March 31 – April 4
Day 8.
Now we were ready to immerse ourselves in Florida nature. Completely flat, sea level environment with lakes, swamps, canals and small forests, mangroves along the coast. Early April was good time to visit, not too hot and still good for outdoor activities. It was somewhat different for us mode of travel: driving from site to site and walking on short trails (at best).
We drove all day to Big Cypress National Preserve, stopped for quick chat at Welcome Center and parked at Monument Lake Campground. Very few visitors, good spots to choose from, so we decided to stay two nights to have more time to look around. Camping under watchful eyes of resident alligators not a bear for change. We were assured alligators stay in water and do not venture far from shore to mess-up your tent or steal food. Still we stayed healthy distance from them.
We managed few stops at wildlife viewing spots in the evening: boardwalk at Welcome Center, HP Williams Wayside Park, Kirby Storter Roadside Park and viewpoint at Oasis Visitor Center. Yes, we were counting alligators.
Day 9.
Morning was all fogg on Monument Lake, but it burned-off rather quickly and we were not in big hurry as our Ten Thousand Islands Boat Tour (1.5 hr, Everglades National Park Adventures) out of Everglades City was at 1 PM.
We had time for short mangrove boardwalk stroll before boarding the boat. Our park guide for the tour provided a lot of good information about Everglades. We started with brown pelicans, two bald eagles in mangroves at water’s edge and osprey nest just out of Everglades City. We crossed National Park border (running across water) and spent an hour circling around in just small area of vast expanse of water and sandbar islands covered with mangroves (black, red, white). Larger trees grow only on islands elevated by a few feet where signs of past inhabitation have been also found. We spent time watching playful (mating season) bottlenose dolphins. Late lunch/dinner at Triad Seafood Market & Cafe and we had time left for rest and shower at our camp.
Day 10.
Loop Road in Big Cypress Preserve is a destination on its own – slow driving on gravel and stopping at openings in lush vegetation (often near bridges) with water/swamp to find birds and alligators. Old canals along the road created perfect habitat within easy camera reach. If there is water there are birds or gators there, or both. Hard not to become a bird-watcher. It is not just wading birds, but also black vultures, wood storks and woodpeckers. Stands of cypresses and bromelias hanging from trees. Stopped for two short walks too (Gator Hook Trail and Tree Snail Hammock Trail). Wildlife!
Shark Valley in Everglades NP is a somewhat different experience – walk on paved trail along canal and boardwalk through wetland where birds act “domesticated”, more wary of alligators lurking in water that people walking just a few meters away. Great egret jn the clip is running away from gator not us and anhinga got out of water too. Rental bikes were available but slow walking was better for bird watching.
We ended the day at Long Pine Key Campground in Everglades National Park (recommended). So many good spots to chose from.
Day 11.
Started the day with Gumbo Limbo (“tourist tree” with red peeling bark) and anhinga Trails. Nesting anhinga colony, many other birds, turtles and of course alligators – this time they were talking (bellowing).
Changing tune we stopped at Nike Missile Site HM-69, museum on rocket launch site from the sixties with some hardware on display. As we were heading out to spend afternoon in Biscayne National Park, we stopped at small market and bought some quality tropical fruits (very pricey and not grown in Florida). There are many ornamental plant and tree (palm) nurseries around Homestead. At Biscayne we had only little time for Jeffry Walk and snorkeling from shore (Joanna). We skipped boat snorkeling tour because of high winds – they were not going to the reef and visibility was poor.
Thanks to patient, but successful shopping at Publix in Homestead we were set for exquisite camping dinner: snow crab clusters (steamed at the store) and black tip shark (cooked by Piotr). All under watchful eye of resident cardinal. Short after dark walk around Long Pine Key Campground.
Day 12.
Paddling in Paradise: 3-hour ranger-guided kayaking on Florida Bay was our planned highlight of the day, but it was cancelled due to strong wind. Instead we spent all day driving around and checking-out different nature spots: 3-in-1 Hiking Trail/Long Pine Key, Pinelands Trail, Pine Glades Lake/Long Pine Key Trail, Pa-Hay-Okee road (boardwalk and lookout tower were closed for renovation) then very nice Mahogany Hammock Trail, Nine Mile Trailhead viewpoint ending with West Lake Boardwalk Trail. We moved to Flamingo Campground (recommended) for two nights.
Landscape around here is not just swamps and low “shrubs”, but also stands of cypresses, pines, palms, gumbo limbo and mahogany. At Pa-Hay-Okee, we spent an hour watching huge number and variety of wading birds concentrated in small area of wetlands well visible from the road.
Day 13.
Our hopes for kayaking were dashed again as strong wind persisted. To spend some time on water we signed-up for afternoon Backcountry Boat Tour with Flamingo Adventures. We had time for morning nature walk with volunteer ranger talking mostly about birds: osprey nest with chicks at Flamingo Marina, Great crested flycatcher (flying around too fast to capture on film) e.t.c.
Waiting for the boat we had time to look for crocodile(s) frequently visiting marina. Wilderness Waterway (canal) is now dammed to prevent salt water flooding wetlands: alligators (fresh water only) stay inland, crocodiles (sea water tolerant) stay mostly on the sea side.
Our boat tour: Wilderness Waterway to Coot Lake and Tarpon Creek (11 miles round trip) with small group and good interpretative guide was relaxing. We were learning about efforts to reverse some of the nature-damaging developments of the past (building canals, draining wetlands). And we got to watch crocodile practicing (probably) nest building as egg-laying season was approaching.
We had time for a short walk along the coast behind Visitor Center (following adult ospreys supervising training flight of their offspring), a bit longer walk on Snake Bight Tram Trail (3,7 mi) and stop at Mrazek Pond Viewpoint to look for Tricolor herons.
We visited Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo (recommended) several times during our stay in the area to arrange tours, talk to rangers, use fast wifi internet and on couple of occasions to cool-off midday. Many activities were already winding down for the season due to approaching heat. Both campgrounds were very good and mostly empty. No problem with last minute reservations. Slow nature of Big Cypress and Everglades visit, not so much driving and hiking, gave us plenty of time for bird- and reptile-watching.