Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
AIRBOATS & SWAMP BUGGIES
Airboats are flat-bottomed skiffs that use powerful fans to propel themselves through the
water. Their environmental impact has not been determined, but one thing is clear: air-
boats can't be doing much good, which is why they're not allowed in the park. Swamp
buggies are enormous balloon-tired vehicles that can go through wetlands, creating ruts
and damaging wildlife.
Airboat and swamp-buggy rides are offered all along US Hwy 41 (Tamiami Trail). Think
twice before going on a 'nature' tour. Loud whirring fanboats and marsh jeeps really don't
do the quiet serenity of the Glades justice. That said, many tourists in the Everglades are
there (obviously) because of their interest in the environment, and they demand environ-
mentally knowledgeable tours. The airboat guys are pretty good at providing these - their
livelihood is also caught up in the preservation of the Glades, and they know the back
tp://coopertownairboats.com
; 22700 SW 8th St; adult/child $23/11; ), one of the first airboat
operators you encounter heading west on 41. Just expect a more touristy experience than
the National Park grounds.
Big Cypress & Ochopee
The better part of the Tamiami Trail is fronted on either side by long cypress trees over-
hung with moss and endless vistas of soft prairie, flooded in the wet season into a boggy
River of Grass.
Sights & Activities
Big Cypress Gallery
GALLERY
( 941-695-2428;
www.clydebutcher.com
;
Tamiami Trail; swamp walk 1.5hr adult/child $50/35,
45min adult/child $35/25; 10am-5pm; )
The highlight of many Everglades trips, this gallery showcases the work of Clyde Butcher,
an American photographer who follows in the great tradition of Ansel Adams. His large-
format black-and-white images elevate the swamps to a higher level. Butcher has found a
quiet spirituality in the brackish waters and you might, too, with the help of his eyes.
