Sand Sculpting and Swamps-November 26 and 27, 2016

Saturday (26th), we drove north to Fort Myers Beach for the American Sand Sculpting competition.  A couple miles before the beach a parking area was designated.  So we parked, paid our admission fee, $7.00 for me and $6.00 for Tom a veteran, and then rode a bus into the beach area.  An area of the beach was bordered off for this competition.  There were numerous  sculptures by master sculptures, amateurs and pairs of masters.  Some were completed and some were still being worked on.  We attended a talk about sand sculpting and how it is done.  Fort Myers Beach has some of the best sand to do sculpting in the U.S.  Sculptures were from various states and countries.  The sculptures were really beautiful and seemed to be such a pity to hear that on Monday they would be leveled out.

Today, Sunday, we went south to Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park.  Big Cypress is west of the Everglades.  We stopped at several Visitor's Centers.  At the Oasis V.C. There was a canal that had alligators, numerous fish and birds.  I had packed a picnic lunch which we ate at the picnic tables at the V.C. and then we heard a talk from a ranger about alligators.  This preserve is in the dry season that is causing areas to become drier making the fish move into the canals which attract birds and alligators.

 Big Cypress water supply comes from rains where the Everglades is fed by Lake Okeechobee.  On our return trip we took a Loop Road that was through cypress and palm forested  swamps.

 

;Beautiful day with temperatures in low 80's.