“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.”
- Martin Buber

Leaving Sunrise meant leaving behind family and friends and many fun times.  And we were headed to a remote area of the Everglades National Park.

Hector first visited the Everglades with his dad when he was about thirteen years old.  And, when he and I first started dating, this was a place that was very special to us.  But, other than one New Year’s Eve that we spent out on a canoe camping trip on a “chickee” on the water, we usually drove over on day trips from Miami.  Which means that we spent most of our time near the entrance to the park.

But this time we planned to spend two weeks at the campground which is located at the very end of the park, Flamingo, on the shores of Florida Bay.  We were really excited about exploring the Everglades more thoroughly.  However, we were a little concerned that there might not be enough to do here for two full weeks.  How wrong we were!

The rangers here compare the Everglades to the great National Parks of the West by saying that the Western landscapes “scream” at you while the Everglades landscapes “whispers”.  The beauty of this park is very subtle and it takes time and patience to fully appreciate it.

We arrived at our campsite just before sunset and were greeted by some hungry mosquitoes.  It’s been unseasonably warm this winter, and the mosquito situation, though nowhere near as bad as it can be in the summer, is worse than usual for winter.

But there was a beautiful sunset that evening.  And once it got dark we were reminded of one of the things we love about the Everglades; we are so far from civilization that the starlit sky is dazzling.  And so are the Everglades when you give them a chance.

~ Brenda