Technically our Everglades time started the night before as we entered in the dark and drove the 38 miles to the Flamingo Campground. This was our fist day seeing it in the light. We learned quickly the mosquitos here are insane. We found out later these are salt mosquitos, if you have never met those guys you are lucky. Their bite feels like a needle going into your skin and they are everywhere in the lower Everglades in June. Some of us also got a bit too much sun in the keys and now we were covered in bites. Oh Florida, the fun is endless!
There are no other Everglades in the world! Exploring a one of a kind place is top of the 6S full life list of favorite ways to spend a day. A million crazy mosquitos and a bit of red skin was not going to slow us down. We started our day at the Flamingo Visitor Center, really just a tiny store with a ranger. The new center being built looked great but it is still a work in progress. The Ranger told the kids where they could spot manatees and another spot where there are crocodiles. We went right out and with the breeze the mosquitos were less of an issue. By the docks we found a large group of manatees. There were big ones and small ones (well small for a manatee) and we watched them swim and eat for quite a while. They are incredibly interesting and so docile we wanted to swim with them, but then we remembered the crocodiles were in there too.
Manatees!! 
We walked to the other end of the dock where we found a big crocodile. It was a bit creepy to stand near the docks watching the crocodiles under the water. We knew there was no reason for it to come out, but still very creepy standing somewhere a crocodile could just walk up and say hi.
We moved on from Flamingo toward the Earnest F. Coe Visitor Center. On the way we took a few short hikes. The Mahogany Hammock Trail was a lush green island forest. The trees grow on islands, little higher ground spots, throughout the grass river. Which is literally grass growing high with a shallow river running through it. So it looks like just fields of grass but if you step in it there is water flowing over the ground. It was obviously a major mosquito habitat and we raced through to avoid being eaten alive. The Pa-hay-okee Overlook was a beautiful view of the grass river. No mosquitos here and we spent some time enjoying the view.
All that grass has a river flowing through it. 
Don’t stop or you will be eaten! 
Jackets on the protect them from bites. 
Our last stop before leaving the lower Everglades was the Earnest F. Coe Visitor Center. The exhibits here were great and we all learned a lot about the local plants and animals. We also got an idea of the importance of water and how the agriculture and urban areas have nearly devastated the Everglades.
We ate lunch and drove through those agricultural areas surrounding the Everglades on our way to the northern areas. The kids all worked on their South Florida Jr. Ranger packets. If you get all three badges Biscayne, Everglades, and Big Cypress, you receive a special patch. They worked hard to earn all badges and the patch. The kids learn so much through the ranger program, which is why we take the time to do them everywhere we can. We keep joking after this summer momma won’t have to teach social studies or science all year. As nice as that would be it won’t happen, although all this learning only helps when we are working on our school year studies.
We stopped at the Big Cypress visitor center first and enjoyed a film on the wildlife of the area. Then we walked the boardwalk path alongside a canal of alligators. They are pretty cool creatures. This time it was not as creepy as the crocodile, since they could not climb up to us. We watched fish nibbling at the alligators, symbiotic relationships in nature are so cool to see.
It had been a long day of hiking, learning, and a bit of travel. We settled in at Midway for the rest of the afternoon and evening. This camp is situated around a small lake. The kids scootered around it watching birds, turtles, and even two small alligators. One camper spoke of larger alligators coming in at night and sleeping under RV’s. We debated all night on who would check for alligators in the morning. Ha ha! We enjoyed an evening of dinner and games before heading to bed.
Our 6S Full Life 