The Everglades

The South Florida winter is like no other within the United States. It can almost feel like another country, a sunny paradise somehow miraculously attached to the less clement bulk of the northern states. But South Florida is much more than the beaches and amusement parks in the travel brochures; it is also home to the Everglades, a UNESCO World Heritage site (1979), and one of the most environmentally significant habitats in the world.

Covering over a million and a half acres, this subtropical wetland is really a complex mosaic of intertwined ecosystems, from marl prairies to cypress swamps to mangrove estuaries. The Everglades are also home to hundreds of species of birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles, many of which are only found in South Florida. This is an elemental landscape, shaped by fire and water, and when you stand on the edge of this river of grass you can begin to understand something of the wonder, and awe, that must have been felt by the people who first ventured here and saw its strange hardwood hammocks, vast sawgrass expanses, and slow, clear sloughs inhabited by alligators, egrets, and purple gallinules.

Destination Highlights:

Take an exhilarating airboat ride into a seldom-visited area of Everglades National Park
Enjoy a special welcome cruise on Tarpon Bay, where you may see dolphins surfacing as the boat cruises by sandbars filled with hundreds of roosting pelicans, cormorants, and anhingas
Watch the march of the herons - and ibises - and roseate spoonbills - across the shallows at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island
Hike into a dark-water swamp with the park biologist from the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve, and assist in the collection of important conservation data for an ongoing research project
Document the iconic beauty of the moss-draped cypress trees at Corkscrew Swamp, where you may also see endangered wood storks on nest
Kayak through leafy green mangrove tunnels into the secluded backwaters of Rookery Bay
Marvel at the extraordinary amount of wildlife to be seen from the boardwalk of the world-famous Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park
Join a local archaeologist for a close-up look at the famous shell mounds left by Calusa Indians hundreds of years ago
Learn about the importance of fire in the Everglades ecology from a local environmentalist, who set and managed many controlled burns during his career as a forest ranger

Day 1:

Arrive Naples (Ft Myers airport) / Sanibel

After a late-morning/early afternoon arrival into Ft Myers, transfer to your Naples hotel before heading to lovely Sanibel Island and the Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for a sunset cruise and a festive welcome dinner.

Day 2:

Naples Botanical Garden / Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Head out this morning to the newlyredesigned Naples Botanical Garden, where you will get a behind-the-scenes look at a gopher tortoise colony and learn about native and invasive species, orchids, and ethnobotany. After a picnic lunch and free time in the gardens, drive to the legendary Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, known for the alligators, wood storks, and other indigenous species that inhabit this soaring old-growth cypress forest.

Day 3:

Everglades National Park:Anhinga Trail / Winery Tour

This morning drive to the eastern Everglades for a leisurely exploration of the famous Anhinga Trail. An astonishing number of species may be seen in this area during the dry season, when the water level recedes elsewhere in the park. In the early afternoon, head to Schnebly Redland’s Winery for lunch and a tour of the lovely facilities, where award-winning wines are produced from such diverse produce as kiwi, star fruit, and avocados.

To view the complete 7-day itinerary, download it here.

When We Go:	Nov. 14 & Dec. 5, 2010
Duration:	7 Days
Price:	$3,895
Arrive:	Ft. Myers, Florida
Depart:	Ft. Myers, Florida
Trip Type:	Land Expedition
Trip Capacity:	24 Guests