Two Parks for One. — Oh, G-Nation |

Feb 12

Feb 12 Two Parks for One.

I think the Florida sun is getting to me. Yesterday I basically had a breakdown because I thought I lost my Parks Passport. I don't get myself souvenirs at the parks. I get something small, maybe a postcard or a patch but my biggest souvenir are the stamps. I've worked hard for them; I've camped, hiked, canoed, and biked. So when I went to the last visitor center out of the four at Everglades NP in Everglades City and thought I lost it in the 20ft. from the building to my car, I was really upset. Lucky for me, Ranger James was there to save the day and with the few inches he had over me realized it was on the roof of Bertha. Cue eye roll. Florida, it's been fun, but I have more bug bites than I can count and I am officially ready to make my exit. Before I go, I want to tell you about the two National Parks I explored and the amazing hostel I stayed at.

Homestead, FL. has two National Parks, lucky people. One is the largest marine park in the National Park System, Biscayne NP. The other is the more well-known Everglades NP. Biscayne is a really interesting place, it's 95% water and 5% land. With a lot more planning and a few extra dollars you can take a boat out to the islands and snorkle or scuba dive through one of the 50 documented ship wrecks in its waters, hike a bit, and climb the Boca Chita lighthouse. You can also see Stiltsville, a community of houses all on stilts above the water that you can't go into but can admire from afar. That specifically is definitely something I will be back for. This park, along with Dry Tortugas down in Key West, are both parks that are now officially on my list. Note to self, some parks take a bit more planning ahead than others. I wasn't not going to take advantage while I was there, I did walk along the boardwalk and checked out the 5% of land Biscayne had to offer me.

Then the real exploring began.

Prior to heading down to Florida City, I had a recommendation from my friend in Miami to go to "Robert Is Here", a side of the road fruit farm that is suppose to be amazing. It is. I went there three times over two days. If you go to Florida City, definitely go there. Everything's fresh and homemade. Their strawberry shake is amazing and their fresh strawberries are even better. Definitely try their guacamole, it's the best I've had to date. Enough about food, back to nature. Originally I was going to spend a day in Everglades NP and head to Key West for a day. However, I saw the park map and how much there was to do and changed my plans. The park is huge! Done right, it takes, I would say, 2-3 days to get enough out of your visit. The Ahinga trail is particularly awesome, it's actually more of a boardwalk than a hiking trail. I walked it at night and during the day and I'd recommend both since they're such different experiences. During the day you'll see every bird you can imagine; blue herons, cormorants, and coots, to name a few. There was a cormorant that never left the railing of the path, I had fun shooting him and his beautiful turquoise eyes. Then there is the real draw of this trail, the American Alligators. Big, massive alligators lining the side of the pathway. I was strolling along and all of a sudden I was about two feet from an 8 ft. gator. It was sleeping and being lazy as they all are during the day, don't worry. Speaking of which, when you walk to the end of the boardwalk there are about 40 gators hanging out sleeping on top of each other, piled high. At night it's a little spooky. Chloe, my new friend from the hostel, and I had a lot of fun trying to find their eyes in the dark. They really do glow when you shine your flashlights over them. Heads up, go later than 7:30pm. Apparently we were there a little too early but it was still a very cool experience.

With a little persuasion and the help of some very nice rangers, I got the chance to canoe in a ranger lead tour through Nine Mile Pond. It was amazing! We paddled through Mangrove tree tunnels and saw things we may not have been able to just walking around the pond. I only saw a few gators during the three hour tour, but at this point I had had my fill. There was one towards the end that I got about 20-30 ft. from - big mistake. It turned it's head and looked right at me. I got the hint and paddled out of there literally as fast as I could, suddenly remembering Lake Placid very vividly. Because canoeing next to them wasn't enough for me, I biked next to them as well at Shark Valley visitor center. The 15 mile loop proved to be a rewarding one. I saw baby alligators! The most adorable little things you've ever seen. I mean, I have no doubt their teeth would absolutely hurt, but I contemplated the risk. After seeing the southernmost point of mainland Florida (the beach photo below) and seeing the everglades as most people know it (the swamp photo below that), I think It's safe to say that I earned my stamps. Fun fact, calling Everglades National Park a swamp is actually incorrect. By definition, a swamp collects water and the water in the park is constantly flowing. It originates at the Okeechobee River by Orlando, FL., moves down through the Everglades and out into the Florida Bay.

Little tip before I go, if you do go to Everglades NP, or actually just want to get away to somewhere sunny and meet some cool people, stay at Everglades International Hostel. It's by far one of the coolest I've stayed at so far. It's in its own little bubble. Off a busy highway, you'd never know being in there. It has beautiful big trees, a communal kitchen with an all you can eat make your own pancake breakfast, a tree house, waterfall, outdoor (and indoor) showers, a yoga tent for relaxation and a screened in octagon shaped outdoor room with a giant cushioned couch hugging the walls. It's a truly unique place and inexpensive since it's a hostel. With not a ton of housing options other than camping for the park, this place is a real gem. It would be even if there were other options, honestly. I found myself wanting to go back to hang at the hostel rather than seeing more alligators in the park. Now that's saying something.

Time to make my way out of Florida. 'Til next time.

- G.

The Photo:
Canoeing in the Mangroves of Nine Mile Pond.
Everglades National Park.
2/10/17.