Everglades City

--> We awoke early and departed from Clearwater, heading south through rush hour traffic. Our first stop was for a breakfast picnic overlooking the water at the Skyway Bridge Fishing Pier. It was hard boiled eggs and homemade muffins in the morning sun for us.

We continued south, snoozing in the backseat until we arrived in Everglades City – a town that would later be described to us as a “drinking town with a fishing problem.” After a bite to eat at a diner that also offered real-estate, we headed to the nearby visitor center for Everglades National Park.

The breeze was blowing steadily within the Ten Thousand Islands area and we weren’t sure what to do. After inquiring about options in the Ranger Station, we soon found ourselves on a boat, headed around the many mangrove islands that make up this area of southern Florida. We saw osprey, terns, pelicans, sandpipers and many other avian creatures. The highlight of the trip was the dolphins that played in the waves behind our boat on the return trip.

In the late afternoon, we joined a group for a ranger-led nature walk around the Visitor Center. After we had gained a better understanding of the ecosystem in this part of the Everglades, we headed to our motel for the evening. We rounded up some grocery store dinner and lounged in the evening. Tomorrow, we will be heading to the eastern side of the park!