Ashley and I are sick. She was sick before the trip started, then felt better, and then we both felt awful the other day when we went to Biscayne. We woke up feeling disgusting yesterday- Ashley couldn’t stop coughing, and I was sneezing and my nose was like a leaky faucet. Our kayaking plans went out the window. Instead, we went to see Mary Poppins returns, sat by the pool, and had dinner at IHOP, where we laughed about how this trip probably looks so glamorous on social media but in actuality, we’re a hot mess.
After sleeping for 11 hours last night, we felt better today and were up for an activity I’d really been looking forward to- a 15 mile bike ride through the Everglades.
We arrived at the Shark Valley Visitor Center at 1:00, and the parking lot was full. We didn’t have to wait too long for a spot, but then we discovered there were no bikes left, so we had to get on a wait list. We added our name, and then I asked if we’d be able to hear our names called if we sat on some nearby benches. The man assured us we would, and genially added that, while his voice is quiet, his coworker’s voice is booming.
After a half hour of waiting, we hadn’t heard any names called. Worried that we’d missed our turn, I went over to inquire. He rudely replied, “I just called five names. Standby means to STAND by. You’re not going to hear anything over there.”
So we stood in a crowd near the jerk with the quiet voice, waiting to hear our names. It was just so chaotic and poorly organized; you’d think they could come up with a better system.
As soon as we rode away on our bikes, we knew it was worth the wait. I forgot how relaxing it is to ride a bike; I felt like I could do this all day. And within the first half hour, we had seen SO many gators! I predicted that we’d see 50 by the end of the ride, and our final count was 54.
Funniest part of the day- when we were trying to stop for a water break and Ashley just straight up fell off her bike and I almost crashed into her. Graceful we are not!
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