January 18, 2013, Heading South

     Well, we left Highland Hammock State Park in Florida today to begin our trek down to the Florida Keys.  The weather is a little chillier than it has been.  Sunny and 70 degrees.  Oh whoa is me.  The drive was good.  We discovered that the campgrounds we had planned on staying in were full.  The Everglades National Park was busting with folks enjoying the three day weekend, sun and water in Florida Bay.
     We got an awesome spot in Big Cypress National Preserve.  Our campground has 26 sites with only electric.  So we filled our potable water tank and checked ourselves in to site number 12.  Our camp host is a year round camper spending seven months here and five in Massachusetts.  He loves it.
     After we set up and had our afternoon cocktail (rum and diet coke) today, we tried our luck out on our bikes.  If I have to say so myself we were spectacular!  We rode around three times, found a snake skin on the grass and were advised not to leave the dogs out alone because they have an alligator in the park that is friendly and ventures around at night.  Someone has been feeding him.  There are also poisoness snakes.  Yippee!
     We went to hear the ranger talk about the park and sat by a campfire started by one of the attendees.  She talked about the Cypress Trees, the vegetation here, the Florida Panther, alligators and birds residing in the Preserve.  It was very interesting but the mosquitoes were ridiculous.  Luckily we had put on long pants and sweatshirts but they were all over our faces, up our noses, in our ears and I think I swallowed about a dozen!  Yuck!
     Tomorrow we will take our bikes and visit the Welcome Centers and head out on the trails.  I can't wait.  We expect to be here a few days before we move on.