- See More About:
- Property Manager Bald Hills
By Kirby Collins
Recently I had the pleasure of visiting one of the places that Florida is most famous for – the Everglades. I have lived in Florida over half my life and yet I had never been to the Everglades itself so I was very excited. First let me tell you a little about the Everglades.
The Everglades are subtropical wetlands that stretch down the southern half of Florida from the Kissimmee River near Orlando through Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay at the southern tip of the state.
In the wet season the water forms a slow-moving river that is 60 miles wide and over 100 miles long the giving the Glades their ‘River of Grass’ nickname. The Everglades has several different ecosystems this diversity makes it possible for many different species of plants, animals and birds to call the Everglades home.
One of the places I visited in the Everglades was Everglades National Park. The Park was established in 1947 and covers the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades. It’s the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states. This year, I was one of the over a million people who visit the park annually.
The Wet Season, May through November, is very hot and humid, the animals take cover and the only things flying around are mosquitoes. Most people stay away during his time of the year, but not me this is when I was there. Don’t get me wrong I had a great time when I went and can’t wait to go again but I wasn’t exactly the best prepared. First I wore a bright yellow shirt, not the best choice of colors, I might as well have put a bug target on my back, and then I didn’t put bug spray on right away – big mistake. I know no one likes to bring this up but, folks, it is a swamp and swamps have bugs, please take and use bug spray.
Air boat tours are popular in the Everglades; we went on the Gator Park tour which was great. Again we saw many gators, birds and greenery and after the air boat ride we went to their animal show which included alligator wrestling, now before you think they are just being cruel you have to understand their purpose for demonstrating this. Back in the old days the native people would sometimes hunt for food days away from their villages but then they had no way of keeping the meat fresh until they got it back unless they kept it alive. They used the ‘gator wrestling’ technique to subdue the alligator, tied it up and take the fresh meat back to their village. This was important to their very survival which is why is it demonstrated.
Speaking of the ‘native people’ the Miccosukee Indian Tribe make their home in the Everglades and have for many years. They have a great village with a museum, and an area where they showcase members of their tribe weaving and making things, a gator show where you learn about the tribe and of course there is a gift shop where you can buy things like handmade necklaces, clothing and blankets.
I spent a great few days in the Everglades and can’t wait to go back again during the Dry Season. Even though I saw many animals and birds I know when I go back I’ll see even more, maybe different kinds, that’s the great thing about the Glades, it’s constantly changing so even if you’ve been, go back and by all means do not forget your camera.
About the Author: The wildlife and habitat of the Florida Everglades make it one of most popular National Parks in the US. Many visitors looking for things to do in Florida have found the everglades a great experience.
Source: isnare.com
Permanent Link: isnare.com/?aid=1033047&ca=Travel