If you’ve seen either The Patriot or The Notebook you’ve seen the swamp at Cypress Gardens.  We went there to enjoy the natural setting of the gardens and the swamp.  We saw three alligators in captivity (they are unable to survive in the wild), and enjoyed seeing a great variety of swamp life in the Swamparium.  After that we toured the Butterfly House, seeing birds and butterflies in there.  The colors on the wood duck were amazing!

Despite Sary-Jo’s reservations, we then got into a flat-bottom boat and paddled around the swamp.  The water was amazing, with colors developed by the oils secreted from the cypress trees.  We had been told we would probably not see any alligators because they are hibernating at this time of year.  However, Margie offered $5 to whichever of the boys spotted the first alligator.  Leave it to David (who had bought binoculars in the gift shop) to spot a good-sized specimen.  We paddled relatively close and Sary-Jo took pictures and video.

After the boat ride, we spent a little more time – walking across the bridge from The Patriot and looking for more wildlife.  It was a beautiful place and a great day.

Click the photo above to see more pictures.  Watch the 6 minute video below.