Don't rock the boat!

Last week we ventured down to Everglades National Park to see if we could find an alligator or two. We stopped first at Royal Palm and went on a short hike on the Anhinga Trail. We found ourselves merely feet away from dozens of sunbathing alligators... and lots of birds too.

We then tried our luck hiking through a "hammock" forest but got chased out by a swarm of mosquitoes (the bugs proved to be much more threatening than the alligators or crocodiles). We wanted to try something a little more adventurous so we rented a canoe at Flamingo and explored the only habitat on earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist. Paddling past crocodiles was definitely a thrilling experience.

Mammoth Cave

We've been in Florida now for almost two months. The drive from Appleton, WI was long but pleasant as we watched the snow turn to rain and the temperatures gradually rise. We made pit-stops in Indianapolis, Nashville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta, but the highlight of the trip was a stop we made at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. Mammoth Cave is the world's longest cave system with passages extending 365 miles. We went on a tour of the caves that took us into massive rooms and through tight, slippery passages. The cave's history is also fascinating. Before it became a national park, it was privately owned and operated as a tourist destination. Most of the people who worked in the cave and gave tours were slaves, including Stephen Bishop, the man who is credited with exploring and mapping most of the cave and naming most of its features. Our tour guide was a fifth generation tour guide at the cave- his ancestors had worked in the cave as slaves before the abolition of slavery and continued to do so afterward. The cave was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981 because of its geological importance as well as its historical and cultural significance. If you're ever driving through Kentucky, don't miss it!

Three months, three cities...

Appleton was snow and Superbowl:



Orlando was Disney and wigs:





Ft. Lauderdale.... beach: