Spring Break 2005 - Day 5

We decided to stay an extra day so we could take a break from baseball and go see the Florida Everglades. We were all moving slow from the night before, especially me. The closest park was Everglades Holiday Park. We would have gotten there quicker, but when we stopped for gas in Weston, FL, we couldn't find a gas station. This was some kind of resort town, where all the roads were lined with perfectly groomed, evenly spaced trees. No buildings of any kind were visible from the roads. Every time we asked someone for directions, they told us to go the opposite direction than we were heading. Finally we found a station and headed to the park. There was about a 30 minutes wait for a boat, and luckily it wasn't very full. The tour was one hour long and narrated by the captain. Our guide had been working there for 20 years and knew where to find the alligators. The first alligator we saw was named Hansom, because for being an old alligator, he had only a few cuts. This gator didn't mind the boat and sat there for our picture taking. The guide explained the history of the Everglades, how the wildlife survive and what all the plants were. We saw about six alligators, including males, females and a two year old. The female was the most threatening one. She looked like she was ready to jump in the boat, but she didn't. The boat ride itself was half the fun. The guide got the boat going full speed and navigated the canals like a pro. The water was perfectly flat, so the ride was very smooth. Back at the dock, Steve and I headed to the second half of the show, where we saw some scary looking, pirate-like man wrestle an alligator. The gator didn't put up much of a fight. In fact, is was kind of sad. This show lasted only 10 minutes and I took no photos.

Our next stop was the hotel for me and poker for the others. I slept and got ready for the evening, which began with dinner at a nearby restaurant. The food was really good, and expensive. I ate the Chilean sea bass which was topped with a delicious sauce. After dinner we went to a place in Hollywood for some entertainment. Let's just say photos were not allowed in this establishment. By 1:30 AM we were tired and so our last full day ended.