I am back blogging and we are about to go to Disney, so I am just going to throw these pictures up and blog later. This was a monster day.
Waking up to the Airbnb and scoping out the pool in the backyard.Lydia, who never naps, took three naps today. Looks like someone was jet lagged.We got the special with fried frog legs, alligator, shrimp, and catfish. Some kids opted for corn dogs, but most everyone loved the frog legs. Tastes like chicken! (Abe thought he got a frog bone caught in his throat, which was really scary. Thankfully it must have been just a scratch, but it irritated Abe’s throat for the rest of the day.)The alligators at the gator show.Waiting for the gator show.Awww! A baby alligator!!Touring the Everglades Safari National Park.
Here we are looking at a swimming gator.Checking out the alligators.We booked a private tour. At first we were ambivalent about paying for a private tour, but after experiencing what it was we think it was worth every penny. It is one of Abe and my favorite memories with our family!
Airboating was sooo fun!
Some beautiful swamp lilies. I read The Orchid Thief in college and never forgot what I learned about Florida flower enthusiasts. It was really fun to see some flowers blooming in the Everglades!Our very knowledgeable guide.Our guide showed us a plant native to the Everglades that the indigenous people used to make bandages. It feels just like gauze and has natural antiseptics. If I remember correctly, he said gauze was modeled after this plant.beautiful Everglades canal.An alligator!!After our boat tour we drove up to Big Cypress National Preserve and walked the Kirby Storter Roadside Boardwalk, a mile long hike that we got all to ourselves. There was not even another car in the parking lot!
At the end of the boardwalk there was a gator pond, a depression that hosts all sorts of wildlife. We saw a beautiful heron, a turtle, lots of fish, and plenty of mosquitoes. Ammon of course leaned over the railing and had to be hand held for the rest of the time.On our way to our car we saw this crazy bug on the outhouse!!After our hike we drove to Miami Beach. We had a desperate search for a bathroom with Clarissa, and after the kids had fun in the sand until we had dinner late at night.
slow motion
After the beach we walked to Havana 1957, a restaurant. It felt a lot like Europe with the late night restaurants, and pedestrian boulevard restaurant seating.
Even at 11pm, the kids were beyond excited to see a dog poster!
