Cypress Gardens and the Swamp

I have visited several butterfly gardens, and I especially enjoyed this one at Cypress Gardens because they had all the stages on the plants -- eggs, caterpillars, chrysalids, and butterflies. So pretty. They also had these fluffy quail. I dearly wanted to cradle them in my hands.

There was also an indoor swamparium with alligators, snakes, frogs, and various other critters, including this enormous catfish.

We got into a small flat-bottom boat and paddled around in the swamp. It was so much fun, we've got to do this again. It'd be scary at Halloween.

My husband did most of the steering, so we wouldn't crash into the trees, but of course, he was looking up at the sky ...

We do love our flying creatures, both natural and man-made. Here's a dragonfly resting on my salty leg.

We took a walk later and I could've sat on that bench for a long time ... alas a storm was brewing ... so we wanted to get home before then ... but simply had to stop to stick our heads in the alligator's mouth!

We waited out the storm in the car ... but look! A double rainbow. So beautiful. I have my son to thank for taking all these pictures. He's got a great eye and I love being able to share them with all of you.

Have a great weekend!