with much of Florida, there were plenty of lizards to be found.
The three of us took a guided tour, which Norma didn't much care for. This included some of the buildings on the property at the Ford Estate.
Next we toured the grounds on our own. See the girls next to the Caloosahatchee River below.
We saw various interesting plants. Here's Carmen's arm signal for a tree...not to be confused with an alligator.
This is a mysore fig tree over 100 feet tall.
There was quite a large variety of bamboo growing at the Estates.
We saw a lot more healthy and sometimes entertaining vegetation.

After touring the Edison and Ford Winter Estates, we ate dinner at Farmer's Market Restaurant. I had country fried ribs which I didn't much care for.

Next, Norma, Carmen, and I drove to Sanibel Island. I plugged my Walkman into the stereo and we listened to Florida Georgia Line's This is How We Roll.
This is how we roll
This is how we ride
We slingin' up the mud, cuttin' through the countryside.

Arriving at our destination, we set up our tents in the dark at Periwinkle Park Campground on the island, ate dinner, and then called it a night.

The three of us took some time to check out our campsite and the campground. We had to look no further than outside our tents to see exotic plant life...at least, it was exotic to Norma and me but maybe not for Carmen.

Norma, Carmen, and I walked to the beach on the south side of Sanibel Island. Along the way, we passed several expensive homes. Like the other places we'd seen so far in southern Florida, Sanibel Island seemed to appeal to wealthy retirees.

On the beach, we saw numerous small birds including several royal terns.

Soon we came to something that reminded me of the bryozoans I spotted on the Sassafras River on September 30, 2013. What we saw today was a turnicate.
A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal...Some tunicates live as solitary individuals, but others replicate by budding and become colonies, each unit being known as a zooid. They are marine filter feeders with a water-filled, sac-like body structure and two tubular openings, known as siphons, through which they draw in and expel water. During their respiration and feeding, they take in water through the incurrent (or inhalant) siphon and expel the filtered water through the excurrent (or exhalant) siphon. Most adult tunicates are sessile and are permanently attached to rocks or other hard surfaces on the ocean floor; others, such as salps, doliolids and pyrosomes, swim in the pelagic zone of the sea as adults. Various species are commonly known as sea squirts, sea pork, sea livers, or sea tulips.
- from Wikipedia - Turnicate
I tried to find out how long turnicates have been around and the above Wikipedia source seemed to imply they or their close relatives have been around for up to 555 million years. This would make them a little older than even bryozoans which have been around for only about 500 million years.

Just outside the park, someone had various exotic animals in cages, including a lemur.

Back inside Periwinkle Park, we stopped at an aviary. There were cockatoos, large parrots, and macaws in cages. A few sounded like they were saying "hello." Flying and swimming free at the duck pond were redhead ducks, wood ducks, mallards, geese, swans, and white ibis.

Next, we drove to the Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge. I dropped the girls off to do a little hiking while I drove a short distance to Tarpon Bay Explorers. There, I rented a 12'6" Yolo Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP).

I was really looking forward to exploring the Commodore Creek Canoe Trail but was told it was off-limits to the rental SUPs because the fin can easily get snagged on roots or shallow areas. That was understandable as I've experienced this myself several times when exploring narrow creeks. On a map, I saw an area on the northeast side of Tarpon Bay just east of Green Point and inquired about it. I was told that was off-limits too though I don't remember why.

I launched from the rental area which is at the southern end of Tarpon Bay. I paddled counterclockwise, staying near the shore. The water was flat. Along the mangroves, I saw various birds.

The mangroves were nice but Tarpon Bay was too big and open. Not very interesting. However, the outfitter's website claims that Canoe and Kayak Magazine wrote
Tarpon Bay is one of the top ten places to paddle in the nation!

I liked Tarpon Bay but would hardly give it such praise. My book didn't give it a rating but it did rate Commodore Creek Canoe Trail with a "B."

As I passed Green Point, I saw the forbidden area. Except for a small fishing boat, there was nobody around. I had my GPS with me so I wasn't afraid to get a little lost. I paddled into this off-limits area and went deep into a mangrove swamp. Other than near the entrance, I saw nobody.

I spent at least an hour exploring this swamp. It was literally a maze. Since I never knew what was around the next bend, exploring in this manner really held my interest. In one shallow section where I was right up close and personal with the mangroves, I saw several spider-like creatures crawling up the mangrove branches. I later found out they were mangrove tree crabs.

Other than birds that I had already seen, I really didn't see much of interest. It was just fun to explore and be out on a SUP alone. I tried to navigate my way out of the swamp without the GPS but I was running out of time so I made use of it to retrace my steps. Otherwise, I might still be there.

I paddled to the north end of Tarpon Bay and then made a bee line back to the outfitter, passing by islands along the way.

I saw two dolphins briefly about 220 feet ahead. I also saw several white pelicans.
Unlike the brown pelicans, which are year-round residents of Florida, white pelicans spend only part of the year here. In fact, it is estimated that over 1,500 white pelicans migrate to the area from October through March. Traveling from as far away as Idaho, Minnesota and Canada, large groups of these birds come here to enjoy the warmer winter. Their migrating habits are based on the melting and freezing of fresh water in the northern lakes.
White pelicans search for food in large groups. Instead of diving for food the way brown pelicans do, white pelicans swim on the surface in a semicircle and herd the fish to shallower water near the shore. Then using their pouches as fishnets, the white pelicans submerge their heads and necks and scoop up the fish.
When spring approaches, the white pelicans begin their journey north again. This cycle is repeated every year. This is why they are often referred to as "snowbirds."
- from "Southwest Florida Water Management District - White Pelican" (broken link as of 2018)
By the time I was done, I had paddled eight miles.

I returned to the refuge to pick up Norma and Carmen. They had a good time walking on Wildlife Drive, Cross Dike, and Indigo Trail. Along the way they saw a lot of horseshoe crab skeletons. Based on what I've read in Horseshoe Crab: Biography of a Survivor, the horseshoe crabs in Florida tend to be smaller than the ones in my neck of the woods.
They also saw a roseate spoonbill, which I saw briefly during my 2010 trip but not this one.
Who Needs a Fork? Not the roseate spoonbill! Having a "built-in" spoon on its beak can be a big help at mealtime. All spoonbills take advantage of this adaptation with a special feeding style known as "head-swinging." The birds plunge their bill nearly vertically under water and swing it side to side in wide arcs. In this way, they snag a host of small animals from the lake bottom.
Their diet is made up of small fish, crustaceans (especially shrimp and crayfish), insects, molluscs (such as slugs and snails), and other small aquatic animals. Any plant material they eat is probably accidental.
- from "Saint Louis Zoo - Roseate Spoonbill" (a broken link as of 2024)
Also seen were lizards, a great egret, and white pelicans.
The spoonbill was quite a sight but I was even more impressed with Norma's photo of a white ibis eating a mangrove tree crab.
The white ibis wades in the water sweepings its head form side-to-side in search of food. It uses its long, curved bill to probe in the mud for crabs and crayfish. It swallows its prey whole. It also forages for food on land, and it may also eat insects, frogs, snails, marine worms, snakes, and small fish. Flocks of white ibis will move to different locations in search of food. Other wading birds often follow behind the white ibis and catch prey that has been disturbed by the probing ibis!
- from NatureWorks - White Ibis
The three of us drove south along the gulf coast until we came to Naples. We checked in at Collier-Seminole State Park and pitched our tents for the evening.

During planning, there were two adjacent kayak routes that were of interest for me: Halfway Creek Canoe Trail and Turner River.

According to my book, Halfway Creek Canoe Trail is a 7.5 mile route that also gets an "A" for scenery. The author says,
This offers some of the most scenic paddling in this entire guidebook.

But given a choice, the author of Everglades Kayak Trail: Halfway Creek off Tamiami River is all about the Plants says
Halfway Creek is a beautiful river, and I loved the airplants. But if you have to choose, the best kayak trail in the area is the nearby Turner River, which begins with fresh water and cypress trees and then continues into saltwater and mangrove tunnels.

So I opted for Turner River. My book says the Turner River Canoe Trail may be the most biologically diverse paddle in the Everglades. It mentions "eerie tree tunnels" and a "tall historic Calusa Indian mound." But paddling on this trail can be tough.
At first, shallow water and hydrilla, an underwater plant, combine for slow going. Next, the tunnels are very constricted, making steering and paddling difficult at best. Kayaks are untenable here; a double-bladed paddle simply can't work in the tight tunnels and sharp turns. To best enjoy this trail, take a canoe and consider getting an outfitter to provide a shuttle for a one-way trip.
This is an 8.5 mile, five hour trip, one way. Scenery grade is "A."

To avoid the problems we had with the tandem kayak on the Loxahatchee River, I reserved three single boats with Everglade Adventures.

We checked in at the Ivey House. From here, we drove to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. A van took us, our rented boats, and some other kayakers to a boat launch just off the Tamiami Trail (aka route 41/90). Since we would be kayaking in the Everglades, we needed permits, which the outfitter took care of. They dropped us off and we headed downstream on the Turner. Here's Carmen with the Tamiami Trail bridge behind.
Sadly, I forgot my camera but at least Norma brought hers. So these photos were taken with her Panasonic Lumix.

The river started out narrow, scenic, and fresh. It didn't take long before we saw our first alligator...I'm guessing it was a four footer.
Things were somewhat open and sunny until we came to the mangrove tunnels. Then things got narrow and shaded. Soon, we learned why these are called "tunnels." At some point, someone had to go through and literally cut tunnels and then periodically maintain them so kayakers could get through. There was plenty of room for our kayaks but not our paddles. A canoe paddle would have been better. I broke my paddle down into two halves and just used one half. It was also effective to grab branches of the mangrove and pull oneself along as if swinging through the jungle like Tarzan.

We came across one alligator resting in the middle of our path. Since we were in a tunnel, there wasn't any way around him. We simply waited and eventually he moved. He wasn't looking for a confrontation but also was in no hurry to get out of our way.
Occasionally, the tunnel opened up and let in a little sun before getting narrow again. One such area was Turn Around Pond. Here, the route made a sharp bend that was not marked nor obvious on the map. It took awhile for us to find it and even then, we had some help.
Various air plants grew in abundance.
There were a few other paddlers out, some heading upstream. It wasn't always easy to fit two boats side by side. At times, our boats almost seemed a little too big.

The river opened up...at least for awhile.

We kept crossing paths with a couple of gentlemen that launched with our group. One fellow had paddled this route several times before. He was a great source of knowledge for our route.

At a clearing on the east side near a cabbage palm, we stopped for lunch.
Continuing on, we passed through another mangrove tunnel filled with some very healthy-looking Tillandsia bromeliads. I don't think we ever got tired of the tunnels or seeing this exotic-looking plant.
The vast majority of the bromeliads you will see in Everglades National Park are in the genus Tillandsia. These bromeliads are commonly known as airplants or wild pine.
- from National Park Service - Bromeliads
Tillandsia are epiphytes and need no soil because water and nutrients are absorbed through the leaves. The roots are used as anchors only. Reproduction is by seeds or by offsets called "pups". A single plant could have up to a dozen pups.
- from Wikipedia - Tillandsia

Eventually, the narrowness of the tunnels came to an end as the river started to widen and become brackish. The mangroves were interesting but it was much more fun to be in them than outside of them.
As we neared Left Hand Turner River and Hurdle Creek, things became very confusing. There were no markers and it was not at all obvious where to go. The resolution of our map was too low to be of much help. We were fighting the tide and wind which further complicated things. But fortunately the two men we kept seeing knew where to go so we just followed them. Had they not been there, we would have had a much less enjoyable trip.

We heard that manatees are often seen near the mouth of Left Hand Turner River but we didn't see any. At this point, we were getting a little tired and just wanted to keep moving rather than explore.

Our map showed the Calusa Indian Shell Mount to the east, not far from the mouth of the river. But we never saw it.

I came to realize that what I thought would be an 8.5-mile trip would in fact be much longer. Perhaps it was an error on my part but I thought the trip that I arranged would be the one described in my book. In fact, that is the trip that the two gentlemen planned. They would paddle to Chokoloskee Island where a shuttle would pick them up. But Carmen, Norma, and I were supposed to paddle back to the Ranger Station at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. I gave the girls the option of following the two men back to the island while I went back to the Ranger Station to then have the outfitter pick them up. But they were willing to go the last few miles with me, despite repeated warnings from one of the men that the last part of our trip would be a miserable one. It turned out to be not that bad. Route 29 protected us from wind and waves most of the way.

We ended up paddling 11.57 miles in seven hours. Carmen was in a Perception America kayak while Norma and I were in Old Town Loon kayaks. These were recreational boats. Though they were good for the first part of the trip, they required quite a bit of work to complete the remainder. At least we didn't have heavy paddles this time. I was pleased and impressed with how well the girls did.

I called the outfitters who came and picked up the boats. Our car was there at the take-out so we were done.

We ended up eating at City Seafood nearby in Everglades City. After a long day of paddling, the food tasted especially good.

Everglades City is the gateway to the west coast of Everglades National Park, a water wilderness to be explored by boat. A labyrinth of mangrove islands and a wealth of wildlife can be discovered from your own boat or on a guided boat tour. The area is renowned for fishing and birdwatching.
- from sign at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center

Watching us eat our waterfront dinner along the Barron River were two birds. I think they wanted a handout but we didn't give them any.

We headed back to Collier-Seminole State Park for the night.

Carmen, Norma, and I were up early, packed up, and ready to go. We explored the Collier-Seminole State Park, stopping first at a building called "The Blockhouse."
Built as the park caretaker's residence about 1940. County Commissioner D. Graham Copeland managed Barron Collier's business and surveyed Collier County. He located the sites of several Seminole War Forts, old trails, and Seminole Villages. As County Commissioner, he is believed to have developed this park and influenced the design of this building to look like a third Seminole war blockhouse.
- from sign at Collier-Seminole State Park
So who was Barron Collier?
Barron Collier came to Florida in 1911 and fell in love with the beauty of the area. This region was Florida's last frontier and its potential for development inspired a dream of bringing people to this tropical paradise. Collier was born in Memphis, Tennessee. At the age of 20, he began a career in streetcar advertisement that would make him a millionaire. By the early 1920s, his wealth enabled him to purchase over 900,000 acres in South Florida that would become Collier County.
The difficulty and cost of building a road across the Everglades...Many said it was impossible! Barron Collier offered to fund the highway construction across the Everglades if a new county was created and named after him.
- from sign at Collier-Seminole State Park

Eventually, this road was complete. Today, it is called the Tamiami Trail, which is where we paddled under yesterday on the Turner River.
The Tamiami Trail took 13 years, cost $8 million U.S., and used 2.6 million sticks of dynamite in its construction. The Tamiami Trail officially opened on April 25, 1928.
- from Wikipedia - Tamiami Trail

It was here at the park that I started to learn about these mangrove trees we kept encountering on the water.
Mangroves are tropical trees that grow in saltwater. In South Florida they make up a vast forest that includes three species of mangroves - the red, the white, and the black. Buttonwood trees, which grow above the reach of the high tide, are sometimes included in this group.
About 95% of all commercially important fish in south Florida spend some part of their life in mangroves. Mangrove forests are among the most productive forests in the world.
South Florida's mangrove forest is one of the most extensive in the Western Hemisphere.
Mangrove forests also provide shelter. The tangle of the mangrove canopy provides an ideal place for birds to raise their young (rookery). Mangrove islands are hard for land predators to reach because they are surrounded by water. Young fish find food and protection in the flooded roots of the mangroves where larger fish cannot venture. The tree roots also help to protect and stabilize shorelines during storms. Mangroves are truly amazing and are one of our most valuable coastal resources.
- from sign at Collier-Seminole State Park

Next, the three of us drove east to Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

Some signs in the park listed several animals that one might see in the area. We saw none of them.
The natural values of the Fakahatchee Strand may be greater than those of any area of comparable size in the state of Florida. It contains the largest population of native royal palms and largest concentration and variety of orchids in North America as well as other extremely rare plant species. The unusual wildlife of the Fakahatchee Strand includes threatened or endangered species like the Florida panther, wood stork, Florida black bear, mangrove fox squirrel, and the Everglades mink.
Historically, 12,000 bears roamed throughout Florida. Now there are fewer than 2,000.
The Florida black bear is a subspecies of the American black bear. It is listed as a threatened species in Florida.
- from signs at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

I also learned a little about the Everglades, which we would soon be deep within.
The water in the Everglades begins as a trickle in central Florida. Rainfall increases the volume of water, which drains through the Kissimmee River watershed and into Lake Okeechobee. From there the water begins a slow, year-long journey through the broad, shallow Everglades, eventually reaching the mangrove shoreline and coastal waters that surround the southern tip of Florida.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

At the park, we saw some alligators. These were becoming a common sight for this trip. I also saw some lubber grasshopper nymphs.
When bothered or touched, the lubber will spray a foamy substance from its abdomen, accompanied by a rather loud hiss. The foam and hiss would more than likely cause someone to drop the insect should they pick it up. The foam contains some toxic elements, not considered to be harmful to humans. Finally, the lubber grasshopper may resort to what many grasshoppers do, and regurgitate partially digested food, a substance we often refer to as tobacco juice. Though harmless, this juice can stain a nice shirt.
- from "Grasshopper Facts - Lubber Grasshopper" (now a broken link)
Carmen, Norma, and I spotted a bald eagle in its nest.
This eagle and its mate have lived here since 1985.
Nests can reach up to 20 feet deep and nine feet across - the largest nests of any bird in North America.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
We walked on the boardwalk. This was a short walk filled with a nice variety of vegetation.

There were some cabbage palm trees...the same as the kind we had lunch at the previous day.
The sabal palmetto or cabbage palm is named for the large leaf bud or "cabbage" at the top of the trunk. The tree can reach 50-80 feet in height. It has a straight trunk which is covered with ridges. The dark green, shiny leaves are five to eight feet long and fan-shaped.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

Perhaps the most impressive tree we saw there was the strangler fig. Here's Carmen demonstrating how the fig works.
This vine-like tree begins as an epiphyte, an air plant, when the seed is deposited in the upper part of a host tree. After the seed sprouts, it sends down roots that entwine or strangle and often kill the host tree. When the roots reach the ground, the tree changes to a terrestrial plant. This native fig can reach heights of 60 feet.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

You've probably noticed by now that I've used the term "air plant" and "epiphyte" quite a bit now.
Epiphytes are commonly called "air plants" because they get all the water and nutrients they need directly from the air, sun, and rain. They use the trees for support, but do not depend on them for food. Common epiphytes are bromeliads, wild pine, onion orchids, resurrection fern, and Spanish moss.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk

One thing Florida is known for is its palm trees. One in particular that stands out is the royal palm.
This majestic palm tree soars to over 100 feet in height. Each dark green, feathery frond is over 13 feet long. The smooth, gray trunk looks almost like concrete. Birds love the small, marble-sized blue fruit. Although widely planted along streets, the royal palm is endangered in the wild.
- from sign at Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
The boardwalk ended at a pond where we saw another alligator.
Nearby was a black-crowned night-heron.
We returned the way we came, just as the crowds started to roll in. It pays to get an early start.

Another alligator near the entrance said farewell to us and, "Please come again."

Driving east on the Tamiami Trail, we stopped in briefly at the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center, a part of Big Cypress National Preserve. Here we saw some interesting flowers.
The most memorable event at this location was when Carmen came out of the welcome center building. A life-size and very realistic statue of an alligator stood in the bushes. When she saw it, she was quite close and let out a loud scream. I was about 120 feet ahead and didn't see it all but knew exactly what happened when I heard her.

Carmen, Norma, and I started a long drive south to the town of Flamingo, deep in the Everglades and Everglades National Park.
Everglades National Park is a U.S. National Park in Florida that protects the southern 20 percent of the original Everglades. In the United States, it is the largest tropical wilderness, the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River, and is visited on average by one million people each year. It is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley and Yellowstone. It has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance, one of only three locations in the world to appear on all three lists.
Although most U.S. national parks preserve unique geographic features, Everglades National Park was the first created to protect a fragile ecosystem. The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests fed by a river flowing 0.25 miles per day out of Lake Okeechobee, southwest into Florida Bay. The Park is the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America, contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the western hemisphere, is home to 36 threatened or protected species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and the West Indian manatee, and supports 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles.
- from Wikipedia - Everglades National Park

I passed a Ford F-750, the biggest pickup truck I'd ever seen.

We stopped in at the Everglades National Park - Boat Tours shack. A couple of weeks prior, I paid a deposit to rent a canoe but by 1330 that day, we had arrived too late to do the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail trip. They suggested an alternative but it didn't seem as interesting. I asked if we could do it tomorrow instead and they said yes, but I had to be there when they open at 0700 because this route is a popular one and they might run out of boats.

Just a short distance from the boat shack was a pier where several manatees interacted with tourists. I learned a lot by watching them...the manatees, not the tourists.

Manatees close off their nostrils when submerged and open them above water to breathe.
Like some cats, manatees enjoy belly rubs. At least this one did. Notice Norma wearing her team colors.
Though manatees live in salt and brackish water, their bodies have to filter out the salt to make good use of the water. So they like drinking fresh water.
I think these two ended up kissing as they competed for a single drinking water source.
Most had some barnacles and algae growing on them.
This one looks like it had a big scar...probably from a careless power boater.
Here's some other pics.

Later, we were told that we shouldn't give them fresh water for drinking because it makes them more dependent on humans.

Seeing the manatees reminded me of a much lesser known but similar-looking creature called a tardigrade. If you've never heard of these things, I suggest you look them up. They are incredibly fascinating and may be nature's ultimate survivor.
Usually, tardigrades are about 0.5 millimeter long when they are fully grown. They are short and plump with four pairs of legs, each with four to eight claws also known as "disks". The animals are prevalent in mosses and lichens and feed on plant cells, algae, and small invertebrates. When collected, they may be viewed under a very-low-power microscope, making them accessible to students and amateur scientists.
Tardigrades form the phylum Tardigrada, part of the superphylum Ecdysozoa. It is an ancient group, with fossils dating from 530 million years ago, in the Cambrian period.
- from Wikipedia - Tardigrade

There were also schools of needlefish, similar to the ones I've seen in Maryland from my SUP.
I also saw a sheepshead fish about eight inches long.
Next, we joined a ranger-led tour about the plants of the Everglades. Dan B., our ranger, was very knowledgeable and interesting. He began by talking about coconut trees and just how dangerous they are.
A statement from George Burgess in 2002 regarding the danger of coconuts stirred the pot... Burgess, employed by the Florida Museum of Natural History, stated that people were 15 times as likely to get killed by falling coconuts than to receive a fatal bite from a shark. The trouble with Burgess' statement is that his information has not been verified. Barss claims that the coconut death toll worldwide cited by Burgess, of 150 a year, is accurate or even too low, but he lacks the documentation to prove his claims as well.
- from Wise Geek - Are Falling Coconuts Dangerous?
Ranger Dan also spoke about the importance of mangrove trees and buttonwood trees. This helped reinforce what I learned earlier that day. From his bag of tricks, Ranger D. pulled out some stained wood samples of royal palm and buttonwood. The former was particularly attractive.
Inside the Flamingo Visitor Center, the staff listed the tide times and fluctuation. The difference between high and low tide that day was only 3.46 feet. Not quite like Maine's 20 feet! More like the Chesapeake Bay.

It was hard to believe it was January. The temperature was 77 degrees, somewhat humid, and the mosquitoes were a nuisance. We later saw a "Flamingo Mosquito Meter" that rated the mosquito conditions as being "unpleasant." From best to worst, the ratings were enjoyable, bearable, unpleasant, horrible, and hysterical. So it could have been a lot worse for us that day.

Flamingo's abundant mosquito is the salt marsh mosquito.

Large numbers of mosquitoes can lay up to 10,000 eggs per square foot of soil in mangrove and coastal prairie habitats; they're generally more numerous during the summer rainy season.

University scientists and the U.S. military have selected Flamingo as one of the best places in the country to test mosquito repellents.

The female is the blood sucker; the male feeds on plant nectar and fruit juices.

Mosquitoes are eaten by dragonflies, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.

In days gone by, when the "skeets" were bad, old timers in Flamingo would say..."You can swing a pint cup in the air and get a quart of mosquitoes!"

- from sign in Flamingo Visitor Center

In the visitor center, I learned about chickees. Since we were just doing day trips via kayak or canoe, they were not of interest but had we been more adventurous, we would want to know where they were. A chickee is
an elevated 10' x 12' wooden platform constructed for camping in the mangrove swamp of Everglades National Park. Double and single chickees are along the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway that connects Flamingo and Everglades City.
- from sign in Flamingo Visitor Center

Norma and I did a power boat tour out in Florida Bay with about six other tourists while Carmen stayed ashore. They showed us a lot of birds, most of which I knew by now. The highlight of the boat trip was seeing about a dozen bottlenose dolphins.
Bottlenose dolphins often live 30 to 50 years.
Dolphins are social animals well known for their playful and carefree nature. They sometimes hunt in groups and herd schools of fish toward shore for feeding. Social hierarchies have been noted in dolphin interactions.
Bottlenose dolphins typically weigh 440 to 600 pounds and reach an average size of 10 feet (some reach as much as 14 feet).
Dolphins can be found in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, though they prefer warm to tropical water.
Dolphins consume 13 to 33 pounds of food per day. They feed on a variety of fish, cephalopods (such as squid and octopus), and other sea life. They use echolocation - bouncing sound off of objects to determine their location - to hunt and use a series of high-pitched clicks to stun prey.
- from National Parks Conservation Association - Dolphin (broken link as of 2016)

Needless to say, we took a lot of photos. Dolphins are not easy to photograph. For every one you see here, there are about 20 pictures that didn't make the cut.

This one looks like this one is turning sideways as it surfaces.
If I see a fin like this going up and down periodically, I'll assume it is a dolphin. If it stays just above the surface for a long time, I'll assume it is a shark.
On the boat tour, I learned a little about the royal terns I saw on Sanibel Island. The captain mentioned that when perched out on the water, they always face into the wind.
A little later, the three of us ate at the Buttonwood Cafe Restaurant.

That night, we attended a ranger talk about birds of the Everglades. Once again, we had a very interesting and informative speaker. He had us practicing our bird calls.
It wasn't supposed to cool off much that night but it certainly felt a lot colder after the sun set. I suppose that was in part because it was so windy.

I walked around the campground. I saw one firefly. I've never seen one in the winter before. Three times, I found wolf spiders by seeing light reflecting off their eyes.
One can easily locate wolf spiders at night because their eyes reflect light very well. They have eight eyes but the two are much larger and prominent.
- from Wolf Spider Facts

I showed up at the boat rental shack at 0700, just like the outfitter instructed yesterday. The problem was that there was nobody at the shack. I waited 15 minutes and still nothing. Then I went into the nearby store and asked when the outfitter opens. The storekeeper was surprised nobody was manning the shack. He was polite and was able to take care of me so Team SNaCk could get started on our adventure.

There were several routes to paddle at Nine Mile Pond. My book gave it a scenery rating of "A" and claimed it would take 3.5 hours to paddle
The name Nine-Mile Pond leads you to believe this paddle is nine miles, but it is actually five miles of multiple Everglades environments packed into one loop. It received its name because the pond was nine miles from the original park visitor center at Coot Bay Pond.
The Everglades' prairies are open, treeless wetlands, with sawgrass emerging from atop the water.
Nine-Mile Pond is a good place to see alligators.
- from "Canoeing & Kayaking Florida" book

Other routes in the area that the author mentioned and also gave an "A" rating include Noble Hammock Canoe Trail and Mud Lake Loop Trail. Another one I considered is the 11-mile Hell's Bay out-and-back route which is described as "hell to get into and out of" but scenic with a mix of narrow water and open water paddling. Clearly, we had many choices.

Carmen, Norma, and I drove out to the pond with the paddling gear and key to unlock our canoe from its stand. They said that if we really, really wanted, they could shuttle out a couple of kayaks for us but it was obvious this would be much cheaper since the canoes were already there and a single canoe would easily fit three people.

Black vultures rested on the canoes, waiting for those that would not survive.
Or, the vultures could eat their cars.
Carmen tested out the canoe for balance.
After Carmen deemed the boat suitable, we loaded up the gear and were off. Within a couple of minutes, we saw an alligator.

I don't have much experience with canoes and the girls have even less but I think we did pretty well. Norma took point, Carmen sat in the middle to keep us stable, and I brought up the rear. Maintaining a slow, steady pace was my goal. Nothing fast as that would make it harder to control.

We paddled east and counterclockwise. The trail was well marked with 116 white, numbered PVC pipes which you can see in the below pic if you look closely. These markers made it easy to follow along with the information sheet provided by the park, which Carmen read to us.
The three of us meandered through some mangroves. It wasn't nearly as narrow as upstream on Turner River.

We saw plenty of bromeliads. Most grew up, some grew sideways.
Carmen pointed out that one bromeliad resembled the hair of Bart Simpson.
Air plants, or bromeliads, perch regally upon mangrove branches all along the trail. Rainwater is captured and stored by the plant's vase-like base. Mosquitoes and other insects deposit eggs and reside in the bromeliads, attracting tree frogs, lizards, and birds. Decaying leaves, animal droppings, and other ingredients mix with captured water to form a nutrient base for the plant. These plants are non-parasitic squatters using the host tree only as a perch from which to gather sunlight and nutrients.
- from "Everglades - Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail" information sheet

Norma looked inside one of the bromeliads but didn't see any critters.
There was plenty of sawgrass in this freshwater marsh. You can see it growing behind Norma and Carmen in the below pic.
Sawgrass is not a "true" grass, but actually a member of the sedge family, characterized by sharp teeth along the edges of each blade. Sawgrass once covered the northern portion of the Everglades, growing to heights of over nine feet tall on the rich, dark peat soils.
- from "Florida Museum of Natural History - Sawgrass Marshes" (broken link as of 2018)

Swimming amongst the grasses were several American coots.
The most distinctive thing about canoeing in this area was seeing all the periphyton, or "breadsticks" as we liked to call them. At times, they made paddling very slow and cumbersome.
Periphyton is a complex assemblage of algae, cyanobacteria, microinvertebrates, their secretions, and detritus attached to submerged surfaces. Most periphyton in the Everglades is considered calcareous due to abundance of the limestone (calcium carbonate) bedrock underlying the Everglades and from surface water inputs containing high cation concentrations. Periphyton is crucial and a fundamental part of the food web as the primary food source for small consumers, including fish and invertebrates.
- from The Role of Periphyton in the Everglades

There were numerous small (up to one inch) snail shells floating in the water. I'm guessing these are apple snails, an animal that feeds on periphyton. The apple snails end up as food for the alligators. Crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside.

According to the map in the parking lot, much of the second half of our trip was through freshwater marl prairie.
Large areas of freshwater marl prairie border the deeper sloughs of the Everglades. These relatively short-hydroperiod marshes are typified by a diverse assemblage of low-growing vegetation.
Though the sawgrass is not as tall and the water is not as deep, freshwater marl prairies look a lot like freshwater sloughs.
- from Friends of the Everglades - Habitats
Not being experienced canoeists, we did a lot of zig-zagging. You can blame me for that since I was steering. We also got off course a bit after we missed a marker. Hence, our five mile route ended up being six miles which we completed in 3.75 hours.
We drove back to the outfitter and returned the key.

On the east side of the three-mile-long Buttonwood Canal, just across from the canoe shack, we saw two crocodiles. Carmen had actually seen these the day prior when Norma and I were out looking at dolphins.

I've seen alligators when I was stationed at Camp Lejeune. I've never heard of them being a problem so I don't have much fear of them, but I do respect their space. But crocodiles have a different reputation. I've seen nature videos where a 2,000 pound Nile crocodile takes down a wildebeest in a single bite. That is definitely something to fear. But I later learned that American crocodiles are much different from the more aggressive African or Australian crocodiles.
American crocodiles are a shy and reclusive species. They live in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean, and occur at the northern end of their range in south Florida. They live in brackish or saltwater areas, and can be found in ponds, coves, and creeks in mangrove swamps. They are occasionally being encountered inland in freshwater areas of the southeast Florida coast as a result of the extensive canal system.
Crocodiles can also be seen sunning with their mouths open, or "gaping." This behavior is also related to regulating their body temperature, and does not mean that the crocodile is acting aggressively toward people.
- from "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - American Crocodiles" (a broken link as of 2024)

Additionally, I read
Compared to old-world crocs, American crocodiles aren't all that aggressive. In fact, they're the least aggressive of all large crocs.
- from "Florida Adventuring - The American Crocodile in Florida" (broken link as of 2024)

Of all the large reptiles we'd seen, almost all were alligators. These two crocodiles were the only ones we saw.
If you're lucky...you might see a genuine, pointy-snouted, toothy saltwater crocodile. There are about 1,000 of these creatures in south Florida now. Twenty five years ago, there were fewer than 400, but they've made a decent comeback. Normally, they're about seven to 11 feet long, with 12 feet five inches being the Florida record.
- from "Everglade Tours at Flamingo" (a broken link as of 2018)

I found it hard to believe 12'5" was the Florida record for a crocodile. My guess is that the larger of these two was almost 20 feet long. But I wasn't about to go out with a tape measure to confirm. I just pictured how it would compare to my longest kayak which is 18 feet long.
Male crocodiles are larger than females and can reach about 20 feet in length but rarely exceed 14 feet in the wild. Breeding females are about 8 to 12 feet in length.
- from National Park Service - Everglades, American Crocodile

As mentioned earlier, crocodiles
live in brackish or saltwater areas.
In contrast,
...[alligators] prefer fresh water lakes and slow-moving rivers and their associated wetlands, but they also can be found in brackish water habitats.
- from "Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Alligator Facts" (a broken link as of 2024)

I felt privileged to have seen an American crocodile. This was my first time seeing one. There aren't many places in the United States or even Florida where they can be seen.
...the Everglades are the only place that you will

See crocodiles in the U.S.

See alligators and crocodiles living peacefully together.

- from "Florida Everglades Information - Everglades Alligators" (broken link as of 2016)

So how does one distinguish between an alligator and a crocodile?
In terms of physical differences, the easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that a crocodile has a very long, narrow, V-shaped snout, while the alligator's snout is wider and U-shaped. Because of the wide snout of the alligator it packs more crushing power to eat prey like turtles that constitute part of its diet. The narrow crocodile snout, although still very powerful, is not really suited for prey like turtles but is very versatile for fish and mammals.
Another physical difference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile's upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed. They also have an enormous 4th tooth on the lower jaw that is accommodated by depressions in the upper jaw just behind the nostrils.
An alligator, on the other hand, has a wider upper jaw, so when its mouth is closed the teeth in the lower jaw fit into sockets of the upper jaw, hidden from view. Only the teeth of the upper jaw are exposed along the lower jaw line. Even the enormous 4th tooth on the bottom jaw, which is exposed in a crocodile, is hidden in the alligator.
Another physical difference is that crocodiles have a lighter olive brown coloration, while alligators appear blackish.
- from Everglades Canoe - Alligator versus Crocodile

We didn't see any on this trip, but I would have loved to have seen one of the invasive Burmese pythons. Carmen would not have been quite so eager.
Florida has a new attraction - a 17.7-foot-long Burmese python, the biggest snake of that species ever found in the southeastern U.S. state, scientists say. What's more, a necropsy on the euthanized python revealed she was carrying 87 eggs - also a state record for the species, a University of Florida team announced Monday.
The Everglades is home to a growing population of the invasive Asian pythons, many of which originate from snakes that either escaped into or were dumped into the wild in the 1990s.
Sometimes adopted as a pet, the Burmese python is one of nine species of constrictor snakes...that have been imported into the United States over the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- from "National Geographic - Biggest Burmese Python Found in Florida" (broken link as of 2024)

While alligators and crocodiles live together peacefully in the Everglades, the same cannot be said for alligators and pythons. Here is a video of a fight between a Burmese python and a Florida alligator. In this multi-hour battle, edited down to three minutes, the alligator grasps hold with a 2,000 pound per square inch bite. It ends in a draw. See YouTube - Python attacks Alligator.

Our next stop was the half mile long Eco Pond Trail, just outside the campground area. Judging by the number of people with serious cameras, this was clearly a place for birding. We saw an egret that looked like it was wearing yellow socks. I later learned it was a snowy egret.
There was also an osprey and a little blue heron.
We found the butterflies to be very interesting.

I later learned that the zebra longwing is Florida's state butterfly.

On a flower, Norma spotted a pair of box elder bugs getting it on.
There were also some interesting plants such as this bixaceae.

Driving out of the park, we made a stop at the Anhinga Trail which was described as "the best place to spot wildlife in Everglades National Park." The trail began at the Royal Palm Visitor Center.

Before we left the parking lot, we were greeted by very healthy-looking bromeliads.
We encountered several small bodies of water. At first, I would have simply called them ponds but I learned that they are in fact borrow pits.
The deep pools along this trail - called borrow pits - resulted from road and trail construction.
- from Anhinga Trail sign

In the first borrow pit, we saw a great blue heron.
We also saw an anhinga.
A bird of southern swamps, the Anhinga is known as the Water-Turkey for its swimming habits and broad tail, and also as the Snake-Bird for its habit of swimming with just its long head and neck sticking out of the water.
- from All About Birds - Anhinga
Near the entrance, a warning sign was hung to tell people to stay at least 15 feet from alligators.
Something tells me the guy below didn't see the sign. He was not the only one.
This place was a bird photographer's paradise.

Sometimes it was difficult to distinguish between a cormorant and an anhinga. I think many of the cormorants we saw were double-crested.

The animals near this trail were used to being around people. They were ready and willing to pose for us while we photographed them.

In addition to birds and alligators, we saw a few turtles, similar to the ones we saw earlier in the week.
There were plenty of cardinal bromeliads, some in bloom.
The overall landscape of the area was beautiful. These ponds (or borrow pits) were serene. Trees that grew in the water attracted lots of birds and provided a nesting area for the anhinga. The boardwalk provided a great view off the main trail.

On the boardwalk, we had a chance to see alligators swimming below. Click on the image below to see a video that shows alligators can propel themselves solely with their tail, not needing their legs at all.
I don't think I had ever seen such a dense concentration of wildlife. We definitely picked the right time to visit.
If you are from a temperate climate, you are used to four seasons. In the Everglades there are but two - wet and dry. May brings drenching summer rains, allowing wildlife to spread out and seek food over an enormous area. Less wildlife is seen then at the Anhinga Trail. The dry season, beginning in November, causes wildlife to concentrate in deeper water channels called sloughs, and in alligator holes.
- from Anhinga Trail sign

At one end of the boardwalk, we saw a huge concentration of alligators. I think one might have been 12 feet long. Norma and Carmen demonstrated their arm signal that indicates when they've seen an alligator.

Have you ever heard of a "crocodile smile"? It is a phrase that means a fake, misleading smile where someone is just showing their teeth. Now that we know the difference between alligators and crocodiles, this make sense since crocodiles show more teeth than an alligator when both have their mouths shut. But if an alligator could smile, I bet it would look like the picture at the top of this page.

Had we more time, I would have liked to have walked on the Gumbo Limbo Trail which also starts from the Royal Palm Visitor Center.

We stopped for dinner at Rosita's Restaurant in Florida City as we made our way northeast. Carmen recommended this place and I liked it.

Norma drove us into Miami Beach, where we stayed at an Air BnB house for the night. Cheaper than the motels.

For our final day, Carmen took us around the Miami area. I knew it was a populated area but I never knew just how much until I saw the place.
With 5,564,635 inhabitants as of the 2010 Census, the Miami metropolitan area is the most populous in Florida and in the Southeastern United States and the eighth-most populous in the United States.
- from Wikipedia - Miami metropolitan area

Geographically, while we were about as far south as one can be, culturally, the place was not at all southern. There was an extremely large Spanish speaking community as well as a large Jewish community. As compared to other places I've visited, there seemed to be a disproportionately large number of very expensive cars in Miami Beach.
Water so clear you can see to the bottom.
$100,000 cars, everybody got em.
Ain't no place in a club to see Sly Stallone, Miami, my second home.
- from "Miami" by Will Smith

Walking around town, I noticed that many of the streetlight poles were encased in concrete. Also, many of the windows had storm covers to protect the glass. Some of the palm trees had wooden supports about five feet up from the base. Also, some of the trees had a permeable but rigid material around the base that connected to the concrete. There were a lot of things here that I had never seen outside of Florida.

The three of us walked along the beach. It was dark and windy so there weren't many people out, which I preferred. We saw several Portuguese man-of-wars...or is it Portuguese men-of-war?.
This specimen was about four inches long. It felt like a ziplock bag filled with air.
Blue isn't the only color you find on these things.
Although often mistaken for a jellyfish, the Portuguese man-of-war is a different thing entirely. To begin with, it's not a single creature but a cluster of separate animals that have evolved a division of labor.
- from "South Florida Sun Sentinel - Portuguese man-of-war (and their stings) return" (broken link as of 2024)

Despite its outward appearance, the Portuguese man o' war is not a common jellyfish but a siphonophore, which is not actually a single multicellular organism, but a colony of specialized minute individuals called zooids. These zooids are attached to one another and physiologically integrated to the extent that they are incapable of independent survival.
- from Wikipedia - Portuguese man o' war

It sounds like the Portuguese man-of-war has a few things in common with the turnicate I found on Sanibel Island.

I had found small pieces of coral over the previous days. Some were as long as 2.5 inches. But today, washed up on this popular beach was a three pound piece of coral!
Also on the shore was a red finger sponge, also known as red tree sponge.

Miami Beach was much different than most places I've been. There were definitely a lot of things here I had never seen before. But one thing here that I had seen was art deco buildings. Sacramento's art deco Tower Theater is one such structure I've visited. But Miami Beach took this style much more seriously than Sacramento.

The city has its own Miami Design Preservation League. With them, the three of us did a 90 minute guided walking tour where a volunteer pointed out and told us all about art deco styles.

We saw a dachshund outdoor event. I'm thinking there were about 100 dogs.
Before heading out, we ate a late lunch at 5 Napkin Grill.

Next, Carmen led us to Virginia Gardens where we met her parents, Vaino and Nancy. Then all five of us did a quick tour of the Wynwood Walls graffiti art section of town.

We finished our visit with a fine Cuban dinner at La Carreta.

Norma and I said farewell to Carmen and her parents then drove back to the Fort Lauderdale airport for our uneventful flight home to the bitter cold of Maryland.

I am now writing this on February 15, 2015. The temperature outside is six degrees. There is a northwest wind of 28 to 33 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 55. Tonight it is supposed to get down to two degrees with wind chill values as low as -14. In my opinion, winter really sucks. But having a trip such as ours to break it up makes it bearable.

Our trip was excellent. We had only a few minor sprinkles that are hardly worth mentioning. Nights were cool but usually not cold. Days were mostly warm but not hot. South Florida is a great place to go in the winter. But I would hate to be there in the summer...especially the Everglades.

If we were to return, we would certainly like to explore the Keys and do some snorkeling around the coral reefs.

If you were to ask me how I liked our trip compared to the northern Florida trip in 2010, I would have to say I enjoyed our northern trip better. However, that being our initial trip certainly skews my opinion. I really loved the clear springs. But our southern trip was certainly worthwhile and I would recommend it to anyone else with interests similar to ours.

While some people would have preferred to see Florida from a resort, we like to get off the beaten path. We like to see animals in their natural habitat and get away from the crowds. Most of the time, we slept in tents rather than motels or hotels. It may not be for everyone, but this is how we roll.