We have been having such a great time exploring Big Cypress, that we haven’t even missed not getting down to the Everglades much. On Saturday we drove a few miles from the campground and visited the Shark Valley area of the park. I really didn’t expect to like Shark Valley because it’s one of the most popular (if not THE most popular) place in Big Cypress. I think that the draw to this particular spot is the 2 hour ‘tram’ (it’s just an open bus) tour that you can go on. You can walk or bike the same paved path, and we SO wished that we had brought our bikes (and kayaks). We walked it for about half a mile, and saw some very interesting animals (and our favorite ones in the park so far!).
There were tons of alligators lining the banks of the canal that the path runs along. They were even basking on the sidewalk that runs alongside the parking lot.
There were dozens and dozens of birds in the water and trees. 
We saw all sizes of alligators – who were all bored by the attention from so many camera-wielding tourists. 
We saw an anhinga with a nest full of babies! 
And one of my favorites was this guy who had just came up out of a swampy part of the canal… 
The kids love the funny looking anhinga birds – the birds will swim around underwater looking for dinner (they don’t just dive, they swim around underwater), then come on shore and stand with their wings all stretched out for a long time drying off their feathers. They stretch and preen and shake, and are rather amusing.
There are so many interesting wading birds. I suppose that we should get a eastern bird book, but no-one has really shown an interest in finding out what they are – which means they won’t remember what they are anyway…I’m not much of a birder either, even if I do think they are beautiful! 
We loved walking up and down the canal and checking out the wildlife. We still think that alligators are fabulous even though we have seen hundreds and hundreds of them over the last few days. We did learn that they only eat 15 to 20 times per YEAR, which would explain why no other animals seem very concerned around them!
On our walk along the paved path at Shark Valley, we did find our favorite (so far) thing in Big Cypress… 
A momma alligator with a pod of babies (hatchlings)!!! They were so very cute!!! But poor Molly – her whole dream this entire visit has been to see and hold a baby alligator (and ‘it will not bite (her) but it will lick (her) on the cheek!’ LOL!) – she wanted so very, very badly to hold one of those adorable baby alligators!
She got over it….
After we walked along the path for awhile, we went back near the beginning, and took the Bobcat Boardwalk Trail, which is a short walk through cypress woods back to the parking lot.
Shark Valley was a very neat place to visit. Quite touristy – we even had to either park a long ways away and walk into the location or wait in line while cars were only being let in, one at a time, as other cars left and opened up a parking space! The rangers at the Everglades said that this location is crazy busy EVERY day in the middle of the day – so, if you are thinking of visiting Shark Valley, show up early! LOL! And bring bikes (under 16 is required to wear a helmet) – the path is perfect for biking along!
“Down here, it’s just plain flat.”
Is not flat!
Starting with the southern end of Lake Okeechobee, the elevation drops almost 2 inches per mile! That is a whole 14 feet in the 86 miles between the two! (just picking on ya!)