South East Florida – Everglades, Everglades City, Big Cypress
October 18-21, 2018
Trip Journal #14 

These four days are resplendent with alligators, egrets and herons, great meals, impressive art and unusual fruit. In addition, we experienced bizarre structures and a renewed friendship with a family member.

D*** Freeways

The trip from Jupiter to Miami (specifically Homestead) is 123 miles. If taking the Florida Turnpike Toll Road, it is only 2 hours. Therefore, against our avowed rule of staying off the freeways, we hit highway 75 and commenced to take a frustrating and tormenting over 3 hours to get there. WHY you ask? Only one of these answers is wrong. 1) We had a dinner date in Homestead. 2) It was absolutely the worst time of day. 3) Miami has no clue regarding traffic management during rush hour. 4) There were three traffic accidents in that 123-mile stretch with no good alternate routes. 5) We made a wrong turn and ended up in Los Angeles. Note in the pictures that the highway is five lanes deep and all the cars have their brake lights on.

Family 

Manny, Courtney, Evelyn and Dan

Our aforementioned dinner date is with Evelyn and her granddaughter Courtney and Manny. Dan and his cousin Evelyn have known each other for 70 years only renewing their friendship a few years ago at a family reunion in Lexington, Kentucky.

Visiting her here has strengthened that age-old tie and cemented our family connection. A great tour guide who knows the best restaurants, quaint places, everglades walks and art galleries and shares her hometown of Homestead with pride, Evelyn exudes friendship and affection.

Clyde Butcher

Our first excursion is out on the famous Tamiami highway that travels through the Big Cypress National Park. Stops along the way include the Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery where he used to live.  His enormous photographs celebrate the beauty of the Everglades … taken for over a quarter of a century. Walking through his gallery is a moving experience. To honor and respect his work, I took no pictures although I was sorely tempted to purchase a few. Google him to see his work which includes scenes from all over Florida.

Big Cypress and Alligators

Big Cypress National Park borders the Everglades on the north side and is part of the wilderness and wildlife refuge of these two enormous parks that protect the south end of the state. One of the visitor centers draws not only visitors but also alligators … we saw many of these intriguing creatures.

Everglades City

Tamiami is a contraction of Tampa and Miami and reflects the beginning and end of this amazing highway that traverses swamps and canals and rivers in the Big Cypress National Park.

At the bend of Tamiami highway on the west coast is the charming village of Everglades City. Lunch at the Rod & Gun Restaurant was leisurely, picturesque and yummy. This place built in 1864 has a long history of various uses.

View from our table at the Rod & Gun Restaurant

We wonder at the prudence of people who live here on the edge of hurricane alley, but the beauty of the place is unmistakable and the buildings reveal preparedness for flooding. 

Robert Is Here

Actually, ‘Robert Is Here’ is the name of a captivating fruit stand. We found unusual fruits and produce as well as a small animal collection behind the building.




There are parrots, parakeets, and small animals like ostriches and baby goats, a few huge tortoises plus the cutest baby turkey vultures. 

 

Breakfast at the Royal Palm

Two mornings found us at the Royal Palm Grill. Literally a hole-in-the-wall spot, it was packed with people and offered the absolute best cooking. They have two locations a couple of blocks from each other; we visited both. My order was fried grouper with eggs and hash browns. Dan had the pancakes and eggs.

Everglades National Park

Naturalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas said, “The Everglades is a test. If we pass, we may get to keep the planet.”  All of us who have never been to the Everglades have a wellspring of ideas as to what it really is. However, being here and experiencing it washes that all away. I quote from the brochure: “It is also the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S., an international Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance.“

It is a mosaic of marshes and mangrove forests where salt and fresh water merge. There are sawgrass prairies immersed in water and hardwood forests on slightly elevated land. There are immense lakes and 10,000 islands.

We walked some boardwalk trails and took a tour boat into the interior. Beautiful birds, incredible mangroves acres, and huge lakes present themselves for our wonderment. 

On the boat tour, we navigated through manmade canals, natural rivers, Coot Bay, and Whitewater Bay. Whitewater is a hundred miles long in the center of the Everglades. The entire size of this area is extraordinary.

Coral Castle

The Coral used in these structures is actually limestone quarried from the naturally occurring bedrock of this area. However, this is not the heart of this place. Ed Leedskalnin constructed this little paradise of coral by himself at night using what he explained as the secrets of the pyramids and the knowledge of weights and leverage. Amazingly, he was only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds.

No one actually saw him put this all together as he was careful to conceal his work, first building a tall wall around his efforts. Notably is the attentions to the directions N-S-E-W; his Polaris telescope that found the North Star accurately and identified the seasons; the nine-ton gate that pivots with the push of a finger; and the tower he lived in frugally.

We sadly leave Evelyn and head south to the Keys