Holiday snap

All gone to look for America

Via B&B and SUV, canoe and camper van, members have made their way around the USA. Here are just some of their memorable, and sometimes challenging, experiences.

Holiday snap

Helena Graham of Wokingham 3 NWR takes an unexpected dip in the Everglades

In the 1980s I went on a trip to Florida with my husband and our 14-year-old son. The plan was to travel from Miami, on the Atlantic coast, first south and then west to the Gulf of Mexico. On the first day we visited a snake farm where we saw alligators, (or crocodiles?), and many snakes, including the very deadly water snake native to Florida. We travelled on through the Everglades National Park to our next destination, carrying all our valuables—passports, travellers’ cheques and so on—in the many and capacious pockets of our army-style trousers.

How best to see the delights of the Everglades wetlands? There were hovercraft trips, but we thought this would be too noisy to see much. There were motor launches with guides to tell us about the wildlife, but we thought this might be just as bad. So, we decided to hire a canoe for a few hours.

The trip started well. I took a fantastic photo of an osprey clutching a fish in its claws as it flew close by. Although it was August and pretty hot, the lapping of the water seemed to cool us a little. A launch, with a couple of dozen tourists on board, motored past with the guide’s commentary blasting out, and we congratulated ourselves on our choice. Then… the wash from the launch, which had been going at quite a pace, hit our aluminium canoe and we capsized.

We all went completely under but emerged and swam for the edge, pushing the canoe with us. The water was very muddy and warm. There were no banks as such, as the edges of the creek were lined with impenetrable mangroves, so we could not climb out. The canoe was full of water and floating in it were my sandals, my shoulder bag and the three polystyrene blocks that served as seats. We stood on the slippery mangrove roots as best we could, and wedged the polystyrene blocks in to the

Image by Vivien from Pixabay

An Everglades alligator (or crocodile?)

branches so we could put the contents of my shoulder bag on them. My son and I held onto the canoe and the blocks, while my husband used the bag to bale out the boat.

By now it was very hot and sticky and we were all muddy, which may have protected us from flies and suchlike—always a silver lining! There were tiny crab-like things scuttling on the mangrove roots. I thought about water snakes. I thought about alligators (or crocodiles?). I wished someone would come along and rescue us. My husband fervently hoped no-one would come along and see us.

It seemed like hours, but eventually we were able, very carefully, to climb back in. We decided to make our way straight back. We had been paddling for only a few minutes when we saw an absolutely enormous alligator (or crocodile?), five or six feet long.

After a shower we were fine. Our passports and travellers’ cheques dried out on the back shelf of the car, but unfortunately our camera and films were ruined. However, it has made a really good story—and I assure you every word is true!

Faithful friends

15 years ago, my husband and I met a couple from Seattle on a Cosmos coach trip. They invited us to their home where they had a fully equipped all-weather camper van, in which we visited all the national parks—such an amazing experience! As their daughter was receptionist for one of the best hotels, we lived in style for a third of the price normally charged. We saw the Old Faithful geyser blow: it was a totally amazing holiday. We only stayed at the Grand Canyon for one night as it was so humid there. Linda and I, both widows for 13 years now, keep in touch and reminisce over our exceptional experiences together. Rosemary Crawford Plympton NWR