Panama Canal Day 2

It was another sunny day in beautiful Florida. After brekie, we packed up, checked out, and headed back to the Everglades to hunt for alligators.

The logical place to do so was the Anhinga Trail just inside the park gates. We saw quite a few birds and photographed some of those but what we really wanted to see were GATORS! With higher water levels than last January, they have more choice of where to hang out in the park. During the dry season, the Anhinga Trail tends to stay wetter than other areas so that’s why that trail is considered to be a prime viewing area.

Fortunately, we ran into someone who had just seen a couple of gators so we bustled on over before they disappeared and we lost our chance. One guy was lounging in the water and the other was lying right beside the path - a boardwalk above the water level. Much of that animal was in the dark shade while some of him was in the bright sun. Photographically speaking, this makes for a lousy photo but we didn’t care. We saw what we came to see!

The morning was zooming along and we had miles to make so we left the park, satisfied with our Everglades expedition. We plugged in the GPS and headed to the airport. But along the way, we made a quick stop at the Fruit and Spice Park, an attraction Dawn had read about. We wanted to check out their gift shop. It was rather unremarkable so we continued on. Traffic was much busier than when we came in, of course. After driving on roads with lots of stops and limits of 45 mph we finally reached the freeway, a toll highway. Unfortunately, due to much road construction and the GPS not giving us enough warning when to turn, we zoomed past our turn-off. The rental car needed filling and at the gas station, we got good directions to the airport.

We were later than we wanted to be but not late enough to be in trouble. Returning the car went very smoothly and we connected with my cousins from Saskatchewan. The shuttle took us to the Port of Miami where we checked in and boarded our Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, the Norwegian Star.

We found our rooms, dropped off our carry-ons, then went to explore the ship. We hadn’t had lunch so we grabbed a quick bite before attending the mandatory safety drill. By that time our luggage had arrived and we began to unpack but soon realized the ship was underway. We headed out to take a few pics and see the sunset. 

Supper was at the Aqua Restaurant: steak, potatoes and the delicious wild mushroom quesadillas we remembered from the last cruise. There was chocolate on the dessert menu so that was the only choice, naturally. Enroute back to our rooms, we stopped to watch the last part of a Welcome Show at the Stardust Theater, then back to our rooms to call it a day!

Panama Canal Day 1

The alarm got us up after only 6 hours. We didn't want to miss any of the day sleeping in. Breakfast was a passable hotel offering including make-it-yourself waffles. 

We then headed to the Everglades National Park and stopped at the Visitor Center for maps and information. After paying the $10 entry fee we headed along the main road hoping to see a 'gator jam' - people stopped by the side of the road who have spotted alligators. 

We decided to head to the end of the road then make our stops on the way back. As it was a 38 mile drive we stopped halfway at Mahogany Hammock Trail - an area with trees that were hundreds of years old. 

At the end of the main road is the Flamingo Visitor Center. After a brief tour we went over to the Marina where there were two osprey in a nest. Several photographers were enjoying the view and we joined the group viewing the spectacle. Also nearby was an American crocodile.

They prefer the salt water areas while alligators like the fresh water area more. We learned this fact during the 'Croc Talk' given by one of the park rangers. After a bite of our lunch from Subway, we explored the area a little more then began to head back along the trail. 

The weather by the way, is hot, humid and almost unbearable without air conditioning. The temperature got to around 28 C. After leaving -33 C yesterday you wouldn't think we should complain! But the humidity is the killer. 

And then, and THEN, we stopped at a photogenic little spot called Coot Bay Pond where we were devoured by mosquitoes! Although we really wanted to take more photos, we couldn't bear the swarming of the bloody-thirsty insects.  I can't remember when I was bitten so many times on such a short period. The next few stops were almost as bad. Dawn had some mosquito repellent along and it helped a bit but it did not contain DEET. 

A more pleasant spot was the Pa-hay-okee Overlook with a view of the Shark River Slough on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. A beautiful Anhinga bird posed nicely for us. 

We had seen no gators as of yet but were sure the Anhinga Trail would be a sure thing. When we were here last January it was amazing! Well this time we were surprised to see only birds. The water levels seemed to be higher than they were during our last visit. At least the temperatures finally dropped to a more pleasant range. The sun set around 5:30 PM and we headed back to our vehicle shortly after. There isn't much twilight at this latitude. 

After a hot busy day we were more than ready for a stop at a famous fruit stand called 'Robert is Here'. It is now a thriving popular tourist destination which was started by a young 6 year old Robert. He began his business selling cucumbers by the side of the road and  bit by bit developed the business into the success it is today. We had milkshakes, mine - key lime and Dawn's - black sapote - a delicious fruit tasting like chocolate pudding. We also bought a bunch of Apple bananas - sweet delicious mini bananas. 

We stopped at a Walmart for some necessities, grabbed a quick bite to eat and called it a day.