It’s the Journey…

Posted on February 28, 2013February 28, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Everglades National Park. It’s been an unreachable goal on so many of my Florida trips. Normally my visits take me to the Orlando area even when I am not visiting the Theme Parks and Orlando isn’t anywhere near Everglades National Park. Now that I’m in Fort Lauderdale finally getting to the park is a top priority.

I realize that all of my little adventures so far have taken me into the Everglades…but not the National Park. My first decision is which part of the park to visit. There are 3 entrances and they are nowhere near each other. Since wildlife is a priority I chose the Shark Valley entrance. My GPS put me about 45 minutes away so it wasn’t a bad drive. It was highway for the most part.

I was making good time until I got off the highway and made my last turn toward the park. At least there were plenty of signs so you don’t get lost. What I didn’t know was that the last part if the trip was all under construction so it was one lane…literaly. You stopped for the flagmen who let one lane go , then the other.

The Shark Valley entrance opens at 8:30 am and closes at 6pm. As I got closer I saw snake hunters with their snake hooks searching the perimeter of the park for invasive snakes. The state of Florida is sponsoring a snake hunt for pythons. Latest count is at 31. The hunt ended Feb 8. I’m not sure what the final counts came to. I will have to look it up and let you know in another post.

It was a little after 9am when I saw the entrance to the park come into sight. The entrance fee is $10.00 and is good for 7 days. It’s also good at any of the entrances. Too bad this is my last day in Florida for this trip. I’m flying out of Fort Lauderdale Airport in the morning.

The limited parking was almost filled even at this early hour but the rangers were great helping me squeeze my little rental into a spot that seemed way too small by directing me in. I collected my gear and walked across the pavement to the sidewalk and almost stepped on my first “gator”…a big one! The ranger laughed and said ” Welcome to the Everglades. Watch where you step.”

What an introduction! I walked the rest of the way to the information center on the road..not the sidewalk!

Beyond the Aviary

Posted on February 25, 2013February 25, 2013 by Dusty Roads

As much fun as I was having in the huge aviary I knew there was much more to see so I packed up my gear and bid good-by to the squawking, flapping crowd.

As I followed the path away from the aviary I approached a huge tree.

It was so large it reminded me of the banyan trees I’d seen in Hawaii. But it’s no banyan, it’s a cluster fig tree.

Trees like this always make my mouth drop open in awe. I can only imagine how I will react when I finally see a giant sequoia! This was one time I wished I had a person to stand next to the tree to show the perspective.

Not too far away was the Flamingo Cafe. It was easy to see why it was named that way. On one side was the Flamingo exhibit and on the other was the butterfly garden. On the back side was a Hummingbird Garden. No matter where you choose to sit there’s something to look at. Food offerings were limited to things like hotdogs and chips and like all places of this nature the cost was top dollar. Still if one is hungry you pay the price. As it turned out the hot dogs were giant ones so I can’t complain about the amount of food for the money.

It was a slow day for humming birds and butterflies so I sat watching the flamingos.

I have seen them in all the various shades of pink but these were really a deep, rich color. More of a coral than a pink.

Nearby was a tram ride so after lunch I hopped on board for the tour of the rest of the grounds. This part seemed really familiar. It made me wonder if I had been here before. If so it must have been 10 years ago. Not much had changed. The little tram takes you through some fruit orchards and past the founder’s Historic Wray Home.

The tram driver tells a little of the history and points out some of the exhibits. It’s a nice little ride.

Back at the tram station I meandered over to the Florida Panthers exhibit but they were not around. They are diurnal so it was a bit early for them to be active. Same with the bobcats in the bobcat exhibit. I had better luck at the Geese, Swans and Cranes. I especially liked the pair of sand hill cranes in this exhibit.

The otters were very active and there was a little bridge to stand on to watch them.

And of course…Alligators. After all we are in Florida so what would a pond of water be without the alligator?

A Foot Note to The Pelican Post

Posted on February 24, 2013February 24, 2013 by Dusty Roads

One of the great things about blogging is what you can learn from your followers. Because of the comment on the coloring of the Pelican in yesterday’s post I did some research and that is mating plumage.

But even more interesting to me is that the fibrous growth on the white pelican is not an injury! Sure looked like one to me but according to the internet (And we all know the internet doesn’t lie) it’s a breeding display :

In breeding season they get a light yellowish crest on the back of the head and males get a “nuptial tubercle” or fibrous plate on the upper part of their bill that is unique to white pelicans. The feet and bill turn more brilliant colors when breeding as well. The nuptial tubercle will fall off when mating season is over and the crest will turn gray.