Everglades National Park & Biscayne National Park

During our stay in Miami, we took three trips to the Everglades National Park (including two bike rides at the Shark Valley Visitors Center), and one trip to Biscayne National Park. The most striking thing about our visits were the many varieties of birds we encountered, including egrets, herons, wood storks, anhinga, limpkin, pelican, and vultures, and the plethora of alligators, sometimes so close to where we were walking or riding our bikes, we could nearly reach out and touch them. We were even lucky enough to see two separate nests filled with baby alligators. During one visit to the Everglades National Park, we saw an American Crocodile, which looked quite prehistoric. We also saw lots of turtles who seemed to thrive in the Florida swampland.  

I’ll let the following pictures tell the rest of the story

Rhinebeck, New York

After wrapping up our stay in Saratoga Springs (late August 2018), we headed 100-miles due south to Rhinebeck, New York, for a one week stay. Rhinebeck is a charming and historic village nestled in the scenic Hudson Valley, with the Hudson River marking the western boundary of the town. From here we had majestic views of the Catskill Mountains, and had we been so inclined, easy access to New York City, the Berkshires, Connecticut, and Upstate New York. Although the main reason for stopping here was to visit the FDR Presidential Library (located 15-miles away in Hyde Park), we were happy to find the area in general fun to explore. Tree-lined streets, specialty shopping, boutique farms and orchards, and hiking and biking trails beckoned to us, encouraging us to get out and explore the natural beauty of the region. We learned about The Walkway Over the Hudson, a 24-foot wide, 1.2-mile long bridge for cyclists and pedestrians that connects the city of Poughkeepsie with the Town of Lloyd. One day we drove to Poughkeepsie for an exploration of that area, including the ride over the river. It was a picture perfect day, for being outside, and for a bike ride. We enjoyed discovering more about this part of New York, riding over the bridge, and the gorgeous views of the Hudson River Valley.