Friday, January 23, 2009

Shark Valley (131)

The Everglades National Park also know as "Shark Valley" located about 70 miles down US 41 south east of Naples Florida...We went there yesterday, Lucas and I and we took our bikes and rode the 15 miles with friend Ernie Maier...It was fun it took us just over 2 hours to make the circut...Gosh we seen at least 100 aligators I would guess...ranging from 5 to 12 feet long I would guess...some with thier tail lying out on the black top trail and we would ride out bikes past them within a couple feet of them...at first it seemed risky but after a while we got used to it..Literature states that only one person has ever been attacked by a gator and that was when a small boy fell off his bike onto a gator...I think they have too many gator along the trail, I would clean about half of them out of there and into the frying pan if I were manageing the park....but lucky for the Al E. Gators I am not...

Lots of pretty bird life there also it is a camera buffs paradise for sure...When sweet pea arrives here we will do this little ride again...she will like it, I am sure...Ernie Maier said it was the most fun he has had this year here in Paradise...It is a great place to spend a few hours..and across the street from the entrance is a restaurant run by the local Indians in these parts...Real Indians too not the imported variety...the kind that chased Custer you know....Also they have a pretty good looking airboat operation there...I want to try that out soon its 10 bucks per person and I think it is a more authentic everglade swamp than the airboat rides that are closer to Naples...after seeing the territory the Indians take you too I think it is well worth the extra drive a little further down 41....

OK I am getting sleepy and fussy so am signing off....

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