Everglades

Traveling to Miami recently meant the girls missed four days of school. I was not that concerned. Being with family, traveling, experiencing new things,  are just as, or maybe more, valuable and educational than being in school. That said, I still wanted to include some educational outings while we were in South Florida. What better classroom than the Everglades.

My younger sister Sabrina has a hookup with the Everglades Alligator Farm, so off we went to see some gators, glades and whatever else would show up for us.

 Tia Natalie was excited to show the girls the gators in their various stages of development. The girls thought it was pretty cool to see such tiny reptiles.

 The highlight of the visit may have been the airboat ride. Normally, I am not a fan of noisy environments and equipment but the boat started out cruising quietly, allowing  to see some pretty awesome sights along the way.  We were fortunate that morning, having rare glimpses of very young gators in the water (they usually stay on land, hidden in the bush to avoid predators.) We also got a brief history of the Everglades including how Lake Okeechobee has changed the glades. Personally, there is something auspicious being out in the vast open space of the Everglades that reminds me that being on this planets is a pretty mystical, magical and magnificent gift. Especially alligators; they are just super awesome creatures.

When it was time to board the boat, Amara had conflicting feelings where to sit. The front seat was calling her but some fear was also present leading her to hem and haw. Once she heard she might get wet the decision was made. Amara had the time of her life with the speed and excitement the front row provided. Getting soaked was icing on the cake!

After the airboat ride, we watched a show that included baby gators  and some grown ones that the trainer did some tricks with. That initially upset Amara as she felt the alligators were being hurt and she didn't like how they were being handled. I was proud of my girl in the moment as I too don't like circus tricks with animals, even if they are treated well. Amara later asked me to ask the gator handler about this but he kind of blew us off. That didn't impress me. What did impress me was the Amara and her Aunt Nat got up the courage to hold one of the baby gators. It took a bit of coaxing from me but when it was all said and done, I think, they had enjoyed themselves. Havana was a different story. She wasn't going to hold an alligator, even one so small. But she did reluctantly pet one.

One of the more interesting sites at the farm was the Cuban Crocodile. Admittedly, we may have been partial since we are part Cuban, but the s/he was very interesting. The coloring and skin was different than the others. I wondered if he made it to Miami with the balsersos!

Overall, our visit to the Everglades was educational and soul nurturing. There is nothing like being outside in the warm sun, seeing some of the wondrous aspects of Mother Earth and some of more unique creatures. To have Aunt Natalie as our guide made the day even more memorable.