WEDNESDAY, RENTING A BOAT FOR OUR OWN BOAT TOUR.
Day 61 – It was partly cloudy this morning, 7:45 a.m. & 55 degrees. We decided to rent one of the small motorized boats the State Park offers so that we could go deeper into the Swamp at our own speed. We rented the boat for 4 hours & left the dock at 11:15 a.m.
We did this also in 2017 when we were here before. That was our first time to ever go deep into a Swamp, and then there was less water, warmer temperatures, and more wildlife. I remember at that time being so in awe of this unspoiled, prehistoric-feeling territory. After two years of traveling, I hate to say it, but I’ve become somewhat accustomed to Bald Cypress trees with Spanish Moss hanging from them, and I’m not so blown away by large birds swooping by as they fly silently through the trees. I don’t even get as excited by an Alligator sunning itself on a muddy bank. But I have to admit that when a lizard catches a dragonfly and carries it up a tree right next to my face, and a large Alligator slides off a log and swims rapidly towards our boat, my heart does beat a little faster, LOL.
Click any picture below to see a slideshow.
The weather was perfect for us because it was breezy and partly cloudy, not too hot. We will definitely rent a boat again, next time for 6 hours, and go farther. But we hope to remember to have pillows for the seats. We were also encouraged that I could get into and out of both the tour boat & the smaller rental boat without hurting my knee. That had been a concern. So the next step will be to try getting in and out of the kayak. Now that’s the way to get your heart going – paddle a kayak amongst the Alligators. Maybe next time…..