BIG CYPRESS (Day 7)

Again the wind and rain were fierce when we awoke. We called the John Pennekamp Coral Reef Underwater State Park on Key Largo to cancel our snorkeling reservations since there was no visibility. We had been hoping to see the Christ of the Deep statue.

Instead we headed up to Big Cypress National Park, located to the north of the Everglades. Our first stop was the Oasis Visitor center. A stuffed Florida panther greeted us. We then set out along the Florida National Scenic Trail in search of a live specimen. We never (perhaps fortunately) encountered a great cat, but we did see many birds, flowers, pines and palms (it was odd to see pinecones and coconuts lying on the ground next to each other) and even a South Florida Swamp Snake.

We made it back to the car before the storm unleashed. It was impossible to see much of anything.

We decided that since hiking was clearly no longer an option, we should visit one of the many airboat parks. I had several brochures and called one of them. They said tours were still running as long as there was no lightning. And so we made our way to Billie's Swamp Safari. Unfortunately the rain was now ridiculous. When we were just a few miles from the site, lightning filled the sky. Our hearts sank but we continued on. We arrived and of course were told that the tours were currently cancelled... but to check back later.

We killed some time by walking along a boardwalk through a cypress swamp. It was a magical, other-worldly spot. The one good thing about the rain was that it kept the mosquitos away.

As we were heading back towards the car, we noticed that a large swamp buggy filled with people just about to go out for a tour. We bought tickets and climbed aboard. We plowed effortlessly through the mud and even a river. Normally the water would flow over the floor of the buggy, but since this was the dry season, it only reached the middle of the tires. There were many animals on the reservation but most of them weren't native. Some were for food, others for entertainment. We also saw a reconstruction of an old Seminole site and learned that citrus tress aren't native to the state (they all came from China).

By the time our tour was done, the rain had lessened and the airboat was running. This was a slow ride deep into the heart of the cypress swamp. It was an eerie place with tall trees growing right out of the water. Apparently the water was only 4 feet deep... but the soft mud below it was a good 10 feet deep! Our guide tossed some food into the water, but the local animals were already on the scene... large fish, a soft shelled turtle and even a small alligator glided right up. After everybody had eaten (including a large heron who snapped up one of the loitering fish), we had a slow ride back.

We then walked around the grounds a bit, visiting the various animals in captivity... panthers, a black bear, a very friendly deer named Mouse, geese and the largest alligator you ever saw! One of the panthers was meowing. It sounded like a house cat with a really bad cold, very hoarse and raspy and not very loud.

By the time we headed back to the motel, the rain had finally ceased.

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