A stretch from Fort Lauderdale's beaches, but worth the hour-plus drive, is the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation and its two very different attractions. At the Billie Swamp Safari, experience the majesty of the Everglades firsthand. Daily tours of the wetlands and hammocks, where wildlife abounds, yield sightings of deer, water buffalo, bison, wild hogs, hawks, eagles, alligators, and occasionally the rare Florida panther. Animal and reptile shows are entertaining. Ecoheritage tours are conducted aboard motorized swamp buggies, and airboat rides are available, too. On the property is Swamp Water Café, serving gator nuggets, frogs' legs, catfish, and Indian fry bread with honey, along with burgers and more. 19 mi north of I-75 Exit 49. 863/983-6101 or 800/949-6101. www.seminoletribe.com. Seminole Village reservation, free; combined ecotour, reptile or critter show, and airboat ride, $43. Daily 8-5.

Not far from the Billie Swamp Safari is the Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum, whose name means "a place to learn, a place to remember." It is just that. The museum documents and honors the culture and tradition of the Seminole Tribe of Florida through artifacts, exhibits, and reenactments of rituals and ceremonies. The site includes a living-history Seminole village, nature trails, and a boardwalk through a cypress swamp. 17 mi north of I-75 Exit 49. 863/902-1113. www.seminoletribe.com. $6. Tues.-Sun. 9-5.