Nikes, Ahingas, and Crocs

When we decided to visit the Everglades we didn’t expect a lesson in Cold War History but the Everglades was the site of one of the Nike missile defense bases – HM-69. We participated in the ranger led tour and our ranger had served on a Nike Site in the early 1970’s. It was extremely interesting. For us it evoked our own memories of the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as made us ponder the role of the artillery over the centuries. From there we went back to the Ahinga Trail and watched Ahingas, Vultures, and Alligators. We listened to another Ranger talk, walked the Gumbo Limbo Trail, drove out to Flamingo, watched some nesting Oseprey, and spied an American Crocodile sunning himself. We finished the day with a Ranger talk in the Amphitheater at the campground. It was a brief first visit to the Everglades but we intend for it to not be the last.