Thursday, May 16, 2013

Okefenokee Swamp

While we were in Florida, we woke up early one morning to go to the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia to go on a riverboat tour and see alligators! You might have guessed that I am obsessed with nature and animals, and this trip was pure eye candy. The whole drive there was through thick, green forests and occasional small towns that were made up of a baptist church and a mobile home or two.

As we drove up to the Okefenokee swamp, we spotted two alligators laying out on the grass. I was beyond excited to see them, and it just kept getting better and better from there on.



Before the river tour we walked around the park and saw a whole bunch of alligators in a pen.




We were so thankful for this sign because we totally thought that alligators were as sweet as kittens :)


We loaded the boat and were off on our river tour! The tour guide is the man behind Preston's mom and sister and he was the best! He had the best accent and was everything you would expect from someone who lives in the deep swamps of Georgia :)


The whole ride was so beautiful!



The water was complete glass. This is a reflection of the trees in the water.


This picture also shows how reflective the water was.


Lily pads!


Halfway through the tour we got to get out and walk out to this tower and (after climbing a million stairs) get a great view over the tops of the trees.










Coming up on a huge alligator out sunbathing! I was a bit shaky when we got right up close especially since the tour guide said the alligators can jump up to six feet! (and it was mating season so they were more aggressive!)




This gator was right up by the parked cars. Hopefully the people going to their car saw him! Also the tour guide said that sometimes the alligators crawl underneath people's cars, that would be a tad bit scary...






Notice the alligator behind us in all these pictures? Well like 2 seconds after we finished posing with him another gator came out of the water and started chasing him! We ran after them to see if they would fight but I guess he just wanted to chase him away from that part of the swamp


These things are creepy when they're running on the land!



Safe and sound in his own pond :)






5 comments:

  1. Holy crap those things look freaky!! I don't think I would enjoy getting that close.. But of course you would love them. Haha. Looks like such a fun trip! Also- I like Prest's tall socks ;) Haha

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    1. I did love them! And my parents always make fun of Prest's tall socks too :)

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  2. geeeez, so gorgeous! it looks like The Notebook! minus the alligators! K, but seriously, I didn't know Alligators were that big - they look huge!!!!

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    1. ah i know! the huge ones are so scary. You would have loved this laur.

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  3. ah! alligators freak. me. out. this trip looks way fun though! you reminded me of a "sunrise wildlife river tour" i did in guatemala that sounded amazing but was actually NOT and we sat in a tiny tipsy canoe while it poured freezing rain for over an hour and did not see a sunrise or any sign of any wildlife. yours looks way better!

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