The theme, and only unifying factor, being Florida’s south west coast – we went from one extreme, Marco Island, to the other, Everglades National Park.
Marco Island
What could I possibly show you that sets Marco Island apart from so many of the other Florida Gulf Coast cities? Most sport many, many large, multi-windowed condo buildings, set in manicured parks, with gated entries, strung along busy roadways. So here is Tigertail Beach and a perspective that puts the best of Marco in the forefront.
Valet parking for your boat! And this is live storage; if you want to take your boat out, just call ahead!We left before sun up to try and get ahead of the wind and waves forecasted for late afternoon.
Everglades National Park
One and a half MILLION acres of South Florida wetlands… a gem of a National Park! We had to take, and pass, a test to get permission to visit as well as get a permit to boat in the park. Explore this virtually yourself at: https://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/index.htmWe were one of only two boats in Ponce de Leon Bay sheltering from a strong south wind and steep waves.The wind had not abated so we decided to stay put another day and explore The Little Shark River by dinghy. You could easily get lost here without charts and/or a compass… all of the mangrove channels look alike after a while!
Like many of the other National Parks, you can “hike” (paddle) and camp in sections of the park. That was the cleanest port-potty I have EVER had the need to visit!🤣
The mangroves doing their important job of creating new land.A last, breath-taking view of Florida’s West Coast over the park.
