Florida

Florida’s national parks offer a glimpse into a prehistoric world where water is the lifeblood of the land. In Everglades National Park, the legendary “River of Grass,” a massive subtropical wilderness, that serves as a sanctuary for rare and endangered species. Whether you’re traveling along the 15-mile loop at Shark Valley to reach the observation tower or walking the Anhinga Trail to see alligators and turtles just inches away, the sheer scale of this ecosystem is breathtaking. It is the only place on the planet where crocodiles and alligators live side-by-side, creating a wild, living environment unlike any other.

Directly bordering the Everglades is Big Cypress National Preserve, a rugged landscape defined by iconic cypress domes and “tea-colored” waters. While the Everglades is famous for its vast sawgrass prairies, Big Cypress invites you into a more intimate, forested world. Take a slow, scenic drive down Loop Road to spot alligators sunning themselves on the banks, or wander the Kirby Storter Boardwalk to stand in the quiet shadows of ancient trees draped in Spanish moss. For the truly adventurous, a “swamp walk” or a swamp buggy tour offers an unfiltered look at the habitat of the elusive Florida panther.