This is my second in a series of posts describing special "natural" places in Southwest Florida (as opposed to the many unnatural, man-made, and trashed sites in the Sunshine State. I'm interested in what's left of the Florida before Mickey, South Beach, and tacky tourist traps. Although I do think my idea of an alligator petting zoo could fly. Here are two more very special spots for glimpsing another side of Florida:
Little Blue Heron -- (c)2011 Jeff Webster
Shark Valley -- Home of the Hungry Grackles!
National Park Service -- part of Everglades National Park
http://home.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/(305) 242-7700
http://home.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/(305) 242-7700
How to get there
From Interstate 95 in Miami, drive west on U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) for 35 miles. From Naples, drive 75 miles east on U.S. 41.
From Interstate 95 in Miami, drive west on U.S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) for 35 miles. From Naples, drive 75 miles east on U.S. 41.
Please don't feed the birds! At the visitor’s center, a sign warns you that grackles will swoop down and steal snacks from your hands. I was more concerned with gators eating my hands, so I promptly forgot the warning. Soon after, just as I was about to put a cracker in my mouth, a grackle landed on my shoulder and snatched the snack. The bird had timed it perfectly. Needless to say, the incident sparked laughter from other visitors.
After inadvertently feeding the grackle, we boarded a tram for a two-hour ride through the sawgrass marsh dotted with hardwood hammocks (“tree islands”). Along the way, a tower offers broad vistas of the park. Watch for purple gallinules and snail kites, along with turtles, the ubiquitous gators and white-tailed deer.
Fee area.
After inadvertently feeding the grackle, we boarded a tram for a two-hour ride through the sawgrass marsh dotted with hardwood hammocks (“tree islands”). Along the way, a tower offers broad vistas of the park. Watch for purple gallinules and snail kites, along with turtles, the ubiquitous gators and white-tailed deer.
Fee area.
Welcoming Committee -- (c)2011 Jeff Webster
J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge
National Park Servicehttp://www.fws.gov/dingdarling(239) 472-1100
National Park Servicehttp://www.fws.gov/dingdarling(239) 472-1100
How to get there
In Fort Myers, cross the 3.5-mile causeway leading to Sanibel Island (toll). Turn right on Periwinkle Way and bear right on Palm Ridge Road for approximately 5 miles.
"Ding" Darling was a nationally syndicated, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. He was also an outdoorsman and an early conservationist. In 1934, FDR appointed him as dirctor to the agency that became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge that bears his name is a "must see" for anyone who values nature.
In Fort Myers, cross the 3.5-mile causeway leading to Sanibel Island (toll). Turn right on Periwinkle Way and bear right on Palm Ridge Road for approximately 5 miles.
"Ding" Darling was a nationally syndicated, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist in the 1920s, 30s and 40s. He was also an outdoorsman and an early conservationist. In 1934, FDR appointed him as dirctor to the agency that became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge that bears his name is a "must see" for anyone who values nature.
Showy birds and shy crocodiles…The 6,000-plus acre refuge contains part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. Of course, there are alligators, but you may also find a few reclusive salt-water crocodiles. Easier to see are the beautiful pink roseate spoonbills. More than 200 species of birds have been recorded here. Fee area.
Next post -- some lesser known gems in the Fort Myers area.
Next post -- some lesser known gems in the Fort Myers area.
1 comment:
I guess this is the best time to visit the Shark Valley. So due to that I’m going to plan boston to new orleans bus tour with my friends. Hope you guys have some idea for us to make this tour more memorable.
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