Exploring Floridas wilderness

By Amy Marr

Question: I recently relocated to Florida and am eager to start exploring my new home state. Where should I begin?

Jimmy Candelaria
Orlando, Florida

Adventure Adviser: Just a few hours from you is Florida’s wilderness gem — Everglades National Park. The best way to explore this mangrove and waterway network is by boat, and a guided trip would be the perfect Florida inauguration adventure for you. Ibis Tours (800-525-9411) offers two- to five-day expeditions. For a fraction
of the price, you can also rent a canoe on your own through the Everglades National Park Boat Tours (813-695-2591).

Surrounding the Everglades are Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands, and some of the state’s finest paddling. The islands are a virtual shifting archipelago, comprised of mangrove clumps, heaps of shells and slender sandbars. They’re also home to eagles, dolphins, sea turtles, manatees and other water-loving creatures. From late fall through spring, you can
piece together an ideal weekend outing (Chokoloskee Bay to Tiger Key) or a longer adventure (a 100-mile route through the Wilderness Waterway). Plenty of beach campsites to choose from en route. Another popular loop flows through Lopez River, past Rabbit Key and ending in Everglades City. If camping is not for you, check in with the Everglades City Chamber of Commerce
(813-695-3941) for accommodation information. Sit back in your canoe, take in a glowing Florida sunset, and enjoy your new home.