2023 – Late May – Miami, Everglades NP, Biscayne NP, Dry Tortugas NP

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Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas

We are heading to Miami, FL on this trip.  To our delight we find out the Everglades, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks are within a few hours of Miami.  Our trip is twofold.  We are seeing Nicida’s family, we also extended our trip by a few days to take in the national parks of southern Florida.

For some reason I booked us on an afternoon flight, not our regular routine.  Our flights are delayed, but we make our connecting flight to Miami, arriving after 9 PM.  From there events start going downhill.  We wait over 15 minutes for a rental car, only to find the passenger side mirror is taped to the car.  There are several wraps of clear mailing tape holding it in place.  I can understand duct tape, but mailing tape???  We wait another five minutes for the next car, then head out, bound for Florida City.  The nice thing about arriving so late is the lack of traffic on the highways and toll roads.

We arrive at the hotel after 11 PM.  Once checked in, and unpacked we hit the bed, worn out from our trip.  Ready to sleep, we discover we cannot turn off the light.  The little rocker switch moves to the ‘off’ position but springs back to ‘on’, worse yet, the light permanently stays on.  Using our engineering skills, we unscrew the bulb, problem solved.  The next morning, we head down for breakfast, then back to the room preparing for our drive to the Everglades.  I step into the bathroom closing, and inadvertently locking, the bathroom door.  Finished brushing my teeth I discover the door is locked, the locking button disengages when I twist the handle, but it stays locked.  I call Nicida through the door to have her open it from the outside, but she can’t open it…  She digs out a knife from the drawer in the kitchenette to disengage the lock, it still doesn’t open…  “Try calling the front desk,” I yell.  Rushing to the phone – she finds the phone is dead.  She returns to the door and somehow after both of us struggling; pushing and pulling the door and the door handle, the door opens.  I wasn’t afraid of dying in the bathroom but thinking that if I had been alone in the room, it would not have been pretty.  To the hotel’s credit, the woman at the front desk immediately gave us another room.  Before moving all our stuff, we went to the room to check the light switch, the bathroom door and lock, and the phone.  Satisfied, we moved up to the fifth floor, unpacking again.  On to the Everglades.

Everglades National Park

Lubber grasshopper

The park itself is less than a half hour’s drive from Florida City/Homestead.  This area is quite rural; there are vineyards, plant nurseries, cane fields, alligator farms, even corn fields.  We pass by a field using one of the irrigation systems that pivot in the center forming green crop circles like those used in the west. 

Driving into the park we stop at the visitor center, it’s quiet, there are only a dozen cars in the parking lot.  After collecting ‘official’ park stamps and stickers for our passport books we visit with one of the rangers for suggested hikes and things to see.  “If it’s on the park map, it’s worth seeing,” he replies.  We are off on today’s brief journey.

Turtle having lunch

Our first stop is at Royal Palm – Anhinga Trail.  Before we get out of the car we see White Ibis, poking the turf looking for an insect lunch.  Where the ground is above the water level the trail is paved.  Once the ground disappears the trail becomes a wide boardwalk touring the many pools of water.  It is a treat for our eyes.  Fish actively jump out of the water hoping to swallow an unsuspecting insect.  Turtles swim, looking for tasty flowers attached to the thousands of lily pads.  We even spot an alligator hidden among the cypress trees.  We hear insects buzzing all around us.  Redwing blackbirds, only a few of the many species of birds here, call and reply to each other as we continue along the boardwalk.  Returning, we notice an orange/yellow stone in the middle of the pavement.  Approaching it we see the ‘stone’ moving.  It’s a Lubber grasshopper, it’s length is the width of my hand.  Researching, I learn that they don't have wings to fly.  I'm glad, can you imagine what your windshield would look hitting one? Hammocks of hardwood trees, only a few inches higher than the surrounding terrain form mini forests of trees and shrubs.  The extra few inches make the difference between wet sawgrass and dry ground, suitable for trees.

Our next stop is the Pa-hay-okee Overlook.  A manmade deck is the highest spot as far as we can see.  We are surrounded by a river/marsh.  It is miles wide and not much more than 2 – 3 inches deep.  The Shark River Slough (pronounced ‘slew’), before human development was the primary path for water flow from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades.  We notice that the bird and insect activity, is at a lower level than at the ponds of the Anhinga Trail.

On our way back we pass the sign ‘Rock Reef Pass – Elevation 3 feet’.  I have to laugh, living among the mountains we regularly see the same signs with slightly higher elevations - between 7,000’ and 12,000’.

Our final stop for the day is at Pinelands, a slightly elevated area that slash pines own.  They are the only trees that survive the regular occurrences of fire.  Beneath the pines, saw palmetto and over 200 varieties of tropical plants thrive.  There is even less bird and insect activity here, with one exception – mosquitos.  They more than make up for the absence of the other insects.  As we progress along the trail, our pace quickens trying to keep ahead of them.  Approaching the parking lot, a light rain begins to fall.  We are not certain if what we feel on our skin are rain drops or more mosquitos feasting on us, we swat in case it’s the latter.  Diving into the car, we realize we this is the first stop where we have had to deal with mosquitoes.  The rain increases in intensity as we exit.  What were dry roads on the way into the park, now have ponds intermittently covering the road.

The next morning, we are on our way west to the other side of the Everglades.  First we have to drive north passing through Homestead.  Continuing north for another 20 miles we pass numerous nurseries, many with scores, if not hundreds of plants potted up waiting for a new home.  I see my first papayas hanging from branches high in a tree.  This is also the first time I see mangoes in the wild.  Leaves seem to end on the branches, allowing the mangoes to take over.  At least on these trees they really hang out by themselves in what appears to be easy pickings.

Heron

Arriving at the Tamiami Trail, US41, we turn west.  Part of the Tamiami Trail is the northern border of the Everglades National Park.  We start seeing signs advertising, air boat tours, alligator farms and hotels.  Small dams control the flow of the Shark River Slough.  Many people in boats fish the manmade river bordering the road.  The road crossing the Everglades and the Big Cypress National Preserve runs 60 miles west before we turn south towards Everglades City, the western entrance to the Everglades.  We are here for the ‘10,000 Island Cruise’.  Arriving early, we check out the area making sure we found the right spot.  Nobody is here, there is no building, it was damaged by hurricane Ian last year.  We find a sign stating this is where the cruise launches.  Satisfied we look for a place to have lunch.  We find a local restaurant; we order a shrimp basket and fish tacos.  We have to have seafood, we’re in Florida.  Both are tasty.  The volunteer at the Everglades City Information Center is very helpful pointing out many other places to see, restaurants to visit and general stories of the area.  We notice several homes are actually large trailers or 5^th-wheels making avoiding the next storm easier to avoid than a permanent home.

Manatee

The boat arrives from the morning cruise, 30 minutes later we are onboard departing on the afternoon cruise.  There are about ten passengers on a boat that can hold 40 – 50.  That gives us lots of room to move around to see wildlife appearing all around us.  On the way out we find out that the Everglades was turned into a national park on December 6, 1947.  The Everglades is the 3^rd largest park in the lower 48, behind Death Valley and Yellowstone.  The 10,000 islands are not necessarily full dry land.  An island is counted even if it is only a wide patch of mangrove trees grouped together, there are lots of them here.

Cruising into the park we spot cormorants, pelicans, and egrets.  Progressing further our guides spot manatees.  To us they are only a dark spot in the clear water, we occasionally see a nose poke above the water, take a breath then head back down again.  According to our guides the pod of dolphins thrashing around and excessively splashing, were making whoopee in the open water.  We also saw a juvenile bald eagle and the huge, 8’ diameter, stick constructed nest where it was hatched.

On the return trip another pod of dolphins followed the boat, swimming, jumping and diving in our wake.  The Florida Everglades Adventures is a great way to see the western Everglades.  Off in the distance we spot a cormorant working to position a catfish it has caught into the proper position, headfirst, so it can be swallowed whole.  I wouldn’t have believed it but I caught it on my camera.  

Working on dinner

Swallowing it whole

We head back towards our hotel, but first we return to the eastern part of the park, the part we visited yesterday.  We drive to the end of the road, our goal, Flamingo Visitor Center.  We see very few people on our drive.  Arriving at 6 we miss getting into the visitor center.  Mosquitoes are waiting for us; they are bouncing against the windshield anticipating of fresh blood.  Our ‘Off’ is in the trunk.  We make the mad dash to the trunk swatting as we go.  Applying the ‘Off’ we get some relief, but they find every square in of skin we miss.  A breeze off the water helps keep some of them at bay.

We head towards a few of the buildings facing the bay.  They are in rough shape; a few walkways are closed.  It’s easy to see that hurricanes take a toll on manmade structures.  Clouds in the distance are building, rain is forecast for each day we are in the Miami area.

Mom and juvenile manatee

We continue walking towards the empty marina.  We spot an alligator leisurely swimming in the marina.  Once it spots us, it dives deep into the cloudy water not to be seen for a while.  We spot several people walking the empty docks enamored by something in the water.  Studying the water while we walk over we spot three manatees surfacing, diving, then resurfacing.  It looks like a mom, baby and another adult.  They are enjoying their peaceful time in the marina.  We stay and shoot over 45 minutes, until the shadows move in.  

Osprey

On our way back to the car we see and hear an osprey calling from its perch, high in a tree, overlooking the marina.  It doesn’t move the entire time we observe it, we think it’s a juvenile calling for mom or dad for food, but neither comes to its aid.  Mosquitoes resume their attack, forcing us to return to the car for our return trip to the hotel.  Rain moves in on the drive.  It starts light, quickly becomes heavy, we respond by slowing our pace, turning the wipers on high, even wishing for a higher speed on the wipers.  We travel for almost an hour of rain; downpour, light sprinkles, back to downpours, before arriving at our destination.

Biscayne National Park

Traveling storm

The alarm sounds at 7.  We have reservations for the 930 Heritage Boat Cruise, fortunately the park is less than 30 minutes from the hotel.  We drive past the Homestead Miami Speedway enroute to the park.  The stands tower over us, we see protective fencing line the outside of the track.  There is no racing today, the streets are empty, making our drive to the park easy.

There are many people in swimsuits, making their way to the docks.  Biscayne National Park Institute operates within the National Park offering boat tours of the park.  The Institute offers many options to enjoy the park, most of the people opted for the snorkeling, and paddling adventures.  We didn’t prepare for the snorkeling, so we are learning the history of the area.

Miami from Biscayne National Park

There are only 10 people on the 50-passenger boat.  Lots of room to move around to see everything.  The bay is quite shallow, most of it less than 4’ deep.  There are a few channels up to 10’ deep in the bay, but those are few.  The water is crystal clear, we can see the grasses on the bottom swaying back and forth with the current.  On our way to the Keys, we spot a pod of dolphins playing in the bay.

Boca Chita Key

Keys are actually outcroppings of coral, different from islands, which are made of soil.  Keys form a barrier from the ocean to the east.  From our landing on one of the Keys we notice the water on the ocean side is choppy from the wind, while the water inside the bay is quite smooth.

We learn the history of the area, the indigenous peoples, the people coming to develop the area, the wealthy wanting to develop the area even more, to what we have today.  We see the opulence of some of the people that lived here.  Stopping on Boca Chita Key we climb to the top of the mainly ornamental lighthouse.  It provides a clear view to Miami across the bay.  Studying the waters below the lighthouse we spot a shark swimming along the wall of the key.

After the cruise we stop in the visitor center, getting stamps for our book.  Another park visited.

After visiting Nicida’s family for several days, we head off to Key West.  From here we will take a ferry to visit the Dry Tortugas, a series of islands 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico.

There is one road to Key West, to get there we pass by the Florida City area, where we stayed several days ago.  Once we pass Florida City the road shrinks down to a two-lane road.  Until we reach the Keys we are surrounded by sawgrass, the same we saw in the Everglades.  It is hard to tell how deep the water is.  We get in line, following the traffic to the end of the road, Key West, a 3 ½ hour drive.  It’s not bad, traffic leaving the Keys is much worse, the road is clogged with happy people returning from their Memorial Day weekend.  Well, maybe they are not so happy sitting in traffic…. 

Crossing over a bridge, the next land is Key Largo.  This place is full of homes, restaurants, and shops, stretching several miles.  We feel like we are still on the mainland of Florida.  The flora is plush, trees, and shrubs are a dark healthy green.  The only break in the green is where buildings and parking lots exist.

From Key Largo we pass from Key to Key by bridge.  The only place we see water is while we are crossing a bridge.  Here we see a vast expanse of water, dotted with Keys on the Florida side of the bridge.  Looking out to the Atlantic we see nothing but water.  There are many people still enjoying their time on the water, fishing, kayaking, boating, or swimming.  I started counting the number of Keys we cross but lose count.  There is one 7-mile-long bridge, we are 40 – 50’ above the water with a small, raised section for larger ships to pass.  The rest of the bridges are only a few hundred feet long.  As we pass more Keys, towns, if any, grow smaller, it feels rural, until we arrive in Key West.

Key West

Key West is the southernmost city in the contiguous United States.  The city is 5.6 square miles.  It has been populated by indigenous peoples until they were removed in the late 1700’s.  The Keys were not populated for some time after that, the only way to get there was by boat.  Now, it is heavily populated.  As we walk the mile from our hotel to the downtown area, we see many young people working the restaurants, shops and hotels.  Did I mention bars?  Lots of bars, many with live music.  We do not take in any of the music, but all our meals are some type of seafood.  I didn't realize that Key West is a stop for cruise ships.  Over the two days we were there we saw two.  Houses look quite old.  They are primarily wooden clapboard construction, painted pastel colors.  Many of the homes we pass have been turned into BnB’s or hotels.  Streets are lined with flowering trees and shrubs.  People are proud of their yards having replaced grass with many flowering plants. 

Key West Sunset

Key West is not the focus of our trip, we walk around Key West taking in the sights, sounds, sunsets, and food.  We are here to visit our last National Park to see in Florida.  It is 70 miles west of Key West, the Dry Tortugas.

Dry Tortugas National Park

Approaching Fort Jefferson

We rise before 6AM to make it to the ferry for the 730-check in.  The office is within walking distance, so we walk the mile to the office to register.  On the way we see numerous chickens strutting through the neighborhoods.  Multiple roosters are announcing that the sun is up, although we heard a few of them late last night, way before sunrise.  We arrive at the office 15 minutes early, just as it opens, we get boarding passes in the first group to board the ferry.   ‘Hollywood’ our guide for the day informs us what to expect today.  He is enthusiastic, and tells great stories, holding everyone’s attention.  We find out there’s 175 passengers on today’s trip.  We share our table with a couple from Massachusetts, not visitors, but contractors working to waterproof the lighthouse on the island.  We visit the entire 2 ½ hour ride to the island.  The weather is beautiful, partly cloudy, a light breeze, and calm seas.  Just over two hours into the trip we see Fort Jefferson rising from the sea.

We are here to take in the history.  The captain starts us off with overall information on Fort Jefferson, the fort of the Dry Tortugas.  Hollywood takes over filling in with many details, actually putting us there.  Comparing what we see and feel to what the soldiers would see and feel during the 1840’s during construction through the Civil War when the fort was controlled by the Union army serving as a prisoner of war camp for Confederate soldiers.

The fort was never completed.  Original plans were to have over 300 cannons protecting the fort.  Their sizes; 6”, 10” and 15” bore.  They could throw 65, 125 or 400 lb. balls up to 3 miles.  Even during construction, the fort began to settle, 10” in some areas.  The enormous weight needed to support the cannons led to the settling.

While serving as the POW camp, there was an outbreak of yellow fever.  At that time nobody knew anything about yellow fever, particularly how it was transmitted.  The sick were quarantined using the methods followed at that time.  The illness kept spreading eventually taking much of the medical staff along with many others living in the fort.  Dr Samuel Mudd was a prisoner at the fort serving a sentence for operating on John Wilkes Booth broken leg, which he broke escaping Ford’s Theater after assassinating President Abraham Lincoln.  While Dr Mudd was serving his prison term, he helped document what was happening with the patients, while treating them.  After the end of the Civil War Dr Mudd was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1869 for his work at Fort Jefferson.

Hollywood keeps us enthralled with many other equally mesmerizing stories.  Once the one-hour history lesson is complete we have another 1+ hour to tour the fort.  First, we stop for lunch then back to the fort and visitor center for the customary stamp for our passport book.

Most of the people on this trip are into swimming and snorkeling the shallow waters around the fort.  The fort has a moat, we walk the wall on the outside of the moat.  Looking into the crystal-clear water we see many small fish swimming among the coral.

Our ride back passes quickly visiting with our new-found friends from Massachusetts.  Their work on the lighthouse is declared a success, they will return in a few weeks to verify everything is working as planned.

The next morning, we wake to more roosters announcing the start of the new day.  On our way out we stop at the ‘official’ monument announcing the southernmost point in the contiguous United States.  Even arriving there at 900 there is a line of 15 people waiting to have their picture taken, we of course get in line for the same photo.  A couple behind us mention that we are luck for such a short line.  Last night, the line of tourists went to the end of the block over 100’ distant.

Images in hand, we get back in the car for the 3 ½ hour ride back to Miami.  We visit Nicida’s family once more before returning to Texas.

It was a good trip.

Thank you for stopping by,

Mark