OUTDOORS & NATURE EXPERIENCE AN AIRBOAT RIDE ALONG THE HEADWATERS OF THE EVERGLADES. Scan this page with your phone to watch a video of what it’s like to take an airboat tour along our unique waterways. Download the free Layar App. See full instructions on pg. 4. Shingle Creek BY KAYAK By Idoia Gkikas Yesterday, I was navigating the crowds at Disney World; today, I am kayaking around the sinewy legs of cypress trees in a swamp teeming with wildlife. Dappled sunlight filters through the moss-draped branches overhead as a flock of white egrets bursts out of a murky corner and takes flight. This is Shingle Creek—a 14-mile tributary of Lake Toho in Kissimmee that feeds into the wild Florida Everglades, capturing Old Florida in all its natural glory. The creek also winds through the “wilds” of Kissimmee’s busiest tourist area, flowing under U.S. Hwy 192 on its southward journey and providing a fascinating juxtaposition of suburban development and nature. A great eff ort is underway to protect this oasis of natural beauty and signs of success are all around. Osceola County is home to hundreds of diff erent wildlife species, including a small population of highly endangered, non-migratory whooping cranes and the highest concentration of nesting bald eagles in Florida. The Paddling Center at Shingle Creek off ers guided tours and rents kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and bikes. Launch your kayak from Steff ee Landing, where you’ll see the circa-1911 Steff ee Homestead, the residence of one of the area’s original pioneer families. When you’re out on the creek, keep an eye out for the ramshackle caretaker’s cabin, which was built using left over construction materials. ExperienceKissimmee.com 63
Experience Kissimmee Experience Kissimmee 2017: Page 63
