In Austin, Texas – we wore jeans, long sleeve shirts, down coats, hats and gloves and still could not get warm.
In Effie, Louisiana – we were attired in all of the above and a rain coat to ward off the freezing rain and ice.
In Crestview, Florida – we were only able to remove the hat and gloves as conditions remained essentially unchanged except for the addition of fog.
In Tampa, Florida – we were able to shed the rain and down coats but sadly, were still stuck in jeans and sweatshirts.
In Homestead, Florida (outside the Everglades) – we, thankfully, joyously, blissfully and finally, were able to throw all the clothing referenced above disdainfully into a tub in the back of the truck and don shorts, t-shirts and sandals! I believe before we actually put them on, we laid them out reverently on the bed and one of us may have actually kissed the hem of her shorts before slipping them on.

We had hoped to camp in Everglades National Park but some of the loops were closed and they were booked so we found a place called Miami Everglades RV Resort. We weren’t sure what to expect especially when we turned into the drive and were greeted with:

Luckily, it turned out to be a really cute place and despite getting one of the last spots, we got a nice site at the end of one of the loops with lots of space and some privacy:

The resort is primarily inhabited by snowbirds from the US and Canada who stay the entire winter but they have it going on. They had events going 24X7. Yoga in the Tiki Pavillion in the mornings. Bring your beverage of choice and appetizer to share every night at 5:00pm for Happy Hour. Nights devoted to Euchre, Poker,Texas Hold ‘Em, Mah Jong, Knitting, Bingo and Ping Pong. I am kicking myself for not participating in some events but we were busy getting after the Everglades. As we were checking out on our last day, they were having a Shuffleboard Tournament. Prior to beginning the competition, they sang both the National Anthem and O Canada and did a surprisingly good job.

If we all lived there, it would be hysterical. All you nuts would be participating in or coordinating some event. Richard, Ted and Rob would be organizing the daily bike ride. Renee and Claudia B. would have everyone knitting hats for the needy children. Kellye’s peeps would provide the Happy Hour music. Robin’s writing workshops would have a waiting list and Claudia Lenz would be the social secretary. Meanwhile, the rest of you younger folks would be in charge of cleaning and maintenance. Hey, my fantasy…..my rules.
But, as usual, I digress.

Off to the Everglades:

We spent our first day at the Royal Palms Visitor’s Center and hiked the Anhinga Trail. We pulled into the parking lot and promptly wrapped our truck in tarps:


Peg and Bill had warned us that the vultures seem to enjoy landing on vehicles and chewing the rubber off them. Many cars were covered and others were not, so we debated just taking a chance that Florida vultures would not have acquired a taste for Colorado Truck rubber. I am glad we went through the hassle of covering the truck because we later heard a man on the phone with his insurance company saying the “damn birds” had scratched the car all up and chewed all the rubber surrounding the windshield!
We had a phenomenal day watching wildlife! So yet again, prepare for more and more nature pictures. If you would like to see a larger version of the pictures, I believe you can simply click on the photo.

We saw Anhingas, who lack oil glands, which causes them to sit in the sun and stretch their wings out to dry each time before diving into the water to fish.

Without a doubt, my favorite bird of the day was the American Purple Gallinule.

Finally, I will leave you with one stereotypical Everglades photograph of an Alligator. I took at least 50 shots of them the first day but since you have been so kind, I will spare you. Especially since there are surely many more to come.

Gotta run for now! More Everglades to Come!