Called the Pa-Hay-Okee or River of Grass by the local Seminole tribe. It's 97km/60mi wide and flows so slowly that I couldn't see the water moving, draining Florida's main lake into the state's southern coast. Ecologically it's fascinating, with like 4m/12ft of elevation gain across it representing multiple ecosystems linked to how much water persists throughout the year. In the Rockies the ecosystems change every 300m/1000ft, here it's whether the water is at your ankle or your knee.
Highly recommended. It's remarkable.
Thanks. It's good to find folks who appreciate this place. It's all I've ever known my whole life.
It's a shame the history of land development was/is so fucked in Florida. The natural side makes me jealous and I live in the Switzerland of the Americas an hour away from mountains that qualify as cathedrals. Those efforts to protect it instead of industry/tourism/luxury housing have come so late that the area around Tampa at least seems like it's barely starting to recover. Doubly so for the Everglades which is so humbling that it's the kind of thing that should be defended with guns.
I agree. I even felt a profound sadness when they cleared a lot near my neighborhood recently. Those trees were there forever and they just took them all out in a day and a half. Just no regard for nature. They want to turn the whole state into a giant strip mall.