Sea to Sea in Canada: A Welcome Escape From Winter

Doesn't that look just seem to say, "Come a little closer, wise guy!" We had our fill of alligators during our exploration of the Everglades. The Everglades are a vast drainage system which begins near Orlando and extends over 100 miles to the south, draining into the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Essentially, it is a huge flood plain for several large rivers but because the drainage slope is so slight (about 2 inches per mile), water from the northern part can take months to drain into the ocean. There are several different ecosystems, but the area we explored was primarily mangrove swamps. Mangroves are particularly suited to the brackish water that is common near the ocean shores when the tide is high.

A typical mangrove-choked shoreline.
These offer good protection from alligators for nesting birds.

We took a ride on an airboat. Steering is done by moving the blades behind the huge fan. Since there is no rudder below the water, the airboat can travel over shoals and submerged branches and tree trunks without getting stuck. Check out our video below (turn up your volume).

After that thrilling ride, we went to a nearby wildlife sanctuary that showcased some local animals. The Florida panther is the state animal and on the highway that crosses the Everglades, panther warning signs are common.

Gators are everywhere!

The sanctuary puts on a gator show which includes a handler feeding them (the ones in the big enclosure. The handler to the right is a Seminole native who takes some big risks with this alligator!

Tigers are not native to Florida but these two Siberian tigers were former "pets" that became too big for their owner to handle and were turned over to the sanctuary, where they have lived for decades.

Alligator skin is very soft and the leather that can be made from it is superior to that of cattle and is considered more luxurious than crocodile leather. It is not illegal to sell alligator leather in Florida.

Photographers will do almost anything to get a picture.
Beyond is what Al was taking a picture of.
Thankfully it was on the other side of the canal.

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After we left the Everglades, we headed south to the Florida Keys, which is an archipelago stretching about 120 miles south and west from the mainland. The major islands (keys) are connected by a series of bridges leading all the way to Key West. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida and it grew prosperous on salvaging wrecks. It was only accessible by water until the 1910s, when an overseas railway was completed. In 1935, a major hurricane destroyed large sections of the railway and it was never rebuilt. Instead, some of the trestles were converted to be able to carry automobiles and the Overseas Highway was opened in the 1950s.

On September 10, 2017, Hurricane Irma caused major damage to the lower Keys including Key West. On our drive down there 4 months later, there was still plenty that had not been repaired. Many boats and trailers were destroyed and some of these were still visible along the highway. Some businesses in Key West still had tarps covering their roofs because they have been unable to get contractors to come and repair them. However, in October of each year, Key West hosts Fantasy Fest, a 10-day hedonistic warm-up to Hallowe'en. This is the largest festival of the year and the local economy relies on its continued success. The State of Florida mobilized the National Guard, a Navy aircraft carrier and hundreds of others to clean up Key West so that Fantasy Fest could proceed on schedule.

We took a sunset boat cruise around the area. The weather was beautiful and a good time was had by all.