| This is a brief account
of my 2009 Florida Vacation, touring the Everglades and Florida
Keys to scout out areas for more extended vacations in the future.
I left St. Louis the day after Christmas, 2008, and after two
and a half days of heavy traffic on I-64/57/24/75, arrived at
Glades Haven Cozy
Cabins, a true fisherman's lodge, in Everglades City,
late Sunday afternoon.
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Brown Pelicans on the Dock at Glades Haven |
These characters are half-tame, and feast on discarded fish guts
and leftover bait shrimp.
Monday, December 29th was my first day on the water. I paddled
my Swamp
Yankee canoe up Halfway Creek from Glades Haven,
to Turner Lake at the head of the Left Hand Turner River, then
down to and down the Turner River, and along the back bay behind
the Chokoloskee causeway back to Glades Haven.
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Yellow-Crowned Night Heron along Halfway Creek. |
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American White Ibis in Mangrove Tunnel on Halfway
Creek. |
Many downed trees had been sawn through, but one I crawled over
while pushing my canoe under, and for another I laid flat on the
bottom of the canoe and literally scraped under.
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Huge Flock of Egrets on Halfway Creek. Near
Turner Lake at the head of the Left Hand Turner River. |
A little later I saw the eyes and nose of the only alligator
I saw on this trip, but they submerged before I got the picture
taken.
Tuesday, my second day on the water, I paddled from Glades Haven
across Chokoloskee Bay to Sandfly Island in the morning, then
back under the Chokoloskee causeway and around the back bay in
the afternoon.
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Double-Crested Cormorant. Flying in the overcast
morning over Chokoloskee Bay, on the way to Sandfly Island. |
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Returning to the Chokoloskee Causeway. From
Sandfly Island in the sunny afternoon. |
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Ibis Stalking the Oyster Bars at Low Tide in
the Back Bay. |
New Year's Eve I drove from Everglades City down to Flamingo
(http://www.nps.gov/ever)
and pitched my tent in the Walk In Campsite right on Florida Bay.
New Year's Day! Thursday, January 1st, 2009 was my third day
on the water. I paddled around Bradley Key, then along the coast
past Flamingo and around Joe Kemp Key. Later that afternoon sat
I grounded-out in the mud at low tide for two hours, but that
was much easier than trying to walk back to shore.
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Swamp Yankee Canoe on the Beach at Flamingo |
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Egrets Flying over Florida Bay near Bradley
Key |
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Osprey Flying Past 2005-Hurricaned Flamingo
Lodge. The flag in the background is located at the Ranger
Station at the marina. |
 |
Close-up of the same osprey a few minutes later. |
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Huge Flock of Birds over Florida Bay |
 |
Ever vigilant, a Double-crested Cormorant watching
over the canoeists, kayakers, and other wildlife just outside
the Flamingo marina. |
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Another Cormorant with a Tiny Fish in its Beak |
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Flock of White Birds against White Cloud |
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Floriday Bay Sunset over Bradley Key. Looking
southwest from the Walk In Campsite at Flamingo. |
Saturday, January 3rd, was my fourth day on the water, circumnavigating
Bahia Honda Key (http://www.floridastateparks.org/bahiahonda)
in the morning, and exploring its lagoon in the afternoon. I actually
stayed at Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge, in relative luxury.
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Small Gray and White Birds on Rock. Off Bahia
Honda Key. |
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Cormorants on Tree Branches Off Bahia Honda
Key. |
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Entering the Bahia Honda Lagoon from the Mangrove
Tunnel. |
The outside tunnel entrance is at the eastern end of the shallow
bay on the south side of the key. Re-entering the tunnel from
the lagoon, it was a little harder to find the inside entrance!
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Great Blue Heron Snacking on Tiny Fish
In the "private dining lagoon," ... |
 |
... but not used to visitors in here, even
though the rest of the key was crowded with people. |
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Stormy Sunrise at Big Pine Key |
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Key Deer in the Uplands" Behind Long Beach
on Bahia Honda Key. |
Sunday afternoon, January 4th, was my last half-day on the water.
I rented a fishing boat and "drove" out to the reef
at Looe Key. Four miles offshore in my open canoe was outside
my comfort zone, but seeing this reef in-person was incredible.
No photo could do it justice.
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Yellowtail with the Reef Below |
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Another Yellowtail with the Reef Below |
This is one of the first underwater shots from my new Pentax
Optio W30 (http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/08/howto/photos/index.htm).
I saw more on this trip than I ever have before, mostly because
I went to the intensely natural areas, and then into the back
country where very few people go. Its amazing the density of wildlife
in these areas, and how close you can get in a canoe.
*****
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