1373 November 3, 2026 Meals On Wheels At Shark Valley

We did some walking in the campground this morning.  Then, we took the computer, our phones, and my iPad and drove to Monument Lake.  We both have no phone service here at Midway Campground and we needed to post the blog.  There is a cell tower at Monument Lake and we got our work done.

We went back to pack our bikes and bike bags and drove to Shark Valley.  This is absolutely one of my favorite things to do.  We biked 15 miles through the Everglades.  There was an alligator out on the bank within the first mile.  I didn’t join the crowd to get a picture.  I knew I would see more! 

We saw about 30 gators today.  I had decided that I did not need a picture of each but I would only stop riding and take pictures if something was really interesting to me.  This first alligator was about 24 inches long.  He was big enough that he had been booted from his mother’s protection.  We don’t often see gators this small out in the open.

This next gator was posing so nicely on the edge of the walkway.  Tim passed him and I stopped for a photo op.  The gators keep their mouths open like this to cool down.  It was 86 degrees and sunny.

Tim spotted these three smaller guys.  The mama was probably lurking somewhere close by.

There were a bunch of these grasshoppers on the bike path.  He is an Eastern Lubber.

We watched this great blue heron struggle with a snake in his beak.  The snake was still moving and the heron shook it and squeezed it in order to eat it for lunch.  I think that our presence was disturbing him and so we moved away before we could see him gulp it down.  We learned that herons strike their prey with force measured at 60mph.  They can also consume alligators up to 18 inches long.  They are the main predators for baby gators.

This picture was taken with Tim’s new iPhone. It has an incredible camera.

A great white egret looking regal in the river of grass.

We climbed the tower to look out over the expanse of wild Everglades.

This pair of crows sat squawking in the tree while we ate a snack.  Years ago, Tim had a crow unzip his bag and steal part of his lunch.  Tim carried his bike bag up to the top of the tower just in case!  I took my chances and left mine behind.

I love being immersed in the Everglades.  This is the only way to see and appreciate the vastness and the beauty of this place.  I know that when we come back in January, things will change a lot.  It shows up differently every time that we come.

My legs are tired but not sore.  The hardest thing was sitting on the bike seat that long!  It was breezy and we had a crosswind biking in and out.  The wind was a blessing because it was a bright sunshiny day and we would have roasted without the moving air.  It also made our ride just a little bit challenging which is also a good thing!

There are tram tours at Shark Valley and cyclists have to stop when a tram is approaching.  The guide said hi to us as they passed by and then he asked the tourists what alligators call cyclists at Shark Valley?  Meals on Wheels…hahahaha

I cannot wait to come back.

We got a good soaking shower but not until we were back in the RV…perfect timing.  We rested this afternoon.

This evening, we packed taco salads and papaya and went back out to Monument Lake.  We wanted to post today’s blog and it’s such a lovely place.

We walked after eating and then it gets dark so early…we headed for “home.”