I’m so overfilled with joy because my husband and I got to spend two weeks loving on our son. We decided a few years back that when our children turn 16 years old that we will take them on a special trip with just hubby and I. We chose 16 years because we felt that was the best age since at 16 they can get their driving license and the rest will be history. After 16 so many changes will take place like getting a job and a car. We loved this idea and are so happy we thought of this before our first turned 16. It is a trip we will never forget. Our son chose Florida for his destination and Florida did not disappoint us.
We really believe that by traveling we are able to learn things that we otherwise could not learn through a textbook or in a classroom. We have decided that we will be focusing on sharing with all of our readers and followers how beneficial traveling is. When you travel you are able to learn so much about nature. You see and learn new things. You learn social skills because you have to interact a lot when you travel. You learn more about yourself and what your really interested in. Traveling really humbles you. Lately we have not traveled outside of the states but we have seen and learned how different each state is. The weather is different. The people act different. In some states drivers honk often while in others no one does because it is rude. Some states have different speed limits for day time driving and night time driving. We have even seen minimum and maximum speed limits in some states. When interacting with tour guides you’ll notice that in some states the tour guide is “politically correct” while in other states anything they choose to say goes.
Everglades National Park
Royal Palm (Anhinga Trail)
We flew at night and arrived to Florida in the morning. We hadn’t slept in over 24 hours but it was worth it because the first thing we got to explore is the Everglades National Park. The Anhinga Trail is a great place to see a variety of wildlife. We loved all the boardwalks. What we were the most excited about were all the large bugs we saw in Florida. Our favorite was the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper. This grasshopper can not fly and is said to be clumsy when it does hop. It mostly walks. I have always wanted to see one in its natural habitat and was so thrilled that it was on our first day. We saw more on the road that day but after that we did not run into another one.
Pa-hay-okee Overlook
This is one unique and beautiful location. If you are passing through then you’ll want to make a quick stop here and see the sawgrass prairie. It is a sight we have never seen before. This boardwalk is a loop and it will take you to an elevated deck where you can see wildlife. Here you will see Dwarf Cypress trees throughout the sawgrass wetland. The trees are dwarfed due to poor soil and less water. Cypress trees thrive in standing waters.
One plant you will see throughout the Everglades and in Florida is the Sawgrass. This isn’t actually a grass. It is called Sawgrass because the leaves have sharp edges which makes it impossible to walk across it barefoot. If you come across Sawgrass you’ll want to avoid grabbing it or running your hand across it.
Shark Valley
Many come to Shark Valley to explore the observation tower. However, you can not drive up to it. You have the choice between riding a bike or taking a tram tour to the observation tower. While on the tour we learned everything about the amazing alligator. We also saw mama alligator, baby alligator, and an alligators nest. It was a really cool experience. We choose the tram option which we were glad we did because of all of the amazing information we learned about Florida. The tram guide stopped often and pointed out what type of trees we saw. We learned why some birds are the color that they are. For example the Snowy Egret has dark feet so when a fish sees the bird it thinks the birds feet are sticks and the white body looks like a cloud to a fish. The tour guide also knew where an alligator was most likely to be living so we stopped every time he noticed an alligator. Now if the weather is a little bit cooler and you really want to take this area at your own pace then renting a bike might be a better option for you. Once the tram ride was over we were able to walk and see some of the alligators that were out of the waters a bit closer. Since we took the tram tour we knew where the baby alligators were and we went back to get a closer look at them since while your in the tram you cant get out of it until you arrive to the observation tower. This national park is stunning.
Located at 36000 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33194.
Everglades Gator Grill
Did you know that you can actually try gator meat? I’m not sure if you’ll want to try some after looking at all the alligators in the wild but if your up for a new experience than this place is a great place to try some gator meat. We had gator tacos and frog legs. If your wondering what alligator meat tastes like well we would have to say more like chicken/fish meat but chewy like pork.
Located at 36650 SW 192nd Ave, Homestead, FL 33034.
Sawgrass Recreation Park
There is something quite cool about getting in the water where the alligators live. Now I don’t mean completely getting in. I’m talking about going on a airboat ride. You get to zoom through the sawgrass and then once someone spots an alligator you will slowly and respectfully observe this beautiful creature known as the alligator. We got to observe one. We also learned that cattail leaves can actually be used as a natural gauze. The tour guide had a great sense of humor and had so much knowledge about the area. After the airboat tour you can check out their small zoo and see a variety of reptiles.
Located at 1006 US-27, Weston, FL 33327.
Loxahatchee Slough
This walk is pretty shady which is such a plus if you come to Florida on a hot day. You’ll see so many dwarf cypress trees, apple snails , birds, air plants, water lilies, and so much more. Can you believe that there are six native ecosystems just on this site? There are many different beautiful sitting areas here as well so you can rest and enjoy the scenery as much as you’d like. We are always surprised when we explore a beautiful place and we have it all to ourselves. How is this place not overrun by people?
Located at 9060 W Indiantown Rd, Juniper, FL 33478.
Gatorland
Since we spent a good amount of time in Florida and were able to do different things we all agree that Gatorland was one of our favorite attractions. We loved this park because if you want to truly experience alligators, this is the perfect place for that. The reason is because they have thousands of Alligators. If you have ever wanted to hold a baby alligator you can do that here. How about feeding alligators? For $5 you get 3 fish and you can feed young alligators using a fishing rod. If you are a bit more daring you can even zip right above hundreds of alligators and crocodiles. This was seriously one of the highlights for us. Throughout the day they have different amazing shows you can watch. We saw the Gator Wrestlin’ Show where a 6 to 8 foot alligator is pulled out of the water by its tail. If you want to laugh your socks off then you won’t want to miss the Stompin’ Gator Off-Road where you ride in a monster truck through a massive alligators pond and the guides say jokes the entire time.
Located at 14501 S Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837.
Thank you Sawgrass Recreation Park and Gatorlands for hosting our trip.
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