Birds. Alligators. Turtles. No fences!
Written: Sep 01 '01
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Scenery: |
 |
|
| Crowds: |
 |
|
| Time needed for visit: |
|
|
|
Pros: Underdeveloped. You *will* see wildlife
Cons: Underdeveloped, not very "casual tourist"-friendly
The Bottom Line: A must-see if you are a wildlife photographer.
|
|
|
| rasiel's Full Review: Everglades National Park |
As far as National Parks go, at least for the U.S., this park has little in the way of Disney-esque shows and bells and whistles. The visitor's center and a smattering of other bare-bones facilities make up the man-made welcoming attractions.
Of course, if that's your idea of a wildlife park then your destination *should* be Disney (which is only 4 or 5 hours north by car).
What this park does offer is plenty of wildlife. On your way in, as a matter of fact, you may even see turtles, squirrels, birds and other small animals with much more frequency than you would elsewhere. Unless you don't care about contributing to the day's toll of roadkill this is a good reason why you should slow down nearing the entrance.
The starring attraction are the alligators and even the occasional crocodiles (which I was fortunate enough to glimpse). There are elevated trails from where they can be viewed. There are so many that you might forget this is no zoo where they've been artificially crowded in and in this sense the experience is that much more impressive.
Various boat tours operate within the park and are the least taxing and most leisurely way of seeing its many watery nooks and crannies. Of course, what you receive in convenience you pay for in terms of really great wildlife encounters - don't expect friendly alligators and manatees to swim up to the boat for a family snapshot and to be pet.
Take the more strenuous approach by walking the trails and it's easy to forget you're in the world's most developed industrialized nation. Again, only a zoo can properly rival the variety of different animals. Also, I never felt in danger of the many alligators roaming around. I can't tell whether it's because they're well-fed, don't like the taste of tourists or are just too jaded.
Do expect to see plenty of photographers with long zooms. Expect insect nuisance. Expect heat regardless of what time of the year you go. And by all means expect to walk and walk - this is no drive-by park!
Ras
rasiel@rasiel.com
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: Anytime
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
rasiel
|
|
Location: Minneapolis, MN USA
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.