This is a student post written by Natalie
In front of the Okefenokee sign There's an alligator on my head!
Over April vacation, my family and I drove all the way down to Brunswick, Georgia. It took two days to get down there. It seemed like forever but we finally got there.
On our first day there, we drove about 45 minutes from my grandparents house to the Okeefenokee Swamp. We started by walking through the gift shop. There were so many great things I wanted to buy but we had other plans first. Once we walked through the gift shop, we walked out towards a train. Right by the train there was a mother alligator with her baby. I couldn’t believe we were so close!
Our tour guide welcomed us on the train. He told us that the word Okefenokee comes from an old Native American word meaning trembling earth. I thought that was really interesting!
The train took us all around the swamp. We saw so many alligators. They were all different sizes. Some of them were huge! They were so close that I felt like I could reach out and touch them. I didn’t think that would be a good idea though! They were all so lethargic. They just laid there. Most of them didn’t even move when we went by. I think they’re used to the train now.
After our tour, we got to go back to a tent. At the tent I had a chance to touch an alligator and a snake! The alligator had scales that were really bumpy but they were also soft. The snake felt really silky and soft. I wasn’t scared to touch them at all. My sister was though! She only just poked it. She didn’t want to touch them at all!
Do you like my new necklace?
Can somebody help me please?
The trip was so much fun! If you ever get the chance, I would definitely recommend that you visit Okefenokee Swamp. I can’t wait to go back again!
*Have you ever been to Okefenokee Swamp before?*
*Have you ever touched an alligator or snake?*
*What other type of animals do you think could be found in a swamp?*
Hi. My name is Cheyenne. I love those pictures that you took. They are amazing. I love the one with you in the alligater mouth. I will visit again soon
From: Mr. Miller’s student
Cheyenne:)
Hi Cheyenne,
I’ll have to let Natalie know you left a comment for her. She’s not in my class anymore. She was in my class last year.
Her pictures were amazing! It looked like such a fun trip that she took. I know she had a lot of fun!
Thanks for visiting.
Sincerely,
Mr. Avery
Dear Natalie
Next time you go to Okefenokee Swamp please bring me. It seems really fun since I’ve never been there before.
Sincerely,
Colin
Dear Colin,
The Okeefenokee Swamp was really fun! There is a lot of stuff to do. I have to admit, the only thing I didn’t like about the swamp was that is was way too hot.
So, after we went to the swamp we got to go to Dairy Queen! It was awesome! Of course I got a vanilla and chocolate swirl. I didn’t eat the chocolate part though.
I wish I could go again some time.
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
I hope you had fun at your swamp. I didn’t know you could have so much fun at a swamp. I never knew you could touch an alligator or a snake there either. I have always wanted to touch an alligator, especially a baby alligator. I just love the wildlife with all the animals and birds and flowers. Do you like wildlife and all the flowers and birds?
From,
Jenna
Dear Jenna,
The swamp was fantastic! I saw some really amazing flowers, animals and birds. When we went down the street while we were riding our bikes, I kept stopping to take pictures. I saw palm trees. Have you ever seen a palm tree? Yes, I do love wildlife. We climbed through the woods. It was in our backyard. I can’t wait to go again!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
I have never been to Okefenokee Swamp before. When I was in Florida I saw some adult alligators but I have never touched one before. I have seen a few snakes before but never touched one.
From,
😉
Mike K 😉
Dear Mike,
The Okefenokee Swamp is amazing! We got to look at an otter. I have never seen an otter. I didn’t take any pictures of the otter though. The alligators were so big and they looked hungry. I wouldn’t want to be in that cage. Would you?
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Aloha Natalie,
Thank you for all of the wonderful information. Your writing was very well done with lots of details.
I remember seeing alligators when I visited my uncle in Florida and I didn’t want to touch them. I did touch snakes and I loved how cool and smooth their skin felt.
I hope you continue with your writing.
Mrs. Jacobs
Dear Natalie,
Yes, I have touched an alligator and a snake. It was in pre-school. Also, I think you might see a crocodile, a hippo, and a fly.
Sincerely,
Colin
Dear Colin,
That is so cool that you think you would see a crocodile and a hippo. I was wondering what is the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? Colin, what did the snake feel like? When the snake was on my neck it felt slithery and soft.
P.S Please write back back!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
Okefenokee Swamp looks so cool. The captions you put for the pictures were so cool and funny. I have never touched an alligator before. It must be scaly and very slimy. I have put a snake around my neck and it was very heavy. I would love to go to Okefenokee Swamp.
Sincerely,
Ben W.
Dear Ben W,
Was the snake slimy but soft? When I went to touch it, the snake was slimy but soft. Then, the girl that told us all about the snakes asked my mom if I could put the snake around my neck. My mom said yes. It was really weird but cool! I hope I can go to the Okeefenokee again!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
You look like you’re being eaten by an alligator. I would be afraid to touch an alligator. I have touched a snake but never an alligator. We had a snake in our back yard and I caught it. I really want to go to Okefenokee Swamp. It looks like so much fun. I can’t believe you drove to Georgia and got to see a swamp. I would drive there to see a swamp. It would be really fun.
From,
Jenna
Dear Natalie,
Were you relay in a alligator’s mouth? I would love to have a baby alligator on my head! I wish I could go to Okefenokee Swamp. I want to go there this summer! I think you could find many fresh water fish at a swamp. I have held a snake before. It was huge.
Sincerely,
Rebecca
Dear Rebecca,
No, I wasn’t in the alligator’s mouth. Brad was holding me but he cut himself out. Also, I was wondering, what kind of snake was it? I hope you can go to the Okeefenokee this summer! It is really fun! You can see huge alligators! I also saw an otter. It didn’t do much though.
Sincerely,
N♥T♥L!E S.
Dear Natalie,
I have never been to Okefenokee Swamp.
It seems like a awesome place though. What animal did you see the most?
Sincerely,
Heston
Dear Heston,
It was an awesome place! I saw alligators the most. They were everywhere. It was crazy! They even had alligators sign warnings. They were so cool! I hope I can go again!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
Wow! That must have been so fun! Those were really funny captions! Did you have fun? I wish I went there. Please write back!
Sincerely,
Ashley
Dear Ashley,
It was really fun driving to Georgia! I thought that the car ride was going to be boring. It was really fun. We got to go to McDonald’s for breakfast. I kept getting hash browns. They were so good. I hope we can go again this summer! 🙂
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
That’s so cool that you got to have an alligator o your head. I’ve never seen an alligator in person but I’ve seen them in movies and TV shows. I’ve seen a snake before and never touched one. They scare me.
One time my sister stepped on a snake and she yelled at the top of her lungs.
I hope you had a great time.
From,
Ariel D.
Dear Ariel,
When the alligator was on your head, I was afraid that it would claw my head but it didn’t. Have you ever seen a really big alligator before?
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
Was it really fun to have a snake on your neck?
I hope you had fun!
Sincerely,
Alexus
Dear Alexus,
Yes, I did have a snake on my neck. It felt slimy but soft at the same time. I was really fun! All of the people watched. Some said that they would ever do that. A boy did it too. It was after me though. Have you had a snake slither on you before?
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Dear Natalie,
That was a fantastic post! You did a great job of balancing text with pictures. You gave the readers a very clear image of what your trip was like.
I thought your writing was excellent. I especially liked the passage where you said, “They were so close that I felt like I could reach out and touch them. I didn’t think that would be a good idea though! They were all so lethargic. They just laid there. Most of them didn’t even move when we went by.” Lethargic is a great word. I will add that to our vocabulary wall in the classroom today.
I have never touched an alligator, but I saw lots of them when I lived in Belize. I have touched snakes before. I’m not a big fan of snakes, but I do like the feeling of their skin, especially the scales on their stomachs. I think snakes are amazing and I respect their incredible adaptations, I just don’t like to be too close to them. Something about the way they move is a little spooky to me.
Thanks for sharing your exciting trip with us!
From,
Mr. Salsich
Dear Mr. Salsich,
The other day my neighbor found a snake in his backyard. It was a bluish-blackish color with a white-yellow ring around it’s neck. It was a northern ring necked snake. They are nocturnal and like to live in cold and damp areas such as mulch, in a swamp, or simply under a big rock. They eat mainly salamanders. They can grow from 17 in. to 27 in. long. I can’t belive that they eat salamanders.
From,
😉
Mike K. 😉
Dear Mike,
That is amazing that you found a snake just in your backyard! Where did you find the snake? How did you know what kind of snake was it? I forgot which snake I put around my neck. The colors were orange and many other colors.
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
@ Natalie,
No We have not been to Okefenokee before.
Yes, we have touched an alligator and a snake and seen them.
You might see flies and hippos in the swamp.
You friends,
Millie and Ameile (2KM)
Dear Millie & Amelie,
Thank you for writing on the blog! The Okefenokee Swamp is a really fun place! There were mostly alligators. There were so many! I saw a baby alligator. I got to put the baby alligators on my head! It was really fun! Where is your school?
P.S. What kind of animals do you see the most? Please write back!
Sincerely,
Natalie S.
Wow, nice job writing about your trip. You are a brave person to let the snake sit on you. I wouldn’t do that. Keep up the good work.
Jim
Fort Gratiot, MI
Natalie,
I’m so proud of you. You’ve grown to become such an amazing writer this year. I’m glad you were able to write a post to share with everyone just how wonderful you are!
That sounds like an amazing trip. When I lived in Georgia, I used to see alligators when I would go play golf. If my ball was close to the water, I’d usually just leave it! It’s great that you were able to be on a train and take a tour around the swamp. That sounds like so much fun.
Keep working hard next year in 5th grade!
Your teacher,
Mr. Avery
Natalie,
Excellent job on this post. I found it very imformative and very well written. Mr. Avery told me that you were the top commenter this year in your class. That is awesome! Keep up the good work!
Mr. Veneto