In Everglade City you might find a resident willing to put her pet parrot on your shoulder and then take your picture.
The last five days here in Everglades City kind of reminding me of stepping back in time. Sort of reminded me of Andy Griffith’s hometown of Mayberry — actually it is Mt. Airy, N.C., but we all know Mayberry better. In Everglades City, there is one school for grades K-12. It’s the only school system in Florida where all students are in the same building. This year’s graduating class was 11 based on what I was told.
There is not a bank in the city, but there is one ATM. Everglades City has a post office, but no mail delivery. If you want your mail, you come to the post office to get it.
There are two gas stations and only about four restaurants that are open after 3:30 p.m. and at least one of them closes at 7.
But nobody here complains. Everybody knows everybody and likes it that way. Friday I was on my morning bike ride — the Ivey House provides bicycles for guests — when I saw a couple walking. She had a parrot on her shoulder. I stopped to see if I could get a picture of her for my granddaughter, an animal lover. Instead, she told me she would take my picture.
She put her shoulder next to mine and the parrot came right over on my shoulder and she took my picture while explaining the parrot is 19 years old and that she and her husband had moved to Everglades City not long ago.
The city museum was fascinating — and free.
The restaurants are all unique in a special way with some outstanding seafood.
It’s such a short drive to the Everglades where you can see alligators in so many different locations. And the birds … I never knew there were so many varieties of birds here.
Fishing? Seems like everyone has a boat and many others come here to fish.
We stayed at the Ivey House Everglades Adventures Hotel in the heart of Everglades City. We were in the new suites while the older portion is a bit more iconic. But everything was great.
As you read this, we are probably on our way back to Key West for a few days where there will be a lot more people, a lot more to do and a lot higher prices. However, give me a choice of where I would pick to stay/live, it would be Everglades City.
