Birds are in the Glades! | Ten Thousand Islands, Sawfish and the Calusa
We’re exploring the Everglades my travel buddies!
The Florida Everglades or Everglades National Park is an unbelievable place to visit! Located at the southern tip of the state of Florida, the Everglades covers 1.5 million acres of wetland. Can you believe it! Home to the ancient Calusa Indians and filled with wildlife, mangroves and beautiful waterways, it’s an explorer’s paradise!
We've been there before but since our daughter was here we knew another visit to the area was a must! Exploring nature is something we all enjoy so what better way to spend the day. I thought this would be a perfect #wednesdaywalk to share with you all! Plenty of water, blue skies and much, much more!
First sight of water! We had to stop!
Traveling straight south on US 41 the wetland stretched for miles and miles on each side of the road. Everglades National Park has three different park locations; Shark Valley, Flamingo and Everglades City. Today we chose to explore Everglades City.
Everglades City…
is a small town with a population around 400! The town was almost destroyed in 2017 from Hurricane Irma. Many homes were destroyed and some even condemned. When we visited we were amazed, the reconstruction was almost complete! We saw very few reminders of the hurricane, homes were repaired and painted, vegetation was amazing, so beautiful
Ten Thousand Islands…
Is a beautiful maze of mangroves and water! Teeming with unlimited marine wildlife and birds! We could just see the beginning of the islands when we arrived at the National Park! My daughter was already planning her next trip, kayaking from island to island
A kayakers paradise!
Just imagine floating down these beautiful waterways! Perhaps catching a glimpse of a Manatee or two?
The mangroves are critical…
to the health of this area’s ecosystem by providing shelter to both fowl and marine life. The mangroves also offer protection to shoreline preventing erosion during the powerful storms and hurricanes. 230 square miles of mangroves cover the Ten thousand islands, making it one of the largest mangrove systems in the world!
Prop Roots…
extend from the branches of the tree providing extra support for the trees!
Protecting the ecosystem…
Is crucial! The Sawfish, a member of the ray family is endangered. Captured for its saw-like nose extension has caused this species to become a protected species. This fish can grow to be 23 feet in length! Wow
During the 16th and 17th century…
the Everglades was home to the Calusa people, known for their fisheries. Much like today, they also lived in wooden homes built on stilts! Living in the Everglades wetland provided an environment conducive to fishing rather than agriculture. Archeologists have found tools and pottery from the area. Notice the large conch shell, formed into a hammer, clever!
The Masks!
According to the locals…
The Havana Café is the place to visit! With fresh ground Cuban coffee and local Blue Crab it’s quite popular! If the parking lot was any indication, we must return!
Sad to leave…
we shared one last glimpse! Seeing Ten Thousand before us we knew we would return.
Ah, the Everglades, bursting with natures beauty, what a special day. A village restored after a hurricane; a true testimony to its people, much like the Calusa who came before them. What a wonderful #wednesdaywalk! Thanks to @tattoodjay we’re able to celebrate walking with nature each week. Have you enjoyed your walk today? Please do, you’ll be so glad you did! Thanks for stopping by!
And as always, blessings to you all!
Those masks were awesome! Imagine living in a wetlands area... 🤔
Thanks for sharing these photos 😊🙏🏽☯️
I know!!! Homes built on stilts with your kayak right out the front door...it would be a fishing paradise. And the birds...simply amazing :)
What an interesting area, there must be a ton of birdlife with all that water! I just love your cover images Mrs Bird, they're so gorgeous! Blessings to you my friend:)
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Thank you @lizelle :) It was a sweet visit, although too short. We'll have to go back sometime, especially to visit the cafe. It's supposed to be great. So glad to see you! Blessings to you as well!
Still plotting our return to this space. We def have to have some food and beverages at the Havanna Cafe! i have been doing my research about a possible kayak trip... TBD... ;) XOXO such a beautiful area.
I know, we just touched the surface visiting this sweet island. You will have an amazing trip. I'll have to look at the articles I have read about kayaking the area. As for the cafe, I have thought about it many times since you were here. We may have to make a trip to check it out very soon, lol oxoxoxo love you!!!
Such an amazing place and eco system and such beautiful shots of it, amazing to read that the reconstruction is pretty much complete already, here we still have some places not yet rebuilt after superstorm Sandy
Thanks for joining Wednesday Walk :)
Thank you @tattoodjay, it was a fun day of exploration. We'll have to go back again especially to visit the cafe. I can't believe you still have areas in disrepair from Sandy although it was a horrible storm. I am constantly amazed by the strengh of these big storms, definitely nothing to mess around with!
Ohh yeah the damage these storms can do is quite shocking, and there’s not to much damage left here just a couple of places on one of the beaches that for whatever reason, nothing has been done other than boarding them up
That saw fish was pretty cool!
I had never heard of that species before!
I know, isn't it interesting? It's so endangered there are notices along many of the water sources, hopeing to educate fishermen and boaters. Unfortunately there are those who want the trophy more than saving the fish....sad
The place looks wonderful!
It was a sweet place, I was so glad it had been rebuilt. Based upon news and photos right after the storm I though it was leveled forever. Thanks for stopping by @roselifecoach :)
My pleasure @birdsinparadise.
Some really amazing photography... you really do live in paradise!
It truly feels like it @ironshield! We love nature and living so close to so much is truly a blessing. So glad you stopped by! :)
Aah! I heard my camera whispering to me that we simply have to go here.
So I moved it off the desk to continue reading.
This place is certainly a photographers dream and yes, with my little canoe it would be such a pleasure to cruise those waters.
A lovely post my friend.
Blessings!
I know, I so wanted to have a kayak...I can't image what we would find if we explored the 10 thousand islands1 :) My daughter is planning a trip as we speek, planning to camp along the shores of some of the islands. It will be amazing I'm sure. Glad you enjoyed, thank you. Blessings to you my friend
I hope that she will be safe out there Mrs Bird?
To camp on those shores should be the experience of a life time.
I could also easily spend two or 3 months out there.
Blessings!
Thank you @miti! I am so honored by your curation :)
Don't mention it! You deserve it!
Howdy birdsinparadise! What a beautiful and interesting post! Aren't there alligators living between those mangroves? I was just thinking of what you said about kayaking. What happened to the Calusa people, are there any descendants?