Airboats & Trail-blazing
Completed in 1928 and the product of 2,598,000 sticks of dynamite, the Tamiami Trail cuts across the state of Florida and through what’s left of the majestic Everglades wilderness. This quirky old highway is the road that takes you from Miami to Naples if you’re not in a hurry. If you are in a hurry, then you take Alligator Alley, the superhighway which has plenty of rest stops but not a lot of character.
The Tamiami Trail, on the other hand, has character to spare. Buzzing along this two-lane highway, you’ll encounter Miccosukee Indian shops peddling moccasins and jewelry; restaurants that serve frog legs and alligator tidbits; wildlife and gator wrestling shows; and lots and lots of airboat ride attractions.
My cousin married a guy who’d lived his whole life in Rome but had never visited the Vatican. If you’ve been in Miami for, say, more than 10 years and never gone for an airboat ride, I’d lump you in the same category with my cousin’s husband (who nobody likes anymore because he cheated on her). This is not to confuse airboat rides with religion, infidelity or great art, but simply to point out that if there is something in your own backyard that people travel far and wide to experience, then maybe it’s time for you to join the crowd.
My friend Silvia recently joined the airboat crowd. We chatted about her experience over coffee this morning:
GMCVBlogger: So, where did you take this airboat ride?
Silvia: Somewhere along the Tamiami Trail. Not very far from Miami.
GMCVBlogger: Was it Coopertown?
Silvia: No. I forget. Let me look it up on the Internet. Oh … wait … here it is. Gator Park Airboat Tours. That’s where we went.
GMCVBlogger: Oh. Looks pretty authentic. Was it really loud?
Silvia: Unbelievably loud. They give you earplugs before the boat takes off. The first thing the driver did was call for some birds.
GMCVBlogger: From the boat?
Silvia: Yeah. He called for these birds and they came flying right to the boat. Of course, he had food for them. The he hollered for his gator friend, Lily.
GMCVBlogger: Don’t tell me he had food for her, too?
Silvia: Nope. Lily just kind of glared at the people on the boat from the swamp bank and then swam huffily away.
GMCVBlogger: So then you went for the ride?
Silvia: Yeah, you had to go really slow at first, but then he took us out into open water and we went fast.
GMCVBlogger: Did you love it?
Silvia: Yeah. It was really cool. The feeling of flying over the water and through the sawgrass is a total blast. We rode around for about 20 minutes. Then, back at the main building, we saw a wild animal show and the guy made me kiss a bag with a frog in it. He told me it would turn into a prince.
GMCVBlogger: Gross. Did you really do that?
Silvia: Yes.
GMCVBlogger: Did you have lunch there?
Silvia: No, we went to Miccosukee Bingo for the steak and lobster special.
GMCVBlogger: What’s that all about?
Silvia: Oh – it’s this great deal everybody knows about. You get a steak-and-lobster dinner for only $6.95 and the restaurant is open 24 hours.
GMCVBlogger: Wow. That’s a bargain. I can’t believe I’m just finding out about this…
Silvia: Yeah, you should definitely try it sometime.
So, dear blog readers, now you have a first-hand account of an Everglades airboat ride. Airboat rides are cool, but not knowing about a steak-and-lobster special in my own backyard puts me in the same category as my cousin’s husband. So here’s my final bit of advice: when in Rome, go see the Vatican; when in Miami, go for an airboat ride – and don’t forget about the steak-and lobster-special at Miccosukee Resort.
AIRBOAT RIDES
Coopertown Airboat Rides and Restaurant
22700 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33194
Phone: 305/226-6048
http://www.coopertownairboats.com/
Everglades Alligator Farm
26700 Tamiami Trail
Miami, FL 33144
Phone: 305/226-6923
www.everglades.com
Everglades Safari Park
26700 Tamiami Trail
Miami, FL 33144
Phone: 305/226-6923
http://www.evsafaripark.com/
Gator Park Airboat Tours
24050 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33187
Phone: 305/559-2255
www.gatorpark.com
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Miccosukee Resort
500 SW 177th Ave.
Miami, FL 33194
Phone: 305/925-2555
www.miccosukee.com
The Tamiami Trail, on the other hand, has character to spare. Buzzing along this two-lane highway, you’ll encounter Miccosukee Indian shops peddling moccasins and jewelry; restaurants that serve frog legs and alligator tidbits; wildlife and gator wrestling shows; and lots and lots of airboat ride attractions.
My cousin married a guy who’d lived his whole life in Rome but had never visited the Vatican. If you’ve been in Miami for, say, more than 10 years and never gone for an airboat ride, I’d lump you in the same category with my cousin’s husband (who nobody likes anymore because he cheated on her). This is not to confuse airboat rides with religion, infidelity or great art, but simply to point out that if there is something in your own backyard that people travel far and wide to experience, then maybe it’s time for you to join the crowd.
My friend Silvia recently joined the airboat crowd. We chatted about her experience over coffee this morning:
GMCVBlogger: So, where did you take this airboat ride?
Silvia: Somewhere along the Tamiami Trail. Not very far from Miami.
GMCVBlogger: Was it Coopertown?
Silvia: No. I forget. Let me look it up on the Internet. Oh … wait … here it is. Gator Park Airboat Tours. That’s where we went.
GMCVBlogger: Oh. Looks pretty authentic. Was it really loud?
Silvia: Unbelievably loud. They give you earplugs before the boat takes off. The first thing the driver did was call for some birds.
GMCVBlogger: From the boat?
Silvia: Yeah. He called for these birds and they came flying right to the boat. Of course, he had food for them. The he hollered for his gator friend, Lily.
GMCVBlogger: Don’t tell me he had food for her, too?
Silvia: Nope. Lily just kind of glared at the people on the boat from the swamp bank and then swam huffily away.
GMCVBlogger: So then you went for the ride?
Silvia: Yeah, you had to go really slow at first, but then he took us out into open water and we went fast.
GMCVBlogger: Did you love it?
Silvia: Yeah. It was really cool. The feeling of flying over the water and through the sawgrass is a total blast. We rode around for about 20 minutes. Then, back at the main building, we saw a wild animal show and the guy made me kiss a bag with a frog in it. He told me it would turn into a prince.
GMCVBlogger: Gross. Did you really do that?
Silvia: Yes.
GMCVBlogger: Did you have lunch there?
Silvia: No, we went to Miccosukee Bingo for the steak and lobster special.
GMCVBlogger: What’s that all about?
Silvia: Oh – it’s this great deal everybody knows about. You get a steak-and-lobster dinner for only $6.95 and the restaurant is open 24 hours.
GMCVBlogger: Wow. That’s a bargain. I can’t believe I’m just finding out about this…
Silvia: Yeah, you should definitely try it sometime.
So, dear blog readers, now you have a first-hand account of an Everglades airboat ride. Airboat rides are cool, but not knowing about a steak-and-lobster special in my own backyard puts me in the same category as my cousin’s husband. So here’s my final bit of advice: when in Rome, go see the Vatican; when in Miami, go for an airboat ride – and don’t forget about the steak-and lobster-special at Miccosukee Resort.
AIRBOAT RIDES
Coopertown Airboat Rides and Restaurant
22700 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33194
Phone: 305/226-6048
http://www.coopertownairboats.com/
Everglades Alligator Farm
26700 Tamiami Trail
Miami, FL 33144
Phone: 305/226-6923
www.everglades.com
Everglades Safari Park
26700 Tamiami Trail
Miami, FL 33144
Phone: 305/226-6923
http://www.evsafaripark.com/
Gator Park Airboat Tours
24050 SW 8th St.
Miami, FL 33187
Phone: 305/559-2255
www.gatorpark.com
OTHER ATTRACTIONS
Miccosukee Resort
500 SW 177th Ave.
Miami, FL 33194
Phone: 305/925-2555
www.miccosukee.com
posted by Carolyn Keating at
7:41 AM
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