Wednesday, January 15, 2025 - Wednesday, January 22, 2025
South Florida,
Other U.S.,
FL
Superlatives describe the landscape of South Florida - unparalleled, largest subtropical wilderness, one of a kind in the world. It has a subtle beauty which is varied in its habitats due to changes in elevation of mere inches and is woven together by the interplay of water, hammocks and cypress domes. Not surprisingly South Florida is home to numerous rare and endangered species of flora and fauna. We will visit Everglades National Park by accessing this 1.5-million-acre international treasure at the Shark Valley and main Flamingo entrances. While there, we will have an opportunity to experience why the Everglades are deemed a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. Our next watery destination is the Key Biscayne area just south of Miami where we will paddle through the seagrass ecosystem found in the northern most part of Biscayne National Park. From your sit-on-top kayak, you will see seagrass meadows, a sunken barge and the historic Stiltsville houses. We'll round out our southeast coastal experience with visits to the Fairchild Tropical Garden, and the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park. Biscayne National Park forms the northern end of the coral reef system - the third largest in the world - which makes up the mangrove and hammock island archipelago called the Florida Keys. Our adventure then 'key hops' down the Overseas Highway to the Southernmost Point stopping en route to admire views from bay or oceanside parks. We will spend the evening in Key West taking in its vibe and enjoying cuisine topped off with Key Lime Pie. Our trip concludes with a ferry trip to Dry Tortugas National Park 70 miles west of Key West. There we can snorkel on the coral reef, explore a historic 19th century fortress and lounge on the beach. From Key West the next day we'll depart having seen and felt the quiet majesty of this fascinating region. Throughout the trip we will learn about the geology, history and habitats of South Florida and the Keys. The trip is designed to be fun, relaxing and comfortable with a range of attractive walks, paddles and snorkeling.
