Tyler Hunt

My first hosteling experience was in Boston on my seventh-grade class trip with The Geneva School. The trip was one of the most memorable of my life, and a large part of those memories were of the good times spent at the hostel. So, when Kim first mentioned that we were going to be spending Memorial Day weekend at a hostel in the Everglades, my ears perked up pretty quick. There aren’t too many people willing to put up in low-cost dorm-style housing, and share the facilities with a wide range of other travelers. They tend to be havens for hippies, and draw all sorts of interesting characters.

The Everglades International Hostel has lived up to every expectation, and exceeded some. From the sign at the front desk that magically appeared as the office door was shut, to the big screen TV in the side room of the Kitchen House, this hostel has proved to be about as quirky as should be expected. The nicest feature of the place is the large courtyard in the back, which is an amusement park in itself, with its outdoor bed, seahorse water garden, and cushion-filled screen rotunda with rooftop patio. The kitchen is well stocked, and the communal fridge offers plenty for those with adventurous appetites. The Everglades Hostel is an authentic remnant of South Florida architecture and culture, open to those with even the smallest of budgets, or a willingness to pitch a tent in the back.