Big Cypress National Park Loop Road

Like every other day, I awoke at 5:30 so I started water for tea and got the oatmeal ready. We enjoyed the rental house in Naples for the last morning as we packed up and prepared to leave for the Atlantic coast.

Great egret and turtle on Loop Road

We headed east on US 41 (the Tamiami Highway), stopping at the Kirby Storter Rest Area. We walked the short boardwalk through the cypress, where we saw many species of birds including egrets, herons, rosette spoonbills and storks. We spotted an owl but were unable to determine which species.

Hawk on Loop Road

Once back on the Tamiami, we went to the Ochopee Post Office, the nation’s smallest post office, to mail a few postcards. We took the Loop Road for 24 miles through the Everglades. This gravel road goes by many small streams and water holes where alligators and birds can be spotted. We drove along at a slow pace and enjoyed watching for wildlife.

Cuban Tree Frog at Biscayne National Park

We got back on the Tamiami, arriving at the Florida City Travelodge by 3 pm. We remembered the owner, Sunny Patel, from a previous stay at this hotel and was pleased that the motel was clean and updated. Only one of the two rooms was clean and ready, so we piled everything into Mark and Cindy’s room then left for Biscayne National Park, a short distance away. 

The majority of the park is underwater, but the volunteers at the visitor center were very helpful. Mary got a stamp in her National Park Passport, but I was unable to purchase an annual senior pass since the park does not have an entrance fee. We looked through the displays at the visitor center, walked around the property, and then started for dinner.

We had eaten at Mario’s Cuban Diner many times before and had always enjoyed excellent meals there. Mario’s is not far from our motel, so it was an obvious choice. We parked easily and got a seat immediately on arrival. Mark had a Cuban style strip steak (Churrasco), Cindy had the mojito pork (Masas de Cerdo), Mary had thin sliced pork with onions (Lechon asado), I had the Vaca frita, shredded beef with Cuban seasoning. We had tostones, Congri (black beans and white rice), plantains and other sides to share. We exchanged bits of each other’s meals and were all happy with our choices, leaving the restaurant full.

We returned to the Florida City Travelodge, checked in to our room and went for a short walk around the motel. We made mojitos back at the room and watched the end of a NFL playoff game seeing the Bengals narrowly defeat the Titans.