As we were driving along the Tamiami Trail (90/41) at the Northern edge of the Everglades National P

As we were driving philadelphia airport car rental along the Tamiami Trail (90/41) at the Northern edge of the Everglades National Park, signs advertising air boat tours appeared every few minutes. Guarantees were given on the amount of excitement one will have, the wildlife they would see and the fun. We resisted all of these as we had already planned on taking part in the Everglades National Park Boat Tour which departs from Everglades City and visits the Ten Thousand Islands area. Clear signs along the roads meant that we found our destination without problems. It was a weekday around noon and Everglades City was quite deserted. A bit spooky. After a quick bite at the solid JT's Island Grill & Gallery we parked at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center and proceeded to inquire about departure philadelphia airport car rental times. Rate and Review : Everglades National Park Boat Tour from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City, Florida
The boat departed every half hour or so from a nearby dock. We just missed one departure and then took some time to explore the Visitor Center. We learned philadelphia airport car rental about the Everglades, the flora, fauna, human impact, preservation and the like. A nice display indeed. Tickets were around thirty dollars for a tour of just under two hours. The weather cooperated with us. It was not too hot. A light breeze helped to keep us cool. We did not notice too many people here either, though by the time the boat was ready to go it filled up completely. The entire experience is fully narrated by national park trained naturalist who is also the boat captain. They had to follow a strict navigation path to evade the underwater sand dunes and not harm the animal life. The initial part of the boat ride was slow as that\'s what the rules are. This was also the manatee area. We kept our eyes open, looked and searched but did not encounter any manatees. Too bad. They are not guaranteed on this tour and are seen usually every few days. After the initial ten minutes, the boat sped up towards the Ten Thousand Islands maze of mangrove islands. It was a spectacular philadelphia airport car rental sight with literally thousands of mangrove islands all around. We were led between them, as our guide pointed out the important geographic features. We noted some beautiful sand beaches and natural bays. In several spots one can even camp on raised platforms inside the mangroves which is super cool. A multitude of birds flew around us or just rested on branches of the trees. We spotted several dolphins, then went after them. They soon joined in the game and followed the boat for a while. I have seen dolphins in the wild many times but it still excites me to no end. We passed by several small fishing boats. One couple caught a very large fish and was showing it off as we passed by. Once near the outer edge of the Thousand Islands the boat turned around and leisurely headed back. The two hour tour was simply awesome. Very easy going, no hassle, relaxing, philadelphia airport car rental safe for any age, beautiful nature and interesting sights kind of excursion. We even learned something. The naturalist guide provided many one liners, perhaps one too many. It was cute though, trying to keep us entertained. We took numerous philadelphia airport car rental photographs philadelphia airport car rental and remember this tour most fondly. Definitely a recommended activity in the Everglades. philadelphia airport car rental Everglades National Park Boat Tours 815 Copeland Ave., State Road 29 Everglades City, FL 34139 239-695-2591 866-NATPARK The Gulf Coast Visitor Center 5 miles South of Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) State Road 29, Everglades City, Florida 239-695-3311