Toews ‘r Us
a family sailing adventure

_{Click play twice to view the video}

The goal was Naples, FL and nothing would stop them, least of all a 100 mile stretch of highway running right through the heart of the Everglades. You see, it was late, the gas tank was low, but they decided to chance a crossing of Alligator Alley against the odds. It was Naples or …

 I had never been on Alligator Alley, it turns out that it’s just past Flamingo Rd, and is the main way to get to Everglades City.

I can imagine that at one time crossing from Ft. Lauderdale to Naples on a desolate road through the largest swamp in North America was pretty daunting. The name alone makes it sound like a dangerous proposition. These days though, crossing The Everglades is no different than, as a matter of fact it’s probably safer than, crossing through New York City on I-95. Unless of course you’re speeding, I saw several cops along the way.

As you look out over the swampland that just goes on for miles and miles, all you really see is grass with an occasional tree here and there. Underneath that, in a foot or two of water, are sticky slimy and dangerous crawly things, things that give most of us the heeby jeebies. Every once in a while you’ll see a fire blackened area, either accidental or a controlled burn. Along each side of the highway is a canal that at 75 miles per hour looks harmless, but we stopped and let me tell you, I’m not taking a dip in that water any time soon. They have chain link along the road with a barbed wire top to keep the alligators from climbing the ten foot fence and hitchhiking to civilization. Along the bottom of the fence are three heavy duty cables, I suppose to keep the cars from going off the highway and driving down the river.

Kenny told me that they have a pretty good handle on the alligator count; they’ve narrowed it down to between one and two million. I’m not sure they really know, but apparently that’s good enough to take them off of the endangered species list.

Tomorrow, two more boats and back to New Hampshire - where the alligators have all headed south for the winter.