November 8, 2015 

“Most people cannot see beyond the Tamiami Trail to the heart of this vast region.  Many look but few see.  Few see the harmony of nature’s creation;  few understand the relation of terrain to animals, of animals to plant life, of plant life to water, and of water’s importance to the survival of man, beast, and plants.”–  From an historical study of the Big Cypress Swamp 

One of the real joys of living in Everglades City is being able to explore hidden wild creeks that flow slowly out of the Everglades, under the Tamiami Trail, then through the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge or the Big Cypress Preserve into the Gulf.  The Big Cypress Preserve covers almost 600,000 acres.  It is still home to the Seminole Indians who sought refuge here and were the only tribe never to surrender or be subdued.  One of my favorite haunts in the preserve is called Halfway Creek, a twisty turny creek deep in the preserve.  It gets its name because its mouth is located halfway between Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island.  Even on weekends it is rare to see anyone here although less than an hour from the teeming masses in Miami.

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