everglades
 

My family is traveling to Fort Lauderdale for vacation in early Nov. My kids want to go on an airboat trip in the Everglades. Is this doable from Eastern Florida as a day trip? If so, any suggestions for tour operators?

very doable indeed, except airboat rides are not allowed in the everglades national park itself but you have a couple of options just outside the park - one option is to drive down past miami and either take the road that takes you towards the keys (to i believe the town is called Homestead )where there's an Alligator Farm and they include airboat rides as a part of the admission (www.alligatorfarm.cc/index.html) - we did this but i admit the airboat held 16 people so it felt crowded (but still neat) and not as long as i imagined it (u can also ask them about a coupon for $ off admission). HOWEVER, i do remember that on the way to the alligator farm, we saw a sign for another place that did airboat rides, looked smaller, and the house looked a bit run down so i bet that option may have been more authentic so i'd inquire if you see it. <BR>OR, there's option two ... there's a road that cuts acrross the north side of the everglades and there's airboat outfits from that area too but you'd have to look it up on the web as we didn't go that way - you can read about our airboat trip if you do a search on "Florida Keys Trip Report"

Here are some suggestions. All have good recommendations. Check each one & see which you like best. <BR> <BR>http://www.captainsterling.com/ <BR>http://www.evergladesairboattours.com/ <BR>http://www.ecosafari.com/ <BR>

looked on internet and seems there's a lot of airboat tours closer to ft. lauderdale then the one we went to (alligator farm) - my only advice is that you find one with the smallest capacity boat and do that, as it will be more personable

From Miami you take Tamiami Trail (St Road 41) west, you'll pass the Micosukee (sp?) gambling center and hotel, shark valley (no sharks, lots of alligators) and you will see plenty of airboat rides...In recent years they've really been busy and fixed up the places. My younger son went on an airboat ride at a birthday party out of gatorpark. Dad went along and they had fun. There probably are airboat rides west of Ft. Laud...maybe check with Holiday Park.

We've done that and it is fun...I can't remember what town it was in though. What I do remember is you will get attacked by "no see ums"--wear bug repellent!!

John? John? Well, at least it rhymes with Ron. You couldn't resist, could you RON! Please comment on what you know--repeat--KNOW, otherwise cease and desist.

U r a very mean person & very disgusting as well. U should try to be more polite & stick to the guidelines of this forum, but u have to work ure way in like an @ss! Go find something else to do or I will make it very hard 4 u! Why don't u let everyone else know ure E-mail address so they can tll u a thing or @!

Ron, you can use my name and email if you like, but you MUST chill, and quit cursing. That's a no no. <BR> <BR>I don't like your lists, no doubt about it, nor do others. Anyone can find and list websites. We are looking for personal recommendations and you have NOT utilized these websites. They could be the best of the best or worst of the worst, but you are clueless to the difference and that leads us astray. <BR> <BR>Worse still are your plagiarized descriptions of hotels, restaurants and B&B's. Plagiarism in every sense. You cut and paste, change 3 words MAYBE, then attributed it to yourself. I've actually found some of "your" articles on online sites, verbatim. Problem is, you didn't write them, a professional travel writer did and trust me, your styles are distinctly different. Now, want to talk about just who is violating rules on this board?? <BR>

You better reread that post & plead your sorryness because their is no profanity or cursing & as usual your trying to make something out of nothing again! If you think I'm doing some copy rights well Miss lets get it on because you will be the 1st to get the boot you ignorant, selfish person. As for the websites, they are their cause of some of the postings that people may need more information on that particluar place then just what oother people recommend! I don't need to reemphasize what other posters recommend you stupid person! You still don't get it! The websites are my recommentions not yours or anyone else. If you don't like my lists or what I recommend then quit reading them & go on about your business! The only thing I read is you, noone else! You have no right in what you are doing & I'm personaaly sending this to Fodors because of you attitude & harassment! If you want to stalk me then lets get it on!

Plain and simple Ron, I've seen the sites you took the info from and it was plaigerized. No question about it. You barely changed a word of it. Do it again and I'LL send it to Fodors myself, leaving you out of the loop and I do have your AOL address to accompany the complaint. <BR> <BR>As for your lists, you have no knowledge of the vendor, good or bad, but you pass them all off as "recommended". That's worse than no info. Post what you personally have experience with but no more. If you insist on posting what you've never experienced, then say so, instead of cutting and pasting an agent's report, claiming it as your own and signing your Ohio-self off as "Keys Man". This dilutes the valid travel info we expect to receive here from people who do travel and experience the sites they write about. <BR> <BR>And yes, I do believe, "ass" might be on Fodors list of inappropriate words.

Send it!