NP#55 - Everglades National Park

Park visit #55!

Four more visits to complete our quest of trekking all 59 of our country's amazing National Parks!

Along the Anhinga Trail

River of Grass at the Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook

Saving Turtles from the Road

 Crocodile cruising the costal waters in Flamingo

 Brown Pelican on approach

 Lazy 'gator catching some sun along the Pa-Hay-Okee Trail

 Baby Manatee looking for love!

 Pelican posing on pier

 Reflecting about dinner

 Yawning 'gator hiding in the sawgrass

 Eco Pond bird sanctuary - Roseate Spoonbills in flight

Paddling along the Buttonwood Canal

Everglades National Park, the third largest park in the contiguous US, covers 1.5 million acres of the southern tip of Florida. Not a “swamp” as many believe, the Everglades is a 50-mile wide river that slowly flows from Lake Okeechobee down to Florida Bay located at the southern tip of the state.

A very "flat" state, the total vertical drop from the mouth of the "Everglades River" at lake Okeechobee down to the seashore at Florida Bay is a whopping 14 feet! The slope of the land averages one and three-quarter inches per mile!

The first national park established to protect an ecological system, Everglades was formed to preserve the sawgrass prairie, the mangrove forest, the abundant wildlife, including rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, the Florida panther and much more.  

Yet many things have changed since the Everglades became a park thus challenging its long term preservation.  Primarily, a rapidly growing population of human beings living and vacationing in southern Florida has put a serious strain on the demand for water. Water for agriculture, water for human consumption, water for industrial usage and water for the survival of the fragile Everglades ecosystem. Water management has become the critical issue facing this unique landscape. 

When to visit: The Everglades has two seasons – wet and dry. The wet season (May thru Nov) is typically hot, humid and attracts a plethora of pesky insects. During this season, crowds will be small. 

We visited during the "wet" season and due to a recently passing cold front, the weather was ideal! Low 80's during the day, very mild humidity and hardly a bug to be found! 

The dry season (Dec thru April) is considered “high season” for the Everglades. It is the best time to observe the diverse collection of wildlife this park was established to protect. Bothersome insects like mosquitoes and biting flies prefer the wet season. 

What to do: Wildlife viewing is excellent at this park as you can see from the photos above. Be prepared to see alligators, crocodiles, manatees, turtles and a wide variety of migratory birds. Take the 38-mile drive from the Coe Visitor Center down to Flamingo. Along the way, stop off at Royal Palm and hike the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo trails. 

Hike the Long Pine Trail at Long Pine Key Campground. Venture out to the Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook. Explore the Mahogany Hammock and learn about the “River of Grass” and the wide variety of plants that make Everglades home. 

Once you reach Flamingo, opt to rent a canoe or kayak and paddle about the park on one of the many wilderness waterways. If you prefer others to do the paddling, take a Backcountry or Florida Bay Boat Tour. Stop by the Eco Pond. It will most likely be  teeming with water fowl. At the north end of the park, take the 15-mile Tram Tour or rent a bike and tour Shark Valley at your own pace. 

Where to stay: There are no lodging facilities within the park; however, you’ll find two drive-in campgrounds in the southern section of the park:  Long Pine Key and Flamingo Campground. There are numerous wilderness campsites throughout the park.

Trivia: The Everglades is the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles co-exist. We were fortunate to see both of them!

For information about our award winning tabletop board game - Trekking the National Parks - please visit our website at www.trektheparks.com.

NP#53 - Dry Tortugas

May 4, 2016 -  Dry Tortugas National Park. 

 Garden Key - site of Ft. Jefferson  

 Approaching the Fort

 South coaling Dock Ruins

 Welcome to Ft. Jefferson!

 Entry to the Fort

 Moat around the Fort

 View from 2nd Story

 One of the 116 Cannons designed to protect the Fort

 Garden Key Lighthouse at Ft. Jefferson

 Inside the Fort

 Bush Key

Yankee Freedom III Ferry 

The Park:  Dry Tortugas National Park is comprised of 100 square miles of mostly open water. Within its boundaries, there are 7 small islands known as keys.  Fort Jefferson, located on the Garden Key, is the best-known icon of the park. Built between 1846 and 1875, the all-masonry, 16-million brick  fort was designed to protect important shipping lanes; however, the Civil War interrupted its construction and it was never completed.  

This Park was established to protect the islands and marine ecosystems within its boundaries, to preserve Fort Jefferson, the underwater cultural resources (shipwrecks) and to allow the public to visit in a regulated manner.

When to visit: Dry Tortugas has essentially two seasons – winter and summer. Winter runs from November thru April and is influenced by  cold fronts that can create strong winds and large swells. Summer begins in May and lasts thru October, which coincides with the Atlantic Hurricane Season.  Summer months are typically hotter and more humid than the winter season. Benefits of a winter visit – cooler weather, lighter crowds. Benefits of a summer visit – good weather and excellent visibility for snorkeling and viewing marine life.

Our visit happened to take place during the transitional season. the evening before we departed for the park, a cold front passed through the Keys leaving in its wake partly cloudy skies. the good news - the weather was ideal! Low 80s. Almost no humidity. and Zero bugs! The bad news - the front left behind strong winds and a very choppy ocean. 

Getting there: Dry Tortugas NP is located 70 west of Key West, FL. Access to this park is either by boat or seaplane. There are no services on the island, so visitors must plan to bring everything they need with them. The park has contracted with several concessionaires who provide transportation to and from the islands.

We opted to take the 3-hour boat ride on the Yankee Freedom III -  a 110 foot,  250 passenger catamaran. Prior to departing, Jeff, our "Tour Guide" highly recommended that all passengers susceptible to motion sickness take some Dramamine. He said "the seas were going to be rough for a couple of hours!"

Terry and I took Jeff's advice and we suffered no ill effects from the bumpy ride. Unfortunately, many of the passengers did not heed Jeff's words of wisdom and found their faces firmly planted inside "Barf Bags." The sickening sound of "Ralph" echoed throughout the Main Cabin for a couple of hours!

What to do: Most visitors (including us) come to Dry Tortugas to  tour Fort Jefferson; however, camping, snorkeling and diving about the coral reefs, wildlife viewing, world class bird watching, kayaking and canoeing are among the many other activities available to visitors of Dry Tortugas. 

Unfortunately,  the tremulous ocean stirred up the waters so those who attempted to snorkel said visibility was "poor at best." 

Where to stay: There are no lodges or hotels at Dry Tortugas; however, there is a 10-site primitive campground on Garden Key, the island where Fort Jefferson is located. Campsites are let on a first-come, first-served basis. There is an overflow area in case a regular campsite is unavailable.

Transportation for those wishing to camp at Dry Tortugas is limited to the Yankee Freedom Ferry. Bring a tent, as tents are required camping gear on Dry Tortuga! Since there are no facilities on the island, you will also need to bring food and beverage!

Trivia: This park gets its name – Dry Tortugas – from two separate sources. The “tortugas” or turtles part of its name comes from Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who, in 1513, found these islands teeming with hawksbill, leatherback and loggerhead turtles. He named the islands las tortugas.

Because they lacked fresh water, early nautical charts indicated these islands to be “dry,” thus the name Dry Tortugas. 

For more information about our award winning game, visit our website at www.trektheparks.com.

NP#54 - Biscayne National Park

Park visit #54 of our quest to visit all of our country's 59 major parks.  

 Lighthouse on Boca Chita Key

 Mangrove Shoreline

 Mangrove Tentacles

 Boca Chita Key Shoreline

"Cannons don't thunder...there's nothing to plunder...I'm an over 40 victim of fate!" (JB)

The Park: Most of Biscayne is an underwater wilderness filled with a wide variety of sea life. Below the surface, colorful coral reefs, exotic fish, manatees and turtles will dazzle you!   Unlike land-based parks, 95% of the park is underwater! Most of the 5% of the park that does contain terra firma is found mainly on northernmost of the Florida Keys, which lie approximately 6-10 miles off the mainland in Biscayne Bay.  Elliott Key, the park’s largest island, is considered to be the first in a long chain of the Florida Keys. These islands are what remain of ancient coral reefs, which formed when ocean waters were much higher than they are today.

This park was created to protect one of the world’s most extensive coral reefs along with the longest stretch of mangrove forest on the east coast. The park also protects endangers species such as the Florida Manatee, the Loggerhead and Green Sea Turtles, the American crocodile and the colorful Schaus Swallowtail butterfly.

Getting there:  Within sight of downtown Miami, getting to the Visitor’s Center of Biscayne National Park is easy. Getting into the main sections of this park is a bit more challenging, as only 5% of the park is land based! We took a 2-hour boat Tour of the bay, Elliot Key and Boca Chita Key. 

What to do: This aquatic wonderland is ideal for snorkeling, diving, boating, canoeing and kayaking. There is only one mile of paved road in the park and only two hiking trails – both on Elliott Key - so visitors must take to the water to get a true sense of the park’s charm.

For divers, Biscayne’s Maritime Heritage Underwater Trail features the sunken remains of six of the parks many shipwrecks. Access to this trail is by boat only. The wrecks have been mapped and mooring buoys have been installed. The newest addition to the trail is Fowey Rocks Lighthouse where snorkeling is sensational around its base.

Glass bottomed boat and guided canoe and kayak tours (when available) offer visitors a great way to explore the park. Tours are mainly offered during the winter months.

Where to stay: For lodging, you will find opportunities outside the park boundaries in Homestead and Florida City as the park does not have any lodging within its borders. Camping inside the park requires boat transportation to either the Boca Chita Key or the Elliot Key.

Wildlife: One of the most unusual critters that can be found floating about Biscayne is the Manatee. These  “Sea Cows” can grow to up to 12 feet long and weigh as much as 3,500 pounds. These harmless beasts have lungs as long as a basketball player and to efficiently submerge their massive bodies into the water, they pass enormous amounts of gas! Eyes like a puppy, they will occasionally roll over and allow you to rub their bellies!

Trivia: Biscayne's Maritime Heritage Trail is the only underwater archaeological trail in the National Park System. The "Shipwreck Trail" includes six wrecks spanning a century of maritime history. 

Perhaps the most interesting anecdote we discovered while visiting Biscayne is learning the difference between an island and a key. Whereas an island is geologically formed, i.e. it is a body of land completely surrounded by water that are either a part of a larger continental mass or  formed volcanically.

A key is biologically formed - its mass consists of the debris that has collected on a coral reef. 

Visit our website at www.trektheparks.com to learn about the award winning tabletop board game that was inspired by our travels to our country's amazing national parks.