Last week I did something so Floridian. My family and I took an airboat ride in Everglades National Park. Last time I was on an airboat was decades ago and remember it to be a loud, windy ride. Earplugs were given and desperately needed. The driver sat right behind us, and we couldn’t hear his narration. Yet the ride was so enjoyable.
Fast forward to 2023. The ride was quite different and just as enjoyable if not more. The boat was enclosed on top but not on the sides so viewing was easy. There was no need for earplugs as it was quieter. The captain used a microphone and was able to point out the alligators, osprey, vultures, and different fauna.
Being in nature is truly remarkable. We take for granted that we live in such natural beauty. In fact, the Everglades are so important for our existence as it filters and stores clean water for our use. There are hundreds of animals, plants, fish, insects, and spiders that live in this ecosystem.
Riding an airboat through this natural habitat was thrilling. We were in a different world with no highways, traffic lights, signs, or advertisements. It was pure nature, and we were the outsiders. Seeing plants grow in rivers of water, alligators sunning themselves on the shores of marshes, birds flying overhead, and the pure silence when the boat stopped were truly breathtaking sights.
If you want to be in nature and see why it is so crucial for our existence, take a tour of Everglades National Park. Better yet, take an airboat tour. But plan your time so that it doesn’t conflict with the many cruise ship excursions.
You will see why our relationship with nature is so important and needs to be valued.
