Birds and Alligators in the Everglades

When we decide to take our roving retirement someplace new, we always look up the top 10 things to do. In the ‘not Miami’ part of South Florida, the number one thing to do is to see the Everglades. Two main roads go into Everglades National Park, so I figured one day for each would work.

Overall, while we enjoyed our time there, the one thing we can say about the Everglades is that they were surprisingly empty. There weren’t that many different types of plants, and there weren’t many animals, tourists, or services. It seems the entire lower 1/3 of Florida is empty except for swamps, birds, and alligators. There were, however, lots of interesting birds so it’s a great place if you are into birding.

Choosing a Route

One of the roads into the Everglades comes directly due west out of Miami so we decided to take that road first. A friend of mine who lives in Florida gave me a list of things to see and do in the Everglades. The list was really helpful but we did have to deviate a bit due to groundwater.

We were directed to take a loop road that had some interesting spots to stop but a few miles in, the road was flooded. We continued for a bit but finally decided our rental car company wouldn’t appreciate our 4-wheeling in the Chevy Impala. Maybe another time.

The Everglades Overview

When you look at a map of Florida you’ll see that the lower 1/3 of the state is all green with lots of blue dots. The green show undeveloped land and blue dots are bodies of water big enough to rate being on the map. But in reality, the green bits are dense red mangroves and sparse cypress groves all sitting in water. The place is otherwise known as a swamp. There is water everywhere with dense foliage. That makes walking around limited to raised wooden walkways called hammocks.

We were quite intrigued by the panther crossing signs that we saw frequently on the roads. Then we found out there are only 100 hundred panthers in all of Florida so the chances of seeing one were really small.

The first hammock we decided to explore was really interesting from a critter’s point of view. We saw an alligator or crocodile (don’t know which) right next to the trail. There was a small railing but it wouldn’t keep anyone or beast out. Based on the information we gathered from the plaques along the walkway, we decided to pay closer attention to the birds, which we did. Later, we saw a tiny alligator sunning itself on a lily pad. All that said, we saw surprisingly few animals. Even with so much standing water, basically no flying insects. Curious.

Flamingo

On the second day, we drove the road to the only inhabited area in the Everglades, a place called Flamingo. Flamingo has a boat launch, camping, and a temporary visitors center. The permanent visitors center is getting rebuilt because it was destroyed in Hurricane Irma. We were told that it was also a good place to see manatees and alligators.

We think we saw the back of a manatee in the middle of the channel but then the biting started. In the course of about 10 minutes, the area around the channel became bug central, so we made a hasty retreat to the car. As we were driving out I saw a very large alligator in the marina. I guess there is no swimming.

Throughout the national park, there is lots of water, mangroves, and critters but there aren’t a few services. Be sure to bring a full tank of gas, your lunch, snacks, and drinks along with you.

Staying in FLA City

Since we decided to spend two days in the Everglades, we thought staying nearby was a good idea. Our choices were Homestead or Florida City. We chose Florida City, but there wasn’t much difference. On the plus side, we did get to sit outside at a Starbucks, just like the old days.

We realize that early December isn’t a prime season in Florida but there were very few visitors at any of the viewing areas. Outside people rarely wore a mask but we tried to set a good example.

What animals would you like to see in the Everglades?