Off And Running

Today we set off for Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary for a 2.5 mile walk through Slash Pines, Cypress Trees with their knees, and wildlife.  I didn’t see many birds but I enjoyed being outside.

Tomorrow we will head back to Fort Pierce to see my Uncle one more time before heading for Kansas.  We plan to take it slow since I don’t have to be there until the 2nd.  I have really enjoyed my time in Florida and plan to come back for another visit.  Florida is just beautiful thanks to the State and Government.  If it wasn’t for the preservation of land, Florida would not be as fun.  That is what mom and I really enjoyed.  Around the beach the traffic is amazing and I often laugh and say “I can’t wait to drive around Kansas City.”  In comparison Kansas City is a breeze.  The majority of people we have met have been very friendly and welcoming.  I know the Keys is the biggest tourist trap but that was an amazing place to go as well as the Everglades. 

Mom and I visited Shark Valley and took the tram through part of the Everglades.  We also took our first air boat ride.  No, the Everglades was not what I imagine.   I pictured it swampy but it is a slow moving river, hence the name “river of grass.”  Some of the fun facts I learned about the Everglades:

1. Everglades National Park is home to over 1,000 species of plants. 
2. The Everglades ecosystem provides a home to over 350 species of birds.
3. The Everglades comprise the largest wetlands located in the lower 48 states in the U.S.A.
4. America’s Everglades are home to 67 threatened or endangered species.
5. The Everglades is the only place in the world where the American Alligator and the American Crocodile co-exist in the wild.
6. The ubiquitous grassy plants known as sawgrass (a sedge), feature serrated, razor-edged blades of grass that are so sharp, they have been known to cut through clothing.
7. Ten thousand different islands make up Everglades National Park. Each of these islands is inhabited by natural wildlife.

Pictures I took while visiting the Everglades.