There’s nothing like hanging out in the swamplands to bring the spirit of Christmas to life!  That was my first thought (sarcastic, of course) when I was invited to spend some time out in the everglades with my dad over the Christmas holiday.  But what an adventure it turned out to be!  An experience I will not soon forget… 

I live in North Carolina, and my dad’s Christmas gift this year was an airline ticket home to Miami to spend Christmas with the family.  Of course, if it’s on Daddy’s dime, I’m taking it!  “Mama didn’t raise no fool.”    

So, off I went to Miami for the holidays.  Usually, one of my “requirements” for each trip home is shopping with Grandma and Mom.  It’s on the agenda every time.  However, this time, I had something new on the agenda and that was hanging out with Dad at the Airboat Association of Florida (AAOF).  We planned to take a ride on the airboat and have a little BBQ on Christmas Day.   Being sort of a “city girl”, that wasn’t exactly what I had in mind for Christmas, but I went with it, and I’m glad I did, because it turned out to be more and more interesting as the events began to unfold.  I can’t wait to share the story.  Are you ready for this?  I wasn’t… 

First was a ride on the airboat.  Three airboats went out altogether.  One was my dad’s, one was our friend, Donnie’s, and the last one was my sister’s!!!  I got to ride on my sister’s airboat!  What a blast!  We went out into God’s country, free as birds, and took in all the sights and sounds of Mother Nature.  At one of our stops, my nephew gave me a lesson on how you can eat saw grass!  Good to know…

But what impressed me the most was what I discovered at our second stop.  To my amazement, there stood a beautiful memorial, right in the middle of the everglades, where the ashes of 6 people had been laid to rest.  It was absolutely breathtaking.  There were stuffed animals, pictures, and other various tokens of remembrance left in their honor by loved ones.  Right in the center, at the very top, stood an American Flag, waving proudly in the wind.  I learned that the memorial was put up in 1951 and the flag is replaced every year.  The tribute was truly awe-inspiring.  I will never forget it…

After our journey, we came back to the club grounds and could smell the BBQ going.  You won’t believe what they were cooking up – A WHOLE PIG!  Russell and Karla roasted an entire pig in a Chinese box right there on the club grounds.  Several people gathered together for Christmas dinner and each of them brought a side dish, including dessert.  There was enough food to feed an army!  As we were eating, Mary asked everyone to raise their glass and she offered a touching toast to all the AAOF family and friends who came out to the club to celebrate Christmas together and enjoy each other’s company.  Everybody “clinked” their solo cups and carried on with the laughter and fun.  It was then that I began to reflect on my own skepticism in the beginning and the irony in the fact that at that very moment, I couldn’t think of any other place I would rather be on Christmas Day.  It was such a great time!  

But, as all good things do, it sadly came to an end, and before I knew it, vacation was over.  After all the dust settled and I was on the plane back to North Carolina, I began to reminisce on the entire experience, moment by moment: the unforgettable airboat ride, the memorial, the moving toast, even the BBQ and the pig.  I must admit, although I was doubtful at first, it truly turned out to be one of the most enjoyable and most memorable experiences of my life.  So much so, that as the plane prepared for takeoff, I began to become overwhelmed by a feeling of sadness.  I began to miss my family and all of my airboat club friends, and I couldn’t wait for my next trip back to Miami so I could see them again. 

Thank you to the AAOF family for having me as a guest for Christmas.  I enjoyed every minute.  A special thanks to the “Everglades Geezers” for an experience I will not soon forget (the Everglades Geezers Group is quite an interesting group of folks, but that’s another article for another day).  Lastly, thank you to my sister, Erica for allowing me to be an unruly passenger!   

Going forward, one of my new “requirements” for each trip home is a visit to the airboat club, right after my shopping trip with Mom and Grandma.  After all, I might be on an airboat, hooting and hollering, with a red solo cup in one hand and a hunk of pork in the other, but I’m still a “city girl”…  See ya soon!

Cheers!

Cheri Bailey