We packed up the site at Boyd's CG in Key West on Sunday morning, with heavy winds and rain threatening. Again I have to drive these skinny causeways in the strong winds! Today wasn't quite as bad as last week, but I hang onto the steering wheel constantly because I never know when one of the strong gusts will blow the RV to either side, my fingers and shoulders are so tense that I feel like my fingers may never unfold the grip! Fortunately, we found a last minute available slot at Long Key State Park, and jumped on the reservation immediately. So that means I only have a 2 hour drive in this wind! We made it to Long Key by 12:30 Sunday, then hiked the island in the drizzly rain and opened some wine for an evening of watching the stormy ocean. We also used my laptop to watch the movie, "The Long,Long Trailer" with Lucy and Desi buying a motor trailer and their funny experiences - of course, Lynn found this old classic for my Christmas gift and it made good entertainment for the evening. While hiking, we met a couple who told us they had been scuba diving out to the wounded sailboat, said the mast was broken off, it's listing to one side, all the belongings were still on the boat from the storm last weekend, and now it was just being washed ashore. It's like a ghost ship - hope the occupants got off safely! I am still trying to get reservations at campgrounds for the next few nights - prices are outrageous and there are very few sites available! I have spent hours on the Internet, especially searching State and National Parks for better prices - private campgrounds (now high season) start at $100/nt, government parks are $35-45/nt! So another night on the computer, a glass of wine, and a salad for dinner. We woke up Monday to a glorious day - sunny, fresh, superb view from our front windshield! Temps were low 50's overnight so it was great sleeping weather, but immediately started heating up to 75 when the sun came out. We were heading to the Everglades because they said they reserve half their campsites for "walk ins", so that sounded like a good deal. First, we got stopped by a big sign instructing all cars carrying domestic pets to stop at a checkpoint - they inspected Sara for signs of "screwworm infestation" - apparently discovered in the Key deer, and potentially being carried by flies who can lay larvae in dog's ears or open wounds!! Sara passed the inspection, got a certificate, but with a warning to report to a vet if she has any symptoms listed in the brochure! Despite this stop, we made it to Homestead for gas at Walmart (price $2.27/gal compared to $2.54 on the Keys), stopped at a fresh seafood store for Key West pink shrimp, and headed out of Homestead to the entrance to Everglades National Park. We checked into the Long Pine Key Campground with no problem - no hookups, but beautiful big sites, very spacious and private, and a pretty lake/picnic area. But we were told about the boat trips that leave from Flamingo Campground, 38 more miles into the interior of the park, so back in the RV for the drive to "nowhere". The terrain was not marshy, but low cypress trees and lakes, but lots of signs warning of alligators and panthers. And then when we got to the parking lot, I saw the sign warning about vultures, too!! But I didn't have the means or inclination to cover the RV with a tarp, so headed to our pontoon boat tour of the "backcountry" or interior waters - a long canal where we saw alligators, manatee, and birds until it opened into a huge bay, I think they said 30 miles across. Gorgeous as the sun went down, but quite chilly! We heard great stories of Everglades wildlife - poisonous snakes, and the Burmese Python. Did you know they are not native to the area, started by people getting rid of their "pet store" snakes, and now estimated at 100,000 snakes in the region - they have Python hunts yearly, and can only find about 60-100 per hunt because they hide so well. They have now brought in some Indian guides (from India) to help hunt out these snakes!! Amazing! Hope all the holding bins in the RV have tight seals!! We got off the boat and hurried back to our campground (about 45 min drive), so had to grill our shrimp dinner in total darkness - thanks to my awning with the row of LED lights, I could see enough to watch for alligators and pythons!! Karen packed and I cooked! I could have spent one more day, but Karen's flight is tomorrow and I am terrified of the drive to Miami on a week day - at least it's a little later than rush hour, needing to be at airport about 10:15 am.!