Everglades, Monument Lake Campground, Shark Valley

Everglades National Park flora and fauna including a visit to Shark Valley and camping at Monument Lake Campground in Everglades National Park.

We spent the night at Monument Lake National Park Campground in the Everglades. It is dry camping --- no water, no sewage and no electricity. All you have is a nice grassy spot near a lake with a giant alligator in it. When you stay there they give you a receipt where you can dump and get water at another NP campground (midway) which is about 8-miles east of Monument Lake Campground.

January 26, 2010.

When you are in South Florida you can not help but be amazed at the variety of palm trees. This is a variety of date palm I think.

Queen palm bloom

This is the sprouting bloom of a queen palm. They had a bad freeze here last week and the dark brown tassels you see may be a result of that freeze.

This is a picture of the campground at Monument Lake NP Campground (dry camping only). The reason for this picture isn't the lake it is the purple martins flying around. Look in the sky to the left of the purple martin houses. Birders that had been staying at Monument Lake said that the purple martins arrived 3-days ago. WOW! I would think that January 26 was early, but what do I know. I wasn't sure those birders knew what they were talking about so I checked it our myself. Indeed, they were purple martins. If you are a birder Monument Lake is an interesting place during the winter since huge flocks of green tree swallows drink water from Monument Lake. When I say huge I am talking about thousands upon thousands of green tree swallows. We watch this seemingly endless flock of green tree swallows arrive from the west then fly low over the lake getting sips of water, on the fly, then they continue flying to the east. It is a spectacle that will last for an hour or so. Totally amazing.

This is a large alligator sunning himself at Shark Valley in the Everglades.

Alligator at Shark Valley in the Everglades

This is another good size gator.

Alligator Shark Valley Everglades

This big bubba wanted to sun on the walking path. As you might expect seeing this on the walking path gives one reason to pause. Amen! Well I paused and took this picture.

Shark Valley, Everglades

Then I went around and got in front of the gator so that I could get a picture of Joyce and the gator ----- albeit, it is a LONG DISTANCE shot of Joyce and the gator. VBG

Not to be outdone Joyce was taking my picture to document my last moments. VBG

Much to her surprise I walked away from the experience. Now she is going to have to head to Key West with me. VBG

It is always fun to visit the Everglades. There is a lot of wildlife to see and Shark Valley is one of the best places, in my opinion. For those of you that do not understand the terms, Everglades and Shark Valley let me explain. The Everglades covers pretty much the entire state of mainland Florida south of Lake Okeechobee. Then there is Everglades National Park, and several State Preserves and Indian Reservations that make up the majority of the mainland south of Lake Okeechobee. To experience the Everglades you need to visit a variety of areas. The Seminole Indian Reservation is one place, then there is Shark Valley a day use area in Everglades National Park accessed from US-41 (the Tamami Trail) about 35-miles west of Miami. Then there is the Everglades City Visitors Center Located on the extreme western side of the Everglades near Naples. There is another Everglades Visitor Center located on US-41 (Tamiami Trail) about midway between Naples & Miami. Then on the way to Flamingo there is another Visitor Center at the entrance to Everglades National Park. This Visitor Center is located in the southeast corner of the Everglades and is accessed from Homestead. There are a few other accesses to the Everglades but these are the main ones in my opinion.

OK, we left Monument Lake campground and headed for Key West.

Banana plantation near Homestead, Florida

As we near Homestead, Florida on Krome Avenue (SR 997 SW 177) choose one of them they are all the same road we pass one plant nursery after the other with a few banana plantations thrown in. This is one of those banana plantations.

Tomato field

These are tiny tomato plants. They were replanted after the hard freeze Florida experienced not long ago.

Banana trees damaged by freezing temperatures

This banana grove is showing the effects of the cold snap that devastated crops in the entire state.

Dead tomato plants

These tomato plants have not been plowed under yet. Red tomatoes weight down all these plants. It is disgusting to see all these beautiful tomatoes that will be plowed under.

We are about 3-hours from Key West. It is only 100-miles but the speed limit is 45-mph most of the way and it is congested most of the way as well.

More of our Florida Travel Logs

Ain't life grand?

That is all there is.

Until next time remember how good life is.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix