The Everglades
 

Has anyone done the Ray Cramer Airboat Tours in the Everglades? Would like feedback. Also, what about the 2-hour tours offered by Flamingo Outpost Tours? Which will show you the most wildlife? Have any helpful hints?

BE SURE TO BRING YOUR EARPLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND SET YOUR CAMERA ON HIGH-SPEED SO YOU CAN CAPTURE THE ANIMALS AS THEY FLEE IN TERROR FROM YOU AND THE AWFUL BOAT YOU'RE RIDING IN!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoahhhhhhhhh Tandoori Girl LOL! Let's have a Bloody Mary together! :-)
Seriously travelerwife, you can see so much more by walking Anhinga Trail. You will see a zillion alligators and birds, It is only a 1/2 mile trail on a boardwalk and very educational.
If you are really set on a airboat ride, as you drive thru the Everglades on rt 41, you will have dozens to choose from. They are all over the place. But, Tandori Girl has a good point, you will see more wildlife on the trails.

Agree about walking instead, though would also recommend a boat ride through the park service. They usually have great guides, and their boats have far less environmental impact than airboats.

Sorry. I lost it.

Darned things drive me crazy....

We recently took the tram-ride tour through the Everglades from the Shark Valley entrance (off Rte 41.)

We came out from Miami, passing a number of airboat tours. Then, across from the park entrance, there's a nifty restaurant run by the Miccosukee Indians. You can get an airboat ride there, but we had a couple of sandwiches instead. Good fish, incidentally.

Once you go into the park, the tram ride is extra-cost. It's a two-hour, slow-paced trip, with one person driving. The driver, as well as the guide, keeps an eye out for gators, birds, and anything else of interest. They stop when something is spotted, and the guide gives the details, and any background info that might be of interest.

Frankly, I enjoyed it more than I'd thought I would. Pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/bookhall . Look for the Everglades album down towards the bottom.