Everglades National Park, Florida

At the southern tip of Florida is the third largest American national park: the Everglades. We spent several days investigating the area. We went on boat trips to explore the mangrove swamps of the Everglades. There are many types of mangrove trees, some sending shoots up from the bottom, and others sending branches down into the water to take root on their own. We also went on a 15-mile bike ride to get right into the Everglades. Hiking the boardwalks also gave us some excellent views of wading birds (blue and white herons, egrets, ibises, anhingas, etc), turtles, and of course the ever-present alligator. Camping at Long Pines campground was very peaceful, and we also saw some beautiful sunsets in the Everglades. It's a gorgeous place.