Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Every Labor Day (first weekend in September), the gallery holds a gala event, which in-
cludes a fun $20 swamp walk onto his 30-acre property; the party attracts swamp-stompers
from across the state.
Take a walk on the wet and wild side with a
swamp walk
behind the gallery. If you
don't mind getting soggy, this is one of our favorite ways of exploring the Everglades.
You'll slog under a blooming, moss-draped canopy of wispy cypress leaves and blooming
flowers, squishing your way near the spidery trunks of the trees that interlace the Western
Everglades. Call ahead to reserve a tour.
Big Cypress National Preserve
PARK
(
%
239-695-4758; 33000 Tamiami Trail E;
h
8:30am-4:30pm;
pc
)
S
The 1139-sq-mile Big Cypress Preserve (named for the size of the park, not its trees) is the
result of a compromise between environmentalists, cattle ranchers and oil-and-gas ex-
plorers. The area is integral to the Everglades' ecosystem: rains that flood the Preserve's
prairies and wetlands slowly filter down through the Glades. About 45% of the cypress
swamp (actually mangrove islands, hardwood hammocks, orchid flowers, slash pine, prair-
ies and marshes) is protected. Great bald cypress trees are nearly gone, thanks to pre-Pre-
serve lumbering, but dwarf pond cypress trees fill the area with their own understated
beauty. The helpful
Oasis Visitor Center
(
%
941-695-1201;
h
8am-4:30pm Mon-Fri;
c
)
,
about 20 miles west of Shark Valley, has great exhibits for the kids and a water-filled ditch
that's popular with alligators.
Ochopee
VILLAGE
(GPS 25.901529, -81.306023)
Drive to the hamlet of Ochopee (population about four)…no…wait…turn around, you
missed it! Then pull over and break out the cameras: Ochopee's claim to fame is the coun-
try's smallest
post office
. It's housed in a former toolshed and set against big park skies; a
friendly postal worker patiently poses for snapshots.
Skunk Ape Research Headquarters
PARK
p
)
