Everglades National Park

This park is the largest subtropical wilderness in USA and covers 1,509,000 acres (6,110 km2) The Everglades National Park was established in 1934 but it took 13 years to acquire land and funding and the park officially opened in 1947. It was established to protect the fragile wetland ecosystem which is created by a slow moving fresh water river that spans as much as 50 miles wide and varies from a few inches to a few feet in depth. The river begins in Lake Okeechobee and travels its 80 mile course to Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico where the fresh water meets and mixes with the salt producing brackish water which supports such life as the American Crocodile, great white heron, blue crab and many other species of fish, birds and other wildlife.

We stopped at the park Visitor Center where were advised to visit the Anhinga Trail if we were interested in viewing alligators, turtles and some of the parks bird population. Well it turns out the park warden sure knew his stuff. We saw as many as 20 or more alligators, some turtles, a striped snake and many types of birds.
Wood Stork.



Alligators.

Red Bellied Turtle.
Great White Heron.
Anhinga.

As we drove further into the park the vegetation changed from grassland to scatterings of baldcypress trees who loose their needles in winter to cope not with cold but with seasonal draught.

As we neared Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico the vegetation was much more lush.

December 23 - 28 Florida Keys

We traveled to Marathon Florida on the 127mile (205km) Overseas Highway which links mainland Florida with the islands or keys as far out as Key West. This intricate network of highways and bridges began as a railway line.

Henry Flagler had a vision of connecting the Keys by a network of bridges and in 1904after many years of planning and feasibility testing construction began. In 1912 after battling heat, insects, food and water shortages as well as hurricanes the Overseas Extension of the Florida East Coast Railroad was completed.


The Overseas Railway had a short life however and on Labor Day in 1935 a hurricane damaged the line beyond repair. The roadbed and remaining bridges were sold to the State of Florida. Most of these old bridges have today been replaced and some of the old bridges are used as fishing piers.



This is the historic 7 mile bridge in Marathon Florida which began its life as a railway bridge and was modified in 1935 for automobiles. The bridge was retired with the building of the new bridge in 1982. It is still used for a walking path and access path to Pigeon Key and as a fishing pier.
This famous bridge has been used in such films as True Lies, 2Fast2Furious, the James Bond films, Licence to Kill, CrissCross and Up Close & Personal. This bridge also appears in the series Life After People.



These are some images of the new 7 mile bridge which was completed in 1982.




We arrived in Marathon and checked into the Jolly Roger Campground. Very friendly staff and so many dogs Molly felt right at home .... very dog-friendly.


We were just settling in to our campsite and a couple with a large black lab told us of an off leash beach for dogs (and of course people) so Molly and I drove down to check it out. It was a wonderful beach, groomed each day and there were dogs of all sizes and shapes playing. Doggie Heaven!
December 24
Molly and I went to the dog beach to try and get a sunrise picture.

After lunch we all went to check out Key West which is the southernmost point on continental USA (Hawaii being the most southern point). Key West turned out to be a bit busy for us but we did manage to see a few of the sights. The southernmost point is marked by a large cement marker shaped like a bouy and on the marker is says "90 miles to Cuba".
This house is said to be the Southernmost House.
The Key West lighthouse which was built in 1847. The lighthouse which was deactivated in 1969 now serves as a museum. It is the 15th oldest lighthouse in USA.
This is Earnest Hemmingway's home which was bought for $8,000 and given to Earnest Hemmingway and his wife as a wedding present. The home is now a museum.
We saw Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine which was built in 1922 by Sister M. Louis Gabriel and her fellow nuns. On the day that the shrine was dedicated Sister Gabriel blessed the grotto saying "For as long as this grotto stands this island will never suffer the full force of a hurricane". When hurricanes threaten the island residents head to the grotto to pray.

We made it back to the Jolly Roger Campground in Marathon just in time to take a few sunset pictures.

This morning we left Marathon to move to Florida City and I must say for the first time in awhile it made me sad to leave.
So one last sunrise picture and one last play on the dog beach and off we go.
Here we sit waiting for a boat to go under the raised bridge....takes me back a few years and for those of you who don't know the bridge in Gaspe where I grew up opened as well to allow ships to pass.