A few years ago I took this amazing road trip from my home in the mountains of western North Carolina to a little place in Florida called the Everglades. Perhaps you’ve heard of it?

Ok, ok, so it’s not so little. It’s actually a protected wetlands area that spans over 1.5 million acres and is home to all kinds of unique animals and reptiles, some found no where else in the world.

While there I had the opportunity to admire some of the most magnificent creatures I’d ever laid eyes on – including the American Alligator.

Yes, they might be creepy, BUT, watching these wild beasts in nature simply took my breath away.

Having lived in Florida before (but without ever visiting the Everglades) and vacationed on the coast and islands in South Carolina many summers as a kid where I used to see alligators when I was out riding my bike (!) these weren’t the first alligators I had ever seen.

But I tell ya, something about these particular giants really captivated me! I felt as if I could just watch them for hours.  Their prehistoric semblance had me downright mesmerized.

These photos I took in a portion of the Everglades called Big Cypress.

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