I was lucky to have the chance to visit the Everglades a few years ago. Having spent my fair share of time in National Parks, I expected a rugged experience in Everglades National Park. What I did encounter absolutely terrified me.
The drive into the Everglades was lovely. It was a hot, muggy day, and I was eager to spend some time outside. After visiting a small museum at one of the Park Ranger stations, my group decided to walk around a board-walk and view some of the wildlife. There are more than 200,000 alligators in the Everglades. If I ever had a chance to see one up close in the wild, this was it.
In the picture below, you can see that I am sitting with my back to an alligator that is facing me. If you look at the fence I am sitting on, you can see that it is a knee-height rail fence, and there is no actual barrier preventing the alligator from getting up close and personal with me. We were less than 10 feet apart. Considering that alligators can run up to 20 miles per hour, this is way too close.
I don’t think I have ever been as uncomfortable as I was when taking this photo. Then again, “pics or it didn’t happen.” With all of that in mind - my #1 travel tip for the Everglades - stay on the boardwalk (and maybe wear running shoes).
This post is part of the #StateChallenge organized by @Kwiksatik and @Denise_Barlock. If you want to find out more, check out this post. You can also find other submissions by searching the #StateChallenge hashtag.
