I've been an enthusiast of America's National Parks since I first made Zion and Bryce a destination. Once I became eligible, for $10 as an entry level Senior, I purchased my Park Pass which has gotten me to Yellowstone, Grand Tetons, and Rocky Mountain Parks. All spectacular. I've only been to one eastern park, Shenandoah which I visited as a side trip from Charlottesville. I'm sure it was more spectacular than I realized, though travel limited to the Skyline Drive main road and few minor offshoots. No mammals seen, don't even remember road kill. It had been my intent to detour from St. Louis to Mammoth Cave last year, a project undermined by airline delays that made a long round trip unrealistic.
It's time to go again, so much so that I designated it a semi-annual initiative, even amid Covid-19 restrictions. These parks are big. Having the summer depleted, I can no longer head north to Isle Royale or Acadia. There are some southeastern options. Mammoth Cave is a little farther than I want to drive. Great Smokies seems the closest beyond Shenandoah, about a 10 hour drive. It is the most visited of the National Parks, but seems a lot like Shenandoah. It was cobbled together by mass purchase of farmland or privately held forests. There are hotels nearby and side trips to either Asheville or Knoxville, in different directions, that have a few attractions of their own. This seemed the best option.
However, I looked at the Everglades, which I have seen from the air. It's geography is less familiar to me, wildlife easier to find, Florida weather has an advantage over the Appalachians in December. After checking on logistics, airfare and hotels are far less expensive than I would have predicted for Florida in their high season. Being economically dependent on snowbirds and other tourism, they must have taken a very big hit from the virus. The hotels are a bit farther from the park than those of Great Smokies. Still there is a lot more to do in Florida than in North Carolina at the onset of winter. I even know people who live within a drive of there, though I don't know about the willingness of old friends to have people stop by, even with precautions.
Given the options, I'm leaning toward the Everglades, but will see if anyone else has experience with these two parks and their surroundings.
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