One of America's most fascinating national parks, is the Everglades. This park was created to protect native species of plants, animals and a rare Eco-system that doesn't exist anywhere else on the planet. There are few different endangered animals that call the Everglades home along with many plants.
The moment we drive past the Everglades entrance gate, we've witness miles of emptiness in every direction, a river of grass stretching to the treeless horizon. Every National Park has something to offer, but this one was so different. Wetlands, as far as your eyes could see and instead of black bears in Tennessee we had our eyes peeled for alligators.
1. See and learn about Alligator
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Don't let the gators scare you-- it is safe.
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| Alligators mate? |
2. Birds watching at Everglades
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| Siesta time |
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| Flamingos |
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| The Caracara is a member of the falcon family |
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| Pelicans |
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| Great Blue Heron |
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| Roseate Spoonbill |
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| American Eagle |
3. Take an Airboat tour at Everglades Safari Park
We came to the Everglades at the right time - its off mosquito season when we were there. Around end of April 2018 it's hot but windy. Another way to explore Everglades is taking an airboat. Everglades Safari Park offers this kind of fun. We purchase our ticket from Groupon that save us 10 bucks. We got into a large airboat and had about 35-40 minutes ride out on the Everglades wetlands and canals. There is wildlife everywhere. Mostly alligators, turtles, and all kinds of birds. You can see them relatively up close (which is so cool). Then, at the end of the ride everyone goes to a little amphitheater and there is a great alligator show. They will let you hold a baby alligator and take your picture with it for extra $3/person.
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| Everglades Safari Park Entrance |
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| Wetlands -- out in the wild! |
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| Our friendly tour guide. |
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| Wild Blue Heron -- hunting for food! |
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| Beautiful Canals |
4. Great place to go on a hike while enjoying the nature.
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| We went on a short hike - what a great way to try and get a little in touch with nature. It's so vast and scenic. |
5. Stop by to Flamingo Welcome Center
We absolutely love it here! It is beautiful and there is so much to see. The road leading down to Flamingo Welcome Center is about a 37 mile drive and completely worth the trip. The ride is full of little stops to check out the cypress hammocks, lakes, trails and scenic views. There's multiple opportunities to see wildlife and various plants.
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| At Everglades Welcome Center |
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| Perfect place to be where the water meets the land in such an amazing way that the only way to understand is to experience it. |
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| Marina Bay at Flamingo Welcome Center |
📍 Here are some tips if you plan on visiting Everglades National Park:
1. Spend at least a whole day here to really explore the wilderness.
2. Plan your visit during the dry season (winter or early spring), when conditions are much more favorable to human habitation and wildlife viewing.
3. Make sure you enter the park with a full tank of gas, there are long distances between visitor centers and no places to fill up.
4. Pack a lunch and lots of drinks.
5. Stop by to Earnest Coe Visitor Center, so you can learn about the park and properly plan your visit.
6. Bring some bugs spray and sunscreen.
7. After going on tour, make at least an hour drive down to the Flamingo Visitor Center to see where the Everglades meet the Gulf of Mexico.
Over all, the beauty of the Everglades is like nothing else. This is a very unique ecosystem and should be seen by all in United States. This is a fun activity to do and you see lots of wild life in their natural habitat.
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I have been wanting to go there for years. We drove by last year when we drove to Key West from Miami, but didn't have time to stop.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Florida many, many times but I have not been into the Everglades. I've heard it is an awesome place to explore with all the animals. It looks like you had a great time and I'm hoping I can get there myself soon.
ReplyDeleteOh wow now this sounds like an amazing national park to go and visit! All those animals I could definitely spend some time looking for all of them.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a great time. I did have the opportunity to go air boating in Florida a few years back and it was fun.
ReplyDeleteI love nature and preserving our environment and wildlife so I will definitely go there and see all the great animals. It is really a beautiful park, so vast.
ReplyDeleteWe have never been to the Everglades. Would be a total education for us. So different from home
ReplyDeleteI would do this park just for the bird watching aspect to it! What a fantastic place to visit and explore! The photograph you got of the flamingoes are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you like it Falamingo photos are my favorite too.
DeleteI've lived near the Everglades for basically my entire life, and I've never actually been to a park (that I can remember, at least).
ReplyDeleteThe area where Everglades are is out of this world. WE had a blast enjoying the nature surrounding with wild animals.
DeleteI would love to visit Everglades National Park with the kiddos. So much to see and do! Thanks for providing very helpful tips.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome glad to help you. I hope soon you will be able to bring your whole family at Everglades. A great first to educate kids and adult about ecosystem.
DeleteThis all sounds amazing! I know seeing this would be great, my kids would love to see all of the wildlife.
ReplyDeleteI'm in Florida later this month and I am eager to see if we can get to the Everglades. I surely hope so!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Florida many times but never to the Everglades! I would love to go and explore there one day!!
ReplyDeleteEverglades National Park looks so beautiful. The alligators look formidable while the Flamingos are so graceful. The hike in the lap of nature must have been a very satisfying experience.
ReplyDeleteI have been to Florida a few times but never visited the Everglades. I definitely would aim for off peak season when the mosquitoes are not around.
ReplyDeleteI want to visit the Everglades Park someday, that's my kind of adventure. Are those gators live?
ReplyDeleteYes sis everything is alive and kicking :) What a great experience to be out there and see wild gators in their natural habitat. It is pretty safe as long as you go on a guided tour.
DeleteWow, this is a totally new experience. I have never been to Everglades and this is my first time to learn about it. I hope I can be able to visit this someday. Hopefully, next year.
ReplyDeleteIndeed a great experience everyone should do it at least once in their lives. We also encounter a mother gator during the tour but we hardly see the babies coz of they were under the water.
DeleteOh how cool! I would love to go to the Everglades. Your photographs are beautiful!! I'm putting this on my bucket list.
ReplyDeleteI've been to Florida so many times and have passed parts of the Everglades National Park BUT I've yet to visit. Chalk it up to my fear of seeing snakes or gators. I always flashback to that episode of Naked and Afraid where they were in the Everglades National Park and all the snakes.
ReplyDeleteI would love to go to the Everglades one day. It looks like a cool area to explore. My kids would love the alligators.
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