Florida Day One: The Everglades: The Old Ingraham Highway And Royal Palm Visitor Center
Well it’s 5:30 a.m. Friday morning and I am writing this after just waking up in my room in the Best Western Gateway to the Keys hotel in Florida City. I was exhausted after a busy day of travel and hiking yesterday. In my previous blog I left off heading to the Everglades National Park. The entrance is about 10 miles from my hotel. The Everglades are one of my favorite places to hike and explore on this planet. The diversity and abundance of life, both flora and fauna, is amazing . The Everglades are essentially a living river of grass flowing from central Florida to the Florida Bay. 
Upon arriving at the entrance to the park I realized I had forgot my annual National Park Pass at the hotel. ( I don’t purchase the lifetime passes anymore since I have already lost two of them) .I usually lose them or forget them at home This year I remembered to bring it to Florida but it wasn’t going to help me in my hotel room. As I approached the ranger at the collection booth I was told there was no admission fee in honor of the funeral of President Carter. A nice gesture in honor of this great President and human being. I drove a few more miles and parked along the Old Ingraham Highway trail near the Royal Palm Visitor Center. 
The Old Ingraham Highway follows the original highway in the Everglades to Flamingo on the Florida Bay. It opened in the 1920’s and closed in the late 1950’s when the existing road was completed. There is still a lot of remains of the asphalt highway at the start of the trail. It is a 10 mile trail through the Taylor Slough . It is a great place to observe water fowl and wading birds. I have seen many hawks, bald eagles and ospreys here too.
And I would see a lot more on this sunny and cool afternoon. As soon as I left my rented KIA and I saw a pair of tri-colored herons wading in the reeds . 
A great egret and,
an osprey flew overhead. 
It was cold for Florida. It was only 65 degrees with a strong wind, frigid weather to native Floridians. But despite the cool temperatures, I hoped it was going to be a good day to see some bird and wildlife activity. I hiked out on the abandoned road for about a half mile, and in the reeds and grass, 
I saw a large flock of American coots. 
I also saw this bird , I believe, a greater yellow legs, wading in the reeds. My peaceful hike on the Old Ingraham Trail came to an end when a parade of off road vehicles came speeding down the trail. I since learned were driven by the men clearing the far end of the trail. The noise scared the birds and other wildlife so I decided to hike over to the Royal Palm Visitor Center, about one mile away. I followed a trail that along the waters and reeds of the Taylor Slough.
Here I saw this American crow perched in a tree, it’s feather reflecting the now late afternoon sun. 
I also saw a few palm warblers hoping in thr trees along the trail. 
In the waters I saw these northern pintail ducks swimming nearby,
and this, I believe , is a juvenile great blue heron. They are white until they mature. I get them confused with egrets but Merlin and Google lens tell me it a great blue heron so I’m going with it. 
The heron and ducks didn’t seem to mind each others company and waded together. 
A large flock of greater yellowlegs are were also wading in the slough but flew off as I approached. I already was satisfied with the beautiful bird like I had seen and looked forward to seeing more on the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo trails at Royal Palm. 
I continued on the trail and it took me through the hammock on which Royal Palm was situated . A hammock is a higher elevation in the flat river of grass in the Everglades where hardwood trees grow. I now walked under many species of trees, most of which I forgot . I did remember the large mahogany and strangler fig trees. And the smaller. poison wood and cocoplum trees along the trail.
There were also many species of ferns growing under the canopy of trees.
One thing that I didn’t see, and I was glad, were the mosquitoes and other insects. I didn’t see or hear one on my five mile hike. The wind and cold were the reason. I continued on the trail ,
and came to the Royal Palm Visitor Center. 
It was now late afternoon. I walked over to the large pool of water,
and I saw this alligator swimming in the deep blue waters. 
I ws surprised since I thought they wouldn’t be active in the cold. 
The cold also kept away the large crowds of visitors I usually see here. Only a few people were walking on the Anhinga Trail. 
I walked toward the network of boardwalks that take you through the reeds and over the grassy waters of the wetlands. On the way I saw this great blue heron perched like a statue and waiting to catch an unsuspecting fish, frog or turtle. 
I also saw a few colorful American purple gallinules 
this one feasting on one of their favorite foods a yellow water lily or spatterdock flower. 
I walked on the boardwalk through the sea of grass, and the ponds covered in the yellow water lily leaves 
and watched a flock of turkey vultures fly overhead. This one appearing to fly over the gibbous waxing moon. 
I walked on the boardwalk not seeing as much bird or other wildlife activity as I usually do, because of the cold. Usually there are alligators, fish and turtles all along the trail. I did see a few double crested cormorants perched and enjoying the last rays of the Florida sun.
I love the beautiful green eyes on these birds. 
I finished the trail and saw one more alligator before I walked back to the visitor center and the large royal palm trees that it is named after. 
I decided to hike on the Gumbo -Limbo Trail on my way back to the Old Ingraham Highway. This trail was quiet too.
I usually see lizards scampering and butterflies fluttering along the trail. And many birds singing in the trees. The only bird I saw on this cool January evening was this mourning bird crawling on the ground, probably looking for a warm place to spend the night. 
The sun was now low in the western sky and it was getting dark as I walked under the large trees of the hammock. I enjoyed the serene hike especially when I heard the haunting cries of I believe a great horned owl.
As I left the hammock I was greeted by the bright setting sun. 
As I walked along grassy waters of the slough I saw a few more birds still out in the last rays of the setting sun.
I saw this gray blue gnatcatchers, 
this female American redstart, 
and this bird that has a special place in my heart, a northern mocking bird. These were my dad’s favorite birds.
They seem to follow me on my travels and always remind me that dad is always with me.I think dad has something to do with it. I saw one on the first day of my trip to Florida last year, when I stayed at the casino near the Shark Valley entrance to the Everglades. That mocking bird, like this one did not appear to be frightened when I approached. 
I watched me watching it enjoying some berries in the glow of the rays from the setting sun, . It was a special moment for me.
I finished my five mike hike walking along the Old Ingraham Highway. 
I saw a few more birds before I ended my hike including these pintail ducks. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos of the birds I saw on my hike. Florida Day One: Everglades: Royal Palm birds January 9 2025 
I watched the sun slowly set over the river of grass that is the Everglades.
I love all sunsets but they are special here. 
I walked on the road for a little while under the light of the waxing gibbous moon. I could have walked all night but I was tired and hungry. It was a long day. Here is a link to a gallery on my blog website with some more photos from my five mile hike. Florida Day One: Everglades: Royal Palm January 9 2025 
So I finished my hike and drove back to the Farmers Market for another wholesome and delicious meal of blackened grouper, northern means and squash. I was soon in my room, where after editing some photos, I was falling asleep looking forward to another day exploring the wonderful Everglades. 
“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth, remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them; their vast glittering openness, wider than the enormous visible round of the horizon, the racing free saltness and sweetness of their massive winds, under the dazzling blue heights of space. They are unique also in the simplicity, the diversity, the related harmony of the forms of life they enclose. The miracle of the light pours over the green and brown expanse of saw grass and of water, shining and slow-moving below, the grass and water that is the meaning and the central fact of the Everglades of Florida. It is a river of grass.”
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