EvergladesI,neraryFriday,January10–Saturday,January11,2020
Pleasewearcomfortablewalkingshoes.Sunscreenandbugsprayisnotprovided,butrecommended!
Day1-Friday,January10
7:00a.m. DepartfromtheBocaGrandeCommunityCenter
9:00a.m. ArriveattheCollier-SeminoleStatePark The7,271-acrestateparkliespartlywithinthe greatmangroveswampofsouthernFlorida,oneof thelargestmangroveswampsintheworld.The parkisthesiteofthelastexisDngBayCityWalking Dredge.Builtin1924,thedredgewasusedtobuild theTamiamiTrailHighway(U.S.41)throughthe EvergladesandBigCypressSwamp,linkingTampa andMiamiandopeningsouthwestFloridato travelers.
10:15a.m. DepartCollier-SeminoleStatePark/DrivetoEvergladesCity
10:30a.m. ArriveattheMuseumoftheEverglades. “TheMuseumoftheEvergladesisdevotedtodisplayinglocal
historyfromearlyNaDveAmericanDmestothepresent.PermanentexhibitstellthestoryofadventurersstubbornenoughtopersevereinSouthwestFlorida's‘LastFronDer’.Meetlocalauthor/historian,MaryaRepkoandlearnaboutthehistoryofEvergladesCity,includinguntoldstoriesofBarronCollier.
11:45a.m. LunchattheHavanaCaféonChokoloskeeIsland AuthenDcCubancuisinejust3milessouthofEvergladesCity. Chokoloskeeisasmallcommunitywherethepeopleknoweachotherandthefast- pacedworldisle[behind.Thefishingisexcellentandthequiet surroundingswithtropicallandscapingandwildlifemakethese^ngatHavanaCaféa Dnysliceofparadise.
1:00p.m. DepartHavanaCafe/DrivetoBigCypress
con,nued…Day1-Friday,January10
1:30p.m. BigCypressWelcomeandGreatParksIntroduc,on “ThefreshwatersoftheBigCypressSwamp,essenDal tothehealthoftheneighboringEverglades,support therichmarineestuariesalongFlorida'ssouthwest coast.ProtecDngover729,000acresofthisvast swamp,BigCypressNaDonalPreservecontainsa mixtureoftropicalandtemperateplantcommuniDes thatarehometoadiversityofwildlife,includingthe Floridapanther.”
3:00p.m. DepartBigCypressforKirbyStorterBoardwalk
3:15p.m. ArriveKirbyStorterBoardwalk Guidednaturewalkonwell-keptboardwalkthrough BigCypressSwampopenwetprairiethrough floodplainforestandcypresssloughtoanopenpond alongasluggishriver.
4:30p.m. DepartKirbyStorterBoardwalk/DrivetoIveyHouseInn
5:00p.m. Check-InattheIveyHouseInn
5:30p.m. CocktailRecep,onintheIveyHouseCafe
7:00p.m. DinneratCamelliaStreetGrill FreshSeafood&SouthernCookingontheBarronRiver “BeauDfuloutdoorseaDngwithwonderfulfood!! InaddiDontoourfavoritesonourmenuwehave addeddeliciousnewitems.Comeandenjoysome ofourfantasDchomemadesangriainournew openairlounge!”
Day2-Saturday,January117:00a.m. Con,nentalBreakfastattheIveyHouseInn (breakfasthoursare6:30-8:30aminthecafé)
8:30a.m. HotelCheck-Out/DepartforSharkValley
con,nued…Day2-Saturday,January11
9:30a.m. ArriveatSharkValley
10:00a.m. SharkValleyTramTour(Dura,on:2hours) “SharkValleyTramToursoffersatwohour,naturalist ledtramtourthroughthenorthernregionofthe EvergladesNaDonalPark.Visitorsonboardthe openairtourareintroducedtothe"RiverofGrass" andthewildlifeinhabiDngit.Atthemidwaypoint ofthetrip,explorershavetheopportunitytostroll upthespiralramp-wayandplalormoftheShark ValleyobservaDontower,allowingapanoramic viewoftheheartoftheEverglades.”
11:15p.m. DepartforLunch
12:15p.m. LunchatMiccosukeeRestaurant
1:15p.m. DepartforAirboatExcursion (DownSouthAirboatTours) LaunchingfromTippy’sOutpost
1:30p.m. PrivateAirboatTourthroughtheEverglades,“Riverof Grass”(Dura,on:1.5hour) “DownSouthPrivateAirboatTourswouldliketoshow youthebeautyoftheEvergladesthatyouonlyseein themovies.Whatmakesussodifferentthanthe otherairboatcompanies?-Thedifferenceisthatwe areonthefreshwatersideoftheEvergladesinthe truegrasslands,‘TheRiverofGrass’.Ouradventures arenotpreplannedorpre-routed.Therearenoset routes,trailsorschedulestofollow;wejustplaingo andexplore!Wewanttomakeyourtripspecial,so weoffer2waycommunicaDonheadsetsforuse.You canhearmeandIcanhearyou.Thismakesagreat tripevenbeqer!”3:00p.m. DepartforBocaGrande
6:00p.m. ArriveinBocaGrande(approx.)