![\"IMG_0323\"](\"https:\/\/www.chopchopbillygoat.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/IMG_0323.jpg\")
<\/a>ent home. \u00a0 That afternoon, I learned that swamp mud does not come off easily, and requires some scrubbing to get off.<\/p>\nThe next day, we started with a short boardwalk hike. \u00a0After that, we headed to the Skunk Ape Research Center. \u00a0The skunk ape is pretty much the Bigfoot of south Florida. \u00a0My favorite part of our visit was an animal encounter thing. First, I got to hold a small constrictor snake, and I had it hang from my wrist. \u00a0Then I got to hold a small \u00a0python which was pretty cool. \u00a0The best part was when I got to hold a forty pound python. \u00a0It was so heavy, I could hardly hold it! \u00a0I liked when it slid off into and I could feel it sliding on me. \u00a0After the python, I got to hold a white cockatiel. \u00a0Ma, with her nutty fear of birds, refused to even touch it. \u00a0When we were done with the birds, \u00a0Jay got a ride on a very large tortoise. \u00a0Little Kid didn’t want to get on at first, but by the time we were ready to leave, Little Kid didn’t want to get off. \u00a0After that, we ate a picnic lunch before driving to \u00a0Everglades City. \u00a0We spent a long time walking around, looking at this, looking at that. \u00a0We treated ourselves to ice cream sandwiches before we got back in the car and drove back to the RV.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next day, we decided to go to a place called Shark Valley. \u00a0 There was a fifteen mile loop road for a tram, that we decided to explore part of on foot. \u00a0One of the first things we saw was a beautiful bird called a purple gallinule. \u00a0Its feathers shone different colors in the sun. \u00a0It was really cool. \u00a0Near where we saw it, we also saw a two tiny baby turtles. \u00a0The small one was the size of a half dollar! \u00a0I was really surprised that it hadn’t been eaten by one of the two feet long baby alligators that we saw. \u00a0We also saw lots of full grown alligators bathing in the sun. \u00a0One of them however, must have done some hunting that morning, because it was crawling around with part of a dead anhinga in its mouth. \u00a0It was just crawling onto the bank when we got there, and soon it started chomping. \u00a0It was extremely awesome in a freaky way. \u00a0We were so close to the gator! \u00a0At one point, I think the alligator decided that we were too close because he hissed at Ma. \u00a0Ma backed off, and the gator kept eating. \u00a0After awhile, he stopped eating and was as still as every other gator we saw. \u00a0We had a picnic before we went home.<\/p>\n We spent our last two days at Big Cypress chilling and making reservations for the east coast. \u00a0Now we \u00a0are going to Everglades National Park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We spent about a week in Big Cypress National Preserve. \u00a0As a preserve instead of a park, it is open to more things like oil exploration and hunting. \u00a0Big Cypress is really a part of the Everglades, just a different name. The “big” in Big Cypress National Preserve refers to the size of the park, … Continue reading Big Cypress: This Place is Not Normal<\/span> <\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n