Into the Everglades

We'd thought about not going to the Everglades.

Because... well...  GATORS!

But...

Jonah and I had snorkeled in the open ocean and were still alive to tell the tale...  so...  we could probably handle a few little gators.

And when might we get another chance to go to the Everglades?

So we went.

And heck, the Visitor's Center was worth the trip.

Not to mention the trail and the unbelievable amounts of wildlife.

See for yourself:

We figured it was best to go ahead and do this.

Because... if vultures are attacking your car...  you'd better have a tarp.  Maeryn helped.

Jonah was having sort of an off day.  He ran to the trail first, while the rest of us worked on the tarp.  He needed a little time alone.

This turtle was one of our first finds.  Not to mention the fish...

Like these wicked cool Gar.

Most of the animals seemed pretty acclimated to people.  This trail was well used.

Looking at YOU.

We spot our first Gator!

He was about as big as Jonah.  SNAP!

I tried not to totally freak out when Jonah leaned over a little too far.

The hunt for gators continued throughout the hike.  Maeryn and I kept out a sharp eye.

Rewarded with turtle spotting!

Kids found a ten foot gator chillaxing under the boardwalk.  They could see it through the cracks. 

I looked over for closer observation.

Another gator in the weeds.

Some scientists think this is how gators help themselves to cool off... the opened mouth thing... it's supposedly not a threatening posture.

Maeryn wanted to touch the gator with its mouth open.  Umm...no.

If you forget your binoculars, just pretend you have some.

Telescopes are also good.

THIS would be the posture to avoid if you would not like to be eaten.  Tasty, tasty tourists with cameras...

We're Not In Maryland Anymore...

I'm aware we haven't been in Maryland for several months now, but this is the first time I noticed a complete climate change - temperate to subtropical.

It was one of those days where no one wanted to go out of the bus, but I was stir crazy, so I took a little walk around our Georgia campground.

It was an inexpensive place, so there weren't a lot of amenities.  Broken down playground that wasn't really useful anymore, old chintzy restaurant that served breakfast to three or four older gentlemen every morning, questionable pool, and a trail to nowhere.

I decided, genius naturalist that I am, to take that trail.

I passed an old picnic pavilion and the remains of yesteryear's tent sites...  and then the campground-like landscape changed into what can only be describe as jungle.

I kept walking, because that's how I do.

For about fifteen minutes.

When I came upon a large drainage ditch.

And the remains of a duck (?)...  maimed, decapitated...  feathers askew throughout the muddy graveyard of bones and...

Are there alligators in Georgia?

The road dead-ended into jungle and I was surrounded on three sides by giant ferns, vines, and creatures I was not interested in encountering in an uncontrolled environment.

I turned slowly and walked back to the campsites with purpose...  Googling American Gator habitats as I walked...

Turns out...  Georgia is prime real-estate.

Of course, South Carolina is home to a few gators as well, but we encountered zero at Myrtle Beach.  (If I were a gator I'm not sure I would hang around Myrtle Beach either).

This was different.  This campground is just begging for a gator infestation.

And I'm no fool.  Gators will eat you as soon as look at you.  Primal fear.

On my brisk walk back to Billy I was not attacked by gators.  Nor did I see any.  I did see two barking pit bulls who were not exactly happy with my presence and a gang of stray chihuahuas who were guarding the laundry facilities (quite literally).

My relief upon entering our Bus Haven sparked the idea that perhaps we should visit civilization this evening and take in a recent movie in an actual theatre in real stadium seating (as opposed to our usual Red Box viewings or Netflix binges while boondocking with internet).  The fam agreed to go... but couldn't agree on a movie.

We debated between Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 and Free Birds for almost an hour before Michael declared we were seeing both movies.

I was in awe.  I had never dared to spend so much.  To sit so long.  To witness two full-length movies on the big screen at one go...

And yet we did just that.

Maeryn and Jonah even offered to pay for snacks!

 I liked ...Meatballs best.