Nine Mile Pond

Set the alarm last night for 6:00 a.m. because we planned to meet the park ranger at Nine Mile Pond at 7:45 for a guided canoe tour.  The day was perfect with a light breeze and partly sunny skies.  We met up with the ranger and three other couples.  One couple was from Quebec City, another from Spain and the other from Mexico.  Isn't that amazing? 

Christa our guide - 31 years old and lives full time at Flamingo

Beginning our guided tour

 

The trail led us through a shallow grassy marsh with mangrove islands.  Other than a huge alligator sunning himself on the shore, we didn't see much in the way of wildlife.  Our guide was both fun and informative making the three hour trip very enjoyable.  I thought my arms would get tired but it was my butt that got sore from sitting.

On the drive home we stopped at a couple of the overlooks and short 1/2 mile walks to see the diverse ecosystem.  The Mahogany Hammock looped through a subtropical tree island with massive mahogany trees.  We saw the River of Grass at the Pa-hay-okee Overlooks and the subtropical pine forest.

Start of another boardwalk

I'm going to sleep well tonight!

P.S. nothing wrong with the AC or generator.  Thankfully, it was just a fluke.