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.)