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EVERGLADES - Shark Valley

A couple posts ago I said we had the perfect day. This was it, too.

Sterling went back to school at the beginning of January with a vengeance, so it might have only been a couple of weeks, but we needed some family time! This was SUCH a fun activity-we loved the bikes, the weather was divine, there were no bugs, all of the kids were amazing and so happy, the gators were out to be seen and I just feel like I could pick this for my Groundhog's Day! Sterling and I spent the first hour looking at each other and grinning and saying things like "This is the best day ever!"

We went to the Everglades and did a 15 mile bike loop in an area called Shark Valley. It's about thirty minutes from our house (there was no traffic, so it really only took that long!) and we chose to go there because they had bike rentals.  Also, it is free to get into national parks on national holidays, so MLK was the perfect day! We had heard from a LOT of people that the time to go to the Everglades is now, because in the summer it is just too hot and has too many mosquitoes and bugs. Since I could barely walk outside of our house this past summer, I can't really imagine. Oh wait, getting from our car to the beach at Bill Baggs State Park last summer is a very strong memory. I can imagine. So we really wanted to enjoy this in the winter. It was perfect. We did not see or feel a single mosquito and it was cool enough in the morning that I had in the kids in jackets! Felt almost cold! (Ya know, bordering low seventies is cold these days.) There were lots of things to read, that mostly said every creature in South Florida depended on these wetlands. It took almost three hours total. The shop didn't even charge us at all for Sterling's bike, because of the chain, so it ended up being super cheap, too! It's crazy that we live thirty minutes away from the Everglades. I told Sterling that it is just weird to me. I dreamed about going to all sorts of places, Boston, Niagara Falls, Bannff, the Redwoods, even Europe and New Zealand or Australia. But never Florida. And never the Everglades. But they are REALLY cool and Florida has some pretty sweet stuff. I'm glad we got to go!

Posted by The Haws Family at 4:54 PM kami said...

You mean mom! Telling your daughter to go closer to the alligator! And I've changed my mind, I don't want to go to the Everglades anymore, I want to go to a Mangrove Swamp--but drenched in mosquito repellant.

January 20, 2015 at 8:41 PM 
Those alligators are SOOOOO freaky!!! I can't believe you were that close to them! They could bite your heads off!

January 20, 2015 at 10:10 PM 
HI! Just discovered your blog ... you're in my hometown! I'm so homesick. I've lived in Texas 14 years. Don't know if I'll ever get back :( Grew up near UM and miss it so. Nice to see photos from a mom's point of view. Have you been to the gardens/splash park at the former Parrot Jungle property on 57th Ave. and approx. 12oth St? Beautiful.

January 24, 2015 at 9:53 AM The Haws Family said...

We actually have! Pinecrest gardens, right? It is beautiful and we really loved it!
 Aleesha Burke said...

Thank you for not getting eaten by an alligator! Looks awesome!

January 24, 2015 at 4:45 PM