The Tail-End of the Everglades

After a couple of days recovering in town from my swamp slog, I hitched a ride back to the trail yesterday, courtesy of the FlorIda Highway Patrol, who had stopped to tell me I couldn't hitch-hike. :-)  The trooper turned out to be a fellow vet, a retired green beret.

After he dropped me off at the rest stop, I finished the last part of the Big Cypress walk, but this time on a nice, dry, raised dirt road. Saw plenty of gators along the side of the trail, and got a pic of one for you.

Now I'm on the Big Cypress Seminole reservation. Slept last night in a "chickee" (and felt foolishly pleased wearing my moccassins). By the way, the Seminoles never surrendered to the government: they held on and fought for their land and freedom until eventually the government just declared the land they were on a reservation. Very cool.

Today I'll walk across the rest of the reservation, and should arrive at Lake Okeecobee in a few days.