We had a free day in Florida if we wanted it. I realized if we headed south after leaving the Tampa Area we could potentially go to the Everglades before heading to Port St. Lucie. It was a bit out of the way but we had the National Park Pass yet and the hubby agreed.
Everglades National Park is huge. It has three entrances and you can't go from each entrance to the other without leaving the park. I didn't think it was really possible to go to the Everglades until I discovered that the Northernmost Visitor Center, Shark Valley would be feasible. Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead is the main visitor center.
We had several options of things to do in the Shark Valley Area. We could bike/walk the 15 mile loop at Shark Valley (um.. no), take a tram ride in Shark Valley, or do an airboat ride. The hubby was like we are not going to be cheap are we? The airboat was more than the tram hence the cheap comment. I was surprised he wanted to do an airboat ride.
Once we decided on an airboat ride, we had to decide on a company. There are many different companies to choose from depending on where you are. However, there are only 3 companies that are authorized by the National Park Service -- all in Shark Valley. Cooperstown, Gator Park, and Everglades Safari Park. They all are within a couple miles of each other on US 41. After reviewing the websites, I decided Everglades Safari Park was the most bang for the buck. If you just want a airboat ride, I would suggest Cooperstown.
Included in our admission ($34/adult plus $5/adult NPS fee if you don't have a pass), was a 40 minute airboat ride, an alligator show, a nature trail/observation deck, and a small animal enclosure.
Honestly it was very unorganized. We waited a good 30-45 minutes before we could even go on the trail. The trail is not long but it was a nice walk. Most people skipped the animal enclosures. Then we waited another at least another 10-15 minutes for a 5-10 minute animal show. The show was a very good. For those that are afraid of alligator tricks, they just talked about alligators and feed them some treats to be able to handle them. He also showed us a snake. For $5, you could get your picture taken next to a baby gator. It wasn't even a good shot.
Finally, we could get on the airboat ride. The wait was worth it. I just wish it was a bit more organized. It might have been because it was a Wednesday afternoon in not quite peak spring break season but I was getting antsy. Good thing I planned on us being here for several hours.
The airboat ride was amazing. As we glided over 6 inches of water, we saw several gators, an osprey, and many dragonflies. It was load but no louder than a regular boat engine but we were in the front of the boat. They do give you earplugs. Our guide would slow down whenever he saw an alligator. It was a great ride. The weather held out.
I would HIGHLY recommend seeing the Everglades. There is so much you can do from hiking, biking, and airboat rides. You can kayak or do other boat tours. A lot of what is available depends on where you are in the Everglades. It is the largest sub-tropical wilderness in the US and is worth checking out. I would suggest going in the dry season so it's not so buggy.
No comments:
Post a Comment