Bruce Morris - Floridas Key West

Everglades National Park is well planned so that people can enjoy some of the US's most pristine wild areas on foot. More than 20 trails are maintained through saw grass, swamps, mangrove and cypress hammocks, small wilderness ponds and sloughs. Many are raised wooden walkways and can be easily enjoyed by most able-bodied visitors.

The Keys have a number of parks and beaches where you can stretch your legs and watch for birds and other wildlife. Walks over the flats and channels of Florida Bay along the bridges from the old Overseas Highway are a wonderful way to observe sea birds and marine life from on high. Turtles, sharks, stingrays and horseshoe crabs are easily seen from the old bridges that have been converted into fishing piers.

Although there's not much in the way of nice sandy beaches in the Keys or Everglades, there are plenty of wonderful waterfronts that run alongside mangroves. Where there is sand, you can walk for a mile or so poking through washed-up turtle grass and other seaweed looking for flotsam and jetsam treasures. If you are the hardy type, you can push your way through the mangroves just up from the beach where the real beachcombing treasures can be found. Beachcombers know that early morning beach walkers scoop up anything of real interest or value. But hurricanes and other storms wash floating junk waaay back into the mangroves and, if you can stand the mud, mosquitoes and heat, you might find old bottles or relics from one of the many wrecks that ended up on the reefs.

A well-maintained bike path runs from MM 106 (Key Largo) to the Seven Mile Bridge (Marathon); after that point, it becomes inconsistent. Although road traffic is heavy in this stretch, most of the bike path is well off to the side. Concentrate when you need to cross the road as the cars travel at high speeds. Most of the bridges are wide enough for bicyclers, but you do need to be careful. The bike path peters out entirely as you get close to Key West.

WARNING: The main road south from Homestead has no bike path and the traffic is legendary for being dangerous to bikers.

Bike rentals are available up and down the Keys and in Key West.

Zipping around on a moped is a fun way to enjoy yourself in Key West. Rental agencies appear on almost every street corner. Many of the people renting out mopeds work on commission and some will bargain. You can definitely negotiate prices, so call around.

Water is what makes the Everglades live and is what makes the Keys so attractive. Visiting without getting out on the bay or in the ocean is like eating an ice cream sundae with no ice cream, cherry or chocolate. Although the views of the bay and ocean are wonderful from land, you'll miss most of the fun if you stay there. Zillions of places rent all manner of watersports equipment and another zillion places offer tours of Florida Bay, snorkeling or scuba trips to the reefs and fishing charters. Open your wallet a bit and take advantage of the exciting and beautiful opportunities. You'll need a proper boat to get out to the reefs. Although the water is usually fairly calm, the reefs are mostly a few miles offshore and are certainly not a good place for kayaks or canoes. Small motorboats suitable for visits to the reefs or for enjoying Florida Bay can be rented from around $100 per day and up.