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Green Cay Wetlands Preserve: The Place to Get Your Gator Fix in West Palm

We were recently in West Palm Beach, Florida, visiting family and looking for fun stuff to do. There's not much in the way of active pursuits beyond golf, tennis, and bridge in this part of Florida, but if you can peel yourself off the wicker for an hour or two, there is one suburban excursion that we heartily endorse. Green Cay Wetlands and Nature Center is located right in the middle of Boynton Beach, offering a snippet of beautiful wilderness amid the housing developments and shopping centers.

Created in 2005 from a farm that would have otherwise been turned into more housing, Green Cay (pronounced "key") attracts a surprising amount of wildlife, with birds like swallows, ducks, and herons and land-based animals such as turtles, marsh rabbits, and even the odd bobcat prowling around. As is always the case with Florida wildlife, everybody's on the lookout for one of the four alligators that patrol the marshy environment, like this adolescent beast (pictured) we encountered while taking a sunset loop around the 1.5-mile elevated boardwalk. We were hoping he'd chomp the oblivious bird who walked right past his snout, but he didn't move a muscle.

In keeping with the neighborhood, a "hike" at Green Cay is about as easy as hiking gets while still technically fitting the definition of a long walk for pleasure or exercise. That's just fine with us. Coming from New York, it's nice to take things slow and easy for a change.

[Photo: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories:
· Green Cay Wetlands [Official Site]
· Outdoor Travel Coverage [Jaunted]