点评:The Wet Walk through the Everglades was not only my favorite part of my Florida trip, but it is also one of the best things I have done in any national park!
I believe the national park itself offers a few free guided wet walks, and I was initially disappointed when I realized they were all booked out. Luckily I found this company! I learned that although they operate within the park itself, they are not actually part of the park and instead just have a working relationship with them (which it turns out is very useful to have during government shutdowns - this company was helping to maintain park facilities during the most recent shutdown). Although we did pay for this experience, I am glad to have supported this organization and would happily book with them again!
We met our guide outside of the visitors center and she took us by van (a short ride) to a quieter location. I was surprised when we pulled off to the side of the road and immediately walked right into the wetlands!
We were able to rent boots and overalls. I’m glad I had them, because even though they did not prevent me from getting wet, I think I would have lost my sneakers in the mud!
The walk itself was amazing, and really changed my perspective on this unique part of the world. We didn’t see any gators but they were certainly around! We learned that they will sink down and hide, and if we did happen to accidentally get too close, they would almost certainly just dart away. Our guide told us about the plants and wildlife as we trekked through the mud and water (which was surprisingly clear), and continued to give us great info on the short (10 minute) drive back.
We did two day trips to Everglades National Park on this trip (this walk being on the second day), and although the “hikes” we did on our own were fun, they were nothing compared to the raw nature experienced on this wet walk.
翻译:在佛罗里达大沼泽地湿地徒步之旅不仅是我佛罗里达之旅中最喜欢的部分,也是我在所有国家公园体验过的最棒的活动之一!
我知道国家公园本身会提供一些免费的湿地徒步导览活动,但当我发现所有名额都已满时,我感到很失望。幸运的是,我找到了这家公司!我了解到,虽然他们的活动地点在公园内,但他们实际上并不属于公园,只是与公园有合作关系(事实证明,在政府停摆期间,这种合作关系非常有用——这家公司在最近一次政府停摆期间就帮助维护了公园的设施)。虽然这次体验需要付费,但我很高兴能够支持这家机构,以后有机会我还会选择他们的服务!
我们在游客中心外与导游碰面,她用面包车(很短的车程)带我们去了一个比较安静的地方。当我们把车停在路边,然后直接走进湿地时,我感到非常惊喜!
我们租到了靴子和连体工作服。我很庆幸带了它们,虽然它们没能完全阻止我弄湿鞋子,但我估计我的鞋子肯定会陷在泥里丢掉!
这次徒步之旅本身就令人惊叹,它彻底改变了我对这片独特土地的看法。我们虽然没看到鳄鱼,但它们肯定就在附近!我们了解到,它们会潜入地下躲藏,如果我们不小心靠得太近,它们几乎肯定会迅速逃走。我们的向导一边带我们穿越泥泞和清澈见底的水,一边讲解沿途的植物和野生动物,之后在短短十分钟车程的返程途中,他又继续给我们讲解了许多精彩的内容。
这次旅行我们去了两次大沼泽地国家公园(这次徒步是第二天),虽然我们自己安排的“徒步”也很有趣,但与这次湿地徒步所体验到的原始自然风光相比,简直是小巫见大巫。