I continue to love all the nature and beauty that Arizona offers. But there are other views to behold outside the 48th state admitted to the Union (yes, I snuck in a little history tidbit), so I checked out some sights in the 27th state (that’s Florida for those of you that slept through class).
With my mom and brother along for the ride, the first stop was the Green Cay Wetlands in Boynton Beach.
Of the three of us, I had never visited. They’d shared stories of greenery, scenery and potential mean-ery (i.e. hungry looking alligators lurking in the waters). I was all set to see a wide-jawed reptile. Speaking of a gator’s jaw (education alert), did you know they have the strongest bite force measured at 2,000 pounds per square inch? To provide perspective, a lion’s bite is 600 lbs. and us humans have a wimpy 120 lbs per square inch.
The preserve was vast and special. Also, it’s free to visit. There’s an indoor nature center and the 100-acre park offered elevated boardwalks above grassy marshes and murky water which was home to various creatures.
Trees and greenery were in abundance. Birds, tiny lizards and even bunnies were spied. You know what we didn’t see? Yep, the scale-y sharp-toothed scoundrels remained out of view (bunnies, please stay vigilant!).
The next day, we decided to check out the Palm Beach Zoo. The experience felt fairly pricey at first glance, especially for the amount of animals that were out and about. But, my Phoenix zoo pass provided a reciprocal discount – so if you are a zoo member in the U.S., check the benefits.
With a much smaller footprint than the Cay (23 acres), the property was condensed but the landscaping and décor were pretty cool.
My mom and brother were big fans of the tiger, who was not only beautiful but provided fun sound effects by chuffing at the crowd a few times (What’s a chuff? Well another fun fact…these are friendly, close-range greetings).
My favorite sighting was the anteater. With a face only a mother could love, the long-snouted creature was one I’d only seen previously in cartoon reruns (yes, yes technically that was an aardvark…).
Plus, we hit alligator pay dirt – and more safely than if we’d come face-to-fang at the Cay, as the cold-blooded beast was segregated from both humans and unsuspecting bunnies.
In all, South Florida provided ample fresh air, more-than-ample humidity, plenty of nature…and nary a snake ambled by.