Thursday, March 24, Day 20, Coral Gables to Everglades City

This is our furtherest point south, 2,552 miles from home. We thought we would eat a brunch, so before we hit hwy 41 going west we went to an IHop. Eggs, hash browns, my spinach/mushroom omelet (senior) with two pancakes, great coffee. We picked up gas as one does not know what to expect on the old Tamiami Trail old highway. This is an old two lane highway but through some neat areas we want to stop at. First being, Everglades National Park – Shark Valley. Shirleen had found in her National Parks sticker book that we visited it in 2002 but thought it would be nice to visit again.


On the tram

 We didn’t remember much so we took the tram, lucked out we were stand-by for 2pm and four of us made it. We went on a 2pm stand-by for the tram and went for a walk on the bobcat boardwalk, a relatively short walk but it is hot around 88.



We sat on a bench and took in the scenery and plotted our strategy or should I say

Shirleen did. It is a two hour circular run eight miles out to a lookout tower and back. Going by many alligators,

some a foot long others their mother’s 6 foot long. They lie in culverts connecting each side of the road. There is little water, maybe 3 inches, there the small and mother alligators lie to waste away the day, using the culvert as shelter from the heat. Birds can be seen by the areas where limestone was taken out to build the roads we are on along with tree stands. In some of these areas there are panthers, raccoons and bear. The everglades are 1.2 million acres of wetlands. It is not only a National park but a UN designated world area to keep as is. At one time there was a river 50 miles (yes, miles) across that flowed at a rate of a half mile a day. Due to government involvement these water days are bygone but there is an attempt to raise highway 41 to recreate what was lost. They wanted to drain the swamp and raise tomatoes. Of course it was to salty to carry out the idea, but to late. Many birds to see along the way cormorants, blue herons and the only tropical bird ----- often confused with the cormorant, crows and mud hens. All one can see is the wide expanse of grass land with a couple areas where trees grow.

We get to the end of the run where a 40 foot tower stands, we stop so we can all go to the landing and see many alligators sunning themselves, Florida gar, bass and small fish abound. There are many soft shell turtles sunning themselves also. The everglades are now being invaded by Burmese pythons, some found up to 16 feet long. They figure 150,000 are in the glades alone. They were people’s pets, as there was no limit as to how many could come into the US and once they grow they become a burden to take care off. Now there are limits on them and they are trying to control them, as they ate all the rabbits which ran the fields and now have found up to a 6 foot alligator in ones stomach. As this is spring and mating season, yes, a couple of birds where caught in the act, many got a chuckle out of that.

As we were leaving the park ranger told us about the Clyde Butcher gallery close to where we are going. Also make sure you see the orchids, which turn out to be bromeliads, in the trees. We notice the flower plants in the trees that line the highway, bright red flowers. We stop by the studio and well worth the stop. He is an accomplished black and white photographer. From 11 by 14 inches to one for $32,000 for a 5 by 8 foot print. Wondered how they printed them that big, as he does his on processing. I remember using an x-ray machine at Hubbard flour mill, there was a year when the wheat was heavily infected with insects. We got an x-ray machine and developed our own film, about 16 by 20 inches negatives. We could then see the insect burrows in the wheat kernels, I am sure it is just a large tray and dumping in your developing chemicals like I did. Had forgotten about this episode of my life. Each print a little different from the other. I said, another Ansel Adams, she said he is referred to as the Ansel Adams of the Everglades. A wonderful stop. The lady behind the counter corrected the ranger and pointed out the cardinal bromeliads. She was a retired ranger.

Off to find a place to stay for this eve, it is 5:05, another 10 miles to go. There are a couple signs where it cautions you that panthers could be crossing over the next 5 miles. We drive into town, a quick speed zone change, that I caught, and a cop behind the trees by the bridge.

We see a motel, looks nice, went in a couple blocks and found where we found our room on stilts, yes the car is parked beneath us and we are on second floor. It must be one of those rentals when they are away, cozy.

Next door is the Everglades Seafood Depot Restaurant. It is Thursday night and it is a seafood buffet which I cannot resist, Shirleen her coconut shrimp with new potatoes. My buffet had oysters on the half shell, scallops on the half shell with a drop of hot sauce, crab claws fresh from there, mussels, crawfish, fried shrimp and white fish, with hot butter, and crab salad. On the salad bar were fresh boiled shrimp. It turns out that when you order the buffet they give you two black bowls, one 18 inch one for the shells and

your work bowl about a foot across and it is black. I asked why? So they can tell who ordered the buffet. We sat alongside the pier watching the pelicans prune themselves. As we sat there and the sun was setting, you can see more deeply into the trees across the brackish water lake.



Shirleen's sunset picture

 We wanted to watch the sun set over the water and found a neat spot to do that.

jerr