The Florida Everglades and the Keys

Hi Everyone,

 

We have visited Florida at least a half dozen times as a family, always in Orlando and spending most of our time at Disney World. As a result I never really appreciated all that Florida had to offer. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised when we visited the Everglades. The vast expanse of swampland and the wildlife that we were able to see while visiting was much more than I ever expected. Our second night in the Everglades we had a black bear walk by our camper which was a bit of a surprise to me. In addition to the snakes and gators they also had panthers (known in the north as Mountain Lions), Manatees, Dolphins and plenty of exotic birds.

 

The weather was beautiful, as a matter of fact, when we were having warmer than usual temperatures in the Everglades the rest of the country was in the midst of a deep freeze experiencing unusually low temperatures hitting -47 degrees in some areas such as my hometown in Montana.

 

The airboat ride was a must for us while visiting the Everglades. It was a blast for the entire family.

 

Getting ready for the airboat ride.

Found this guy while we were out on the airboat.

Tristan "Snorkeling" in the Florida Keys at Anne's Beach.

Me "Snorkeling" at Anne's Beach.

Izabelle and I in the Florida Keys

Tristan, Sidney, and I canoeing at Flamingo Campground in the Gulf of Mexico.

Helaina, Izabelle and I getting ready to head out.

Tristan Fishing with Helaina, Izabelle and me in the background.

You can barely see Sunny dog paddling near the back of the canoe by my paddle. Hey, is that a gator near the front of the canoe?

Our campsite at Flamingo.

The nations smallest post office in Ochopee, FL.

"There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth; remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them."
-Marjory Stoneman Douglas
 

 

God Bless,

Seth and Katherine