Our guide on The Jungle Queen Riverboat in Fort Lauderdale joked that Florida's state bird is the crane - not the flying kind, but the construction kind. Well, there is no shortage of the state bird in Palm Beach County, where vast housing developments and ribbons of asphalt have replaced groves and farms and consumed open space and habitat for flora and fauna alike.
This was pre-Great Recession, but the change in the landscape - or rather, cityscape, as open expanses have been converted to an asphalt jungle - has already been done over the past 20 years.
Yet, there are some preserves - quite literally refuges - that have become as rare as precious jewels, and seem to be all but hidden even to the residents who live nearby. It comes as a stunning surprise to most people living amid the sprawl of development that you can have the adventure of exploring the Everglades in your backyard in Palm Beach County.
So, on our trips to Grandmother's house, we take forays to explore Palm Beach County's wild side.
Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
The Arthur G. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the northernmost portion of the Everglades, is a national treasure and my refuge. Each visit, I make at least one visit to this vast expanse of Everglades habitat, consisting of sloughs, wet prairies, sawgrass, cypress swamp, and tree islands-remarkably, just about 15 minutes drive from grandmother's house in Boynton Beach. Most of the time, we hike along the berms that have been created, or take the boardwalk from the nature center, but we have also done the most marvelous 5 1/2-mile kayak/canoe trail.
There are some 30-40 species here, as well, great blue heron (two are easily spotted nesting in tall cypress trees), egrets, white ibis, American coots, purple gallinules, red-shouldered hawks There also are otter (though I've never seen one); alligators (you are almost assured of seeing a few).
Loxahatchee provides a critical habitat for the endangered snail (Everglades) kite, a dark-colored raptor which feeds almost exclusively on one species of snail (the apple snail) that is found here.
It is also habitat for other endangered species, such as the wood stork (which we do see), and Florida panther (which we don't see). It provides a wintering habitat for migrating waterfowl, anhinga, limpkins, smooth-billed anis, northern harriers.
There are 10 diked compounds spanning 232 acres, so you walk on a dirt path higher than the water (making it unlikely for alligators to be where you are walking but it has been known to happen), and in most places, you have two sides to look at. There is also a raised viewing platform.
This is a controlled "natural" habitat--water levels are raised to discourage growth of noxious plants in order to optimize wildlife food sources.
There is also a wonderful Nature Center with a boardwalk and a bike trail.
For an extraordinary experience, rent a canoe or kayak and take a 5.5-mile looped trail through the Everglades (takes about 2 hours). Be prepared to see alligators, and if you are in a kayak, you are about the same level (as scary as they are, there is virtually no risk since, we are told, alligators mainly feed at night).There are interpretive signs along the self-guided trail, but guided tour are available, as well that take you from sawgrass to wet prairie, to sloughs, to tree islands (561-733-0192, www.canoetheeverglades.com )
There is a $5 fee per car to enter the reserve, which is good for the entire day--so you can come at day break and return in the late afternoon, if you choose, catching the changes in sweeping landscape and the interplay of the birds. No two visits are ever the same. It is perfect serendipity.
Arthur G. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is on Rte 441, just south of Boynton Beach Boulevard (561-732-3684, 561734-8303, http://loxahatchee.fws.gov ).
'Wild & Scenic' Loxahatchee River
For the most exquisite canoeing adventure, though, we take a 45-minute car ride north on I-95 to Jupiter, to Palm Beach County's Riverbend Park where we rent canoes from Canoe Outfitters and set out on one of the most beautiful rivers in the country, the Loxahatchee, Florida's first to be designated a nationally "wild and scenic river."
On one of our trips, it added a special something that as we put in our canoes, a Seminole woman was just pulling out of the river her most beautifully decorated kayak. "I like to keep the tradition," she said.
This place is timeless. Majestic cypress trees, some 400 years old, provide habitat to many endangered species, including osprey, alligator, bald eagle, barred owl, bobcat, otter, manatee, limpkin, pileated woodpecker, and turtles. Loxahatchee is the Indian name for "river of turtles."
You may well see an alligator (there were reports of an eight footer but we didn't see it) and a river otter. You are likely to spot great blue heron and egret. But the real attraction here are the ancient cypress trees, hundreds of years old, large leather ferns and pond apple trees that seem to enfold you.
As you set out, you almost immediately find yourself enveloped in a canopy of cypress trees that seems enchanted.
We have been canoeing in several different parts of Florida, and each affords a different experience, but the Loxahatchee River, as immortalized by nature photographer Clyde Butcher, is absolutely extraordinary.
The water does not rush particularly fast (though you might get a bit of current on the way back). The challenge comes from paddling through a literal serpentine of fast twists and obstacles -such as downed trees, rocks and roots that make for narrow openings. It is utterly glorious.
This is the most beautiful section of the river (you can also paddle from the other end, from Jonathan Dickinson State Park). We paddled downstream about an hour, to the Masten Dam (chickening out of floating down some rapids at the first ramp; we carried the canoe over the ramp). For every hour it takes to go downstream, you have to allocate 1 hour 15 minutes for the return to Riverbend Park. Even the return upriver was not very strenuous, but you felt like you were really canoeing.
Ours was a mild trip, certainly within the possibility of young children and grandparents (children six and under must wear a life vest, which is provided; if the child weighs less than 30 lbs., you need to bring your own). This trip is available daily, but you have to begin before 3 p.m., and costs $20/boat for the first two hours, $4 for each additional hour up to $30).
A more ambitious trip, which takes about five or six hours of strenuous paddling (not to mention you may have to pull a canoe over a fallen tree), continues on beyond the Masten Dam (where there is a restroom), crossing under the Florida Turnpike and I-95 into Jonathan Dickinson State Park, a distance of about eight miles. Along the way, you can see Trapper Nelson's (a historic cabin; interpretive tours are offered by a Park Ranger). Return transportation is provided.
There is also a C-18 Canal route that takes 1 1/2 hours to complete; a river loop that takes 45 minutes to complete.
You can purchase drinks, snacks, one-shot cameras, sandal shoes, shorts, windbreakers, from the shack in Riverbend County Park, all at moderate prices. You don't have to worry about insect spray, though: the river tends not to get bugs, possibly because of bay leaf and the cypress trees.
We've always come to Riverbend Park for the canoeing, but Riverbend, one of the most scenic parks in Florida is also popular for hiking, biking, and picnicking. From land or water where ever you look, you'll see a panorama of beauty and abundance of wildlife. Huge stands of palms, cypress, pine, oak, hickory and maple cover the 1200 acre park. For wildlife, it's hard to beat and over 200 species of birds including wild turkey, sandhill cranes, osprey, eagles, roseate spoonbill and pileated woodpecker that have been spotted at the park. You might also see deer, bobcat, armadillo, raccoons, river otters, snakes, alligators, turtles and many other animals.
Canoe Outfitters of Florida, 8900 West Indiantown Road, Jupiter, FL 33478, 561-746-7053, 888-272-1257, www.canoes-kayaks-florida.com (Located within the Palm Beach County's Riverbend Park, SR 706, 1 1/2 miles west of Turnpike and I-95.). (Open year-round, 5 days/week, closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays, call ahead, 561-746-7053, www.canoes-kayaks-florida.com ).
Wakodahatchee Wetlands
It is mindboggling to contemplate that one of the best places for birdwatching in the world is smack in the middle of hundreds of residential developments and thousands and thousands of homes. Indeed, in an effort to mitigate the destruction of habitat, Palm Beach County has created two wetlands areas which have become leading destinations for migratory birds and snowbirds, alike, and have attracted birdwatchers from around the world because of the superb sightings.
Wakodahatchee is an Indian name that means "Created Waters," and that is exactly what this preserve is: a project of the Palm Beach County Water Authority, every day, over one million gallons is purified through the preserve, either by percolation or evaporation. The idea is to use this water to irrigate golf courses, and take pressure off fresh water supplies needed for a rapidly expanding population.
The restored wetlands have become a haven for an extraordinary variety of birds-and for more and more Palm Beach residents craving the peace and natural beauty.
Wakodahatchee has a half-mile boardwalk that loops through about 50 acres, which you can easily walk in under an hour and which you brings you incredibly close to an amazing array of birds. You literally stand over them, and some fly right to the wooden railing. From this perch, you can see nesting blue heron.
Photographers flock to Wakodahatchee because the viewing is absolutely spectacular. On any given day, you can see some 30 or 40 species, but 150 species have been sighted in the preserve during the course of the year: cormorant, black anhinga, great blue heron, brown heron, rails, least bittern (photographers come from all over to get a shot of this bird), common moorhen (orange nose), coots (white bill), snowy egret (black nose, white body), night heron, tricolor heron, wood stork (grey heads and white bodies, they are known as "preacher birds"), ducks (blue wing teal and model duck), occasionally pintails and green wings.
You never know what you will come upon. On one visit, photographers were all crowded together to get sight of a relatively rare Least Bittern; on a recent visit, we were all agog at a pair of white peacocks strolling the parking lot; and on another, we watched with fascination as a massive alligator, probably 12-feet long, barely a couple of yards away on the other side of a wood fence, was chomping on a turtle, stopping to rest after every few chomps, so the process took the better part of an hour.
The best time to visit is February-March, when nesting season is in full feather.
There are always serious birdwatchers and photographers around who are wonderful about sharing their knowledge.
There is no fee, and Wakodahatchee is such a pleasant place, even for an hour, that I wander in there about three times during the course of the week, sometimes twice in a single day. It is especially interesting to see at different times of the day, in different light, and to see the different activities of the birds. At dusk, they flock from all over, and tend to roost in particular trees.
Local volunteers host guided tours on the second Tuesday of the month (sign up by calling 561-641-3429). Wakodahatchee is located on Jog Road, just north of Lake Ida Road (www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/wakodahatchee/)
Green Cay Wetlands
The newest nature preserve that has opened is Green Cay Wetlands - created out of what used to be a vegetable farm owned by Ted and Trudy Winsberg, quite literally saved from becoming another housing development. Before becoming farmland, the land was an open prairie with wetland areas; essentially, the preserve restores the land to its original state and created an oasis of green space within suburbia. (It is located directly across the street from Wakodahatchee but the entrance is on Hagen Ranch Road)
Here you walk an elevated boardwalk over the wetlands-one loop is one mile long; another is half-mile long.
The viewing experience here is much different - wide expanses of water.
The nature center is excellent, with exhibits that feature an indoor turtle pond, a frog habitat, an alligator hole (explaining why alligators are called a "keystone species") and a wetland diorama.
One exhibit lets you travel back through 150,000 years of time to see how the geology and culture of South Florida has changed. A variety of educational programs are offered as well.
Green Cay Wetlands and Nature Center, 12800 Hagen Ranch Rd., 561-966-7000, www.pbcgov.com/waterutilities/waterfacts/green_cay.htm.
Gumbo Limbo
Biking south along the magnificently scenic A1A, from Delray Beach (the prettiest public beach in the area) down to Boca Raton, I came upon the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center - an oasis amidst some of the most desirable waterfront real estate in America.
There is a marvelous quarter-mile boardwalk through coastal hammock which passes by a 2,000-year old Glades culture midden, a trash receptacle of Florida's indigenous population. You also can climb a 40 foot observation tower which gives a bird's eye view of the hammock, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Along your walk you might spot red billed woodpecker, grey fox, crab spider, five-lined skink (a type of lizard).
But the most fascinating part is the Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center, which only opened January 2010, where you can see injured sea turtles being nursed back to health (I even watched a surgery), and a sea turtle research laboratory (I see a relatively young sea turtle fitted with a receiver before it is set free and provides scientists with information). Most of the sea turtles are recovering from cold stun (the result of the unseasonably cold temperatures); dozens have had surgery to remove noncancerous tumors from their eyes and flippers, caused by fibropapilloma, a disease thought to have a strong correlation to polluted waters. (The Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Center is open Monday - Saturday, 10 - 11:30 am and 1 - 2:30 pm, and Sunday, 1 - 2:30 pm).
Four outdoor seawater tanks house a myriad of marine animals including sea turtles, sharks, rays, spiny lobsters, urchins, and a variety of fish, representing the local marine environments - mangrove tank, reef tank, shark and ray tank and sea turtle tank. Volunteers do feedings once a day while talking to guests about the biology and ecology of the animals and the ecosystems in which they live (feedings are 2:30 pm. Sunday-Friday and 11:30 am. on Saturdays).
A wonderful Nature Center offers several exhibits including a butterfly nursery and offers public programs and a gift shop.
Most fascinating is a research laboratory, operated by Florida Atlantic University's Department of Biological Sciences, which you can view from a public gallery. From my perch, I can see a sea turtle with outfitted with a receiver on its back, so when it is released, the scientists can track where it goes.
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 North Ocean Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (open Monday-Saturday, 9 am-4 pm., Sunday, noon-4 pm),www.gumbolimbo.org.
Lion Country Safari
Lion Country Safari, in Loxahatchee, a favorite attraction for more than 40 years, is a really marvelous drive-through preserve spanning 200 acres where you can see 1,000 animals roaming about, some very close to your vehicle. You get an audio narration and a guide map.
But the park offers much more: a 55-acre walk-through park/zoo offers a giraffe feeding exhibit where you can be "neck and neck" with one of many giraffes, and a Safari World Amusement Park where the giant Ferris wheel gives you a view over the preserve. There is also a KOA full-service campground with 233 sites; campers get discounted admissions or can take advantage of special packages that include admission, and get to hear the lions roar in the night (561-793-9797 for campground reservations).
Lion Country Safari, a member of American Zoo and Aquarium Association, is justifiably consistently named one of the top attractions in Palm Beach County. (Admission fee. Open 365 days of the year, 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee, Fla. 33470, www.lioncountrysafari.com, 561-793-1084.
Palm Beach Zoo
The Palm Beach Zoo at Dreher Park has become a major attraction with exciting new exhibits including the Tropics of the Americas, a spectacular exhibit that incorporates Mayan culture in re-created habitats.
Spanning over three acres, Tropics of the Americas immerses zoo guests into the animals, plants, and culture of a New World Rainforest. Visitors encounter rare animals such as jaguars, monkeys, giant anteaters, tapirs, bats, colorful birds, and snakes. The exhibit showcases Mayan culture and includes 45-foot pyramids, an Amazon Market Place.
Another new exhibit at the Zoo is the Siamang Habitat, home to a pair of primates known to be the largest species of lesser apes in the world.
In all, the Zoo offers 23 acres of lush, tropical landscaped habitats for more than 900 animals from Florida, South and Central America, Asia and Australia. Other activities include a interactive fountain, a children's carousel and a cafe and themed gift shop.
The Palm Beach Zoo is located at 1301 Summit Blvd. West Palm Beach on the east side of I-95 between Forest Hill Blvd. and Southern Blvd. The days' event is included with the price of admission (561-547-WILD, www.palmbeachzoo.org).
--Karen Rubin, National Eclectic Travel Examiner
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