Learning about the Everglades

3/8/22

It turned out to be a bit uncomfortable for sleeping last night with the humid, warm air.  We didn't have the air conditioner running because it had cooled down somewhat in the evening and I thought it would continue to do that during the night.  That's what normally happens, right?  But no, this time it really didn't cool off.  So a lesson was learned, and tonight we will have A/C!

This is really a different place than we have visited before, starting off with that weather pattern and on to so much more.  It's in the mid to upper 80's during the day, and always some wind, usually from the water.  We did more walking, we are separated from the Florida Bay and Gulf of Mexico by just a bit of land and vegetation.  Looking out across the water there are many small islands scattered around. 

​This "town" of Flamingo isn't really a bona fide town, it's more of a glorified National Park station.  There did exist a fishing village named Flamingo sometime in the past, but that has disappeared.  There was a large pink building built in the 1950's as the park visitor center, but it was badly damaged by more than 1 hurricane and is finally being restored and becoming more hurricane resistant. ​

It will become the center of activity for offices, education, dining and whatever else is needed.  There is another nearby project under construction to offer a vacation spot for visitors that don't camp.  It's an elevated complex made from shipping containers.  I think all the building is supposed to be done this year, but we all know that building timelines have changed, so don't take my word for it!  The current visitor center is in a tiny temporary building and the only food available for purchase is from a food truck by the marina.  The marina also has the usual travel souvenirs, snacks and beverages.

So there is a little bit of developed area at this southwest side of the park, and not anything else aside from some visitor centers on the 1 road that transverses the park and the interstate on the north side.  There is a huge amount of space that is really cut off from everything except for the creatures living there.  There are some trails on the road into Flamingo that go a short distance into the wildness, but otherwise, it's not the type of place that you would just go wandering around.  

​We did go on a tour boat excursion this afternoon which was a fun experience.  Our captain taught us a lot about the coastal area, the birds, the plants, the wildlife, the mix of salt and fresh water.  The fresh water from Lake Okechobee feeds the Everglades via rivers and canals.  The saltwater of the Gulf of Mexico gets mixed with that at the coast.