Everglades NP and Key West, FL – Feb 2024

Another Hipcamp property was my home for 2 weeks outside of St. Lucie, FL on the Atlantic Coast. Although the property was beautiful, it was a wet muddy mess! Especially after several downpours.  There was a sizable pond in a field and up the hill a bit was where I parked my RV.  Buggy!!!  Muddy!!!  On the good side, they had 2 adorable ponies that wandered over occasionally, munching on the green grass.  One was very sociable while the other standoffish.  Although I never saw one, I heard lots of Barred Owls hooting here. They are one of few owl types that hoot during the day as well as night.

I moved on to my campsite in Lone Pine Key Campground in the Everglades NP. This is seriously one of the nicest campgrounds I’ve been to, especially for a National Park campground!  A huge site surrounded on 3 sides by tall bushes and trees for privacy could have held 3 of my rigs. 

My cousin Trish flew to Miami to vacation with me for 10+ days. We had a great time visiting different areas of the Everglades. We enjoyed a boardwalk / trail near us that had large ponds and canals. We were able to see Alligators, Anhingas, Cormorants, Purple Gallinules, and other wildlife.

One day we took a drive to Shark Valley which is a popular part of the park with a 15-mile road following beside canals and flooded plains of grass.  You can opt to walk, bike, or take a tram tour. We opted for the tram tour and loved it. Our environmentalist guide explained the intricate eco system of the Everglades. Many people think the everglades is made up of swamps when it is actually flooded plains with tall grasses growing in it. This is why the Everglades is called The River of Grass.  During the summer wet season there is lots of water on these plains. As the winter approaches and dry season begins the water soaks in and dries up. There is a whole evolution of how everything survives or regenerates for the next wet season.  It was fascinating.  We also walked part of this road and saw so many alligators! Many of them were on the side of the road soaking up the sun.  They were much too sleepy to worry about visitors. In the case of someone getting too close, they just jumped back in the canal.   The tram tour stops at a halfway point where we walked to an observation tower. You could see the flat flooded plains for miles. We also got to see a Crocodile here.  Florida is one of few places that has both Alligators and Crocodiles.  Alligators have a broad snout and mostly stay in fresh water. Crocodiles have a narrow snout with two menacing rows of teeth showing, and they inhabit salt water. The two can be found in a mix of fresh and salt brackish water.

The Flamingo area of the Everglades is situated on Florida Bay. It has a large park, trails, a visitor center, and a small marina with a boat ramp.  We were pleasantly surprised to see Manatees up close and personal in the marina. The water must have been warmer there. We were able to stand on the docks and get pretty good pictures of them bobbing up and down in the water. There were even some little ones hanging with their moms. What sweet creatures! The road leading down to Flamingo is popular with canoers and kayakers, as there are quite a few areas to put in along the road.

Near to our campground were a few restaurants and a fruit stand. We had dinner at the Gator Grill one evening. The food was very good, but the highlight was Gator Tail bites. Chunks of Gator tail marinated with spices and grilled. What an experience!  It was very tender and lean. Slightly chewy but not rubbery. It tasted somewhere between steak and pork. I would definitely do this again when in Florida! 

Robert Is Here!  This is an exotic fruit stand with a great history.  When the owner Robert was little he decided to have a lemonade stand. No one stopped to buy his lemonade and he was very disappointed.  His father made a big sign that said Robert Is Here! After that people saw him and stopped. His humble beginnings led to what is now a popular family activity. Robert has all manner of exotic fruits we don’t normally see in the US.  Like Sapote, GuanaBana, specialty Avocados, and Mangos and Papaya. More items like jellies, jams, and hot sauces etc.  There is a huge park in back with exotic birds from Macaws to Parakeets.  Another area with farm animals. It looked like there would be a lot more once Spring and Summer rolled around.  Trish and I both bought some exotic fruits… some we liked some we didn’t.  While we were buying our fruit, a huge thunderstorm rolled through. It dumped and dumped rain! We waited awhile but realized it was around for a bit. We decided to make a run for the car!  However, as we turned the corner we realized the parking lot was entirely flooded. I got soaked and my shoes were buckets of water.  Trish had waterproof shoes so at least her feet stayed dry.  Like some things do, it makes a great story! 

One of our last adventures in the Everglades was at the Fruit & Spice Park. This was a beautiful park and lots and Fruit & Exotic Spice trees.  You are allowed to eat any fruit that falls on the ground and yes, they have the poisonous ones marked very clearly.  There was a large lake in the middle of the park. Surrounding the lake were lots of Iguanas and Lizards of all sizes and colors.  We had a lot of fun taking pictures of them.  They can SWIM!

Our next big adventure was taking a 4-night trip to Key West which is the very last key in the chain.  It is a stunningly beautiful drive.  The water is turquoise! There are lots of Mangroves too. The highway is made up of long stretches of bridges over the water to the next key, and on and on, until you reach Key West. We stayed at Leo’s Campground just outside of Key West.  It was a cute (and very tight) campground with a couple of eating establishments nearby.  

There are so many activities and sites in Key West that 4 nights doesn’t provide nearly enough time.  We did go to the Hemingway House and Museum where Ernest Hemingway lived for many years.  The tour was very good and the house and grounds beautiful!  The story is that ‘polydactyl’ cats originated here from a cat brought to Hemingway and left there. For those who don’t know, polydactyl means extra toes on their paws.  These days they selectively breed the cats so they don’t have too many at one time on the property.  Currently they have 61 cats and about 50% are polydactyl. Every cat has a name and there’s even a cat cemetery on the grounds. The cats have run of the grounds and the house. Several were enjoying a snooze on beds and chairs inside the house as we toured.  Of course, there is a gift store where I bought an Ernest Hemingway book that I started but have yet to finish (the story of my life!).

Key West has an upscale area that is near Mallory Square where the cruise ships dock. However, the fun part is the older historic area with lots of eclectic shops, restaurants, and bars.  We did a LOT of walking!  We also visited Fort Zachary Taylor and park. Tours are given by parks personnel and were very informative about the types of cannons used over the many generations.  After the fort tour, we walked a trail down to the beach and spent time at the outdoor café area.

Wow, what a fun time and how fast it goes! Before we knew it, Trish was back on a plane going home.