Several weeks ago we received a phone call from our son-in-law. He wanted to go camping, and he wanted us to go with him. Once upon a time we would have been the ones making that request, but older joints, some artificial, have made sleeping on the ground less than inviting, unless you consider getting off the ground an exciting game of chance. And then there’s that having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night thing, which necessitates getting off the ground more than once, and venturing outside, if you consider a flimsy piece of nylon standing between me and nature, being inside. But, being the kind of in-laws, parents, and grandparents that we are, and having once had camping in our blood, we said “yes”, with a few caveats.
First we needed a tent. Oh, we have one, but a two person backpacking tent is at least a decade removed from my vocabulary. Why do we still have that thing?! So, Dusty found a great deal on a used 6 person, 2 room tent. He asked, “Will you go in half?” We now proudly own half a tent! Then we needed a camp stove, which we were able to borrow from our son. Now, we were ready, more or less.
Is it beginning to sound like none of us are prepared to go camping? What’s funny is we all use to camp quite a lot. Now it was like we have never been. Kim and I were avid backpackers back in the day. Our biggest accomplishment was the 200 mile John Muir trail, and that was only one of many backcountry adventures. Dusty not only loved to camp, but is a hunter, so camping out isn’t new to him either. We all just suddenly found ourselves without the proper tools. Mariah and Dusty don’t even have sleeping bags! Kim and I at least have those! It’s not like we don’t enjoy it anymore, or that Kim and I feel too old to go tent camping, but interests change over time, and I’ll admit to being a bit more attached to indoor plumbing. One thing was for sure, we were taking our inflatable mattress! If it didn’t fit into the tent, we wouldn’t be staying the night. My artificial knees don’t like me kneeling on them. I can get off the ground, but it’s now a team sport.
“So, where are we going?” “The Everglades.” The Everglades!? Where panthers prowl, and pythons play, and alligators lie in wait? Don’t forget the bears. Yes, there are bears in the Everglades! Bears and panthers are one thing. I’ve camped in their neighborhoods before out west, but alligators and pythons are predators that cause hesitation, and it wasn’t long before I was having nightmares about snakes!
Technically we were going to the small “e” everglades ecosystem, not the big “E” national park. We were heading to “Big Cypress National Preserve”. A very close neighbor to Everglades National Park. Same wildlife, same ecological environment, fewer government restrictions, though still managed by the National Park Service.
A large pond, with crystal clear water, was the centerpiece of our campground. It didn’t take long for us to spy a decent sized alligator, and when he spied us he turned to swim back toward shore, engaging in a stare down with us. This is the result of people doing something they should never do, and that’s feed them! Take away any natural fear they “might” have of humans, allow them to associate us with food, and you’ve just made a dangerous reptile all the more so. We backed away and doubled our situational awareness around camp. Knowing he was there, possibly with friends, made that nighttime trek to the bathroom all the more thrilling!
We stopped at the Visitor Center and bought our two year old granddaughter binoculars, because the two things you want to find in the swamp are gators and birds. They were pink, and matched her boots, because wherever you are, you need to be stylish. Aurora loves looking for gators. We all do, because there is just something about them. You ask her what they say, and she’ll say, “chomp, chomp”. Translation, “Let’s find one, then pick me up!” The world is a safer place in Daddy’s arms.
We read a sign at the Visitor Center. The tracking collar on Florida Panther #150 had stopped transmitting. If we were to happen upon him, would we please let them know where so they could fix it. Let me see, they lost one of their panthers and wanted us to what? Call out, “Here kitty, kitty, let me take a look at that radio collar”!! There was a large rat that was scampering in the brush by our campsite. Mariah and I exchanged glances and joked, “It’s 150!” Wouldn’t it have been funny if it was? Probably not!
We enjoyed a day of searching for alligators, finding several, and one that was so large it looked like a fallen tree! If I hadn’t seen his eyes and his feet I wouldn’t have believed it! Florida birds are second to none! The beautiful plumage of Great Egrets against the background of pristine water, Bald Cypress, and Spanish moss was stunning. They capture your attention even if you aren’t a birdwatcher. But, as we discovered, while we’re watching them, there are usually eyes of one or more alligators watching us! We hiked a short trail searching for liguss tree snails, which are endangered, and like their name, live in the trees. We found several. Some are very colorful, and their shells quite beautiful. It’s a veritable safari in our own backyard. 
The real joy of camping comes long after the sun goes down, when the fire provides a tranquil peace at the end of the day. You look up and the stars just go on forever. We saw the Milky Way, the Seven Sisters, Orion, the Big Dipper, and Draco. Venus shown brightly, and the moon looked like it was smiling. They feel so close, like you can touch them, and suddenly you feel so very small. It’s beautiful. What a great idea, Dusty, to go camping in the everglades!