The Great American Road Trip ChallengeOne trip, ~2.5 years, 48 states
Day282

Day 282 — Shark Valley & an airboatEverglades National Park

Full day5h 45m planned

Alligators from the tower and the swamp by airboat.

  1. 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM· 3h

    Shark Valley tram & towerNational Parks & ForestsAnchor

    Bike or ride the tram on the 15-mile loop past gators to the observation tower over the sawgrass.

    Bring: sun protection · bug spray

    36000 SW 8th St, Miami, FL
  2. 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM· 1h 30m

    Everglades airboat tourGuided ToursAnchor

    A classic fan-boat blast through the grass with a naturalist.

    US-41, Ochopee, FL
  3. 4:00 PM – 5:15 PM· 1h 15m

    The Skunk Ape HQ & the smallest post office in AmericaQuirky Americana & Roadside OdditiesBonus

    Ochopee, population a few dozen, has both. The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters has been hunting Florida's swamp bigfoot since the 1970s and sells the T-shirt; a mile down the road the United States Post Office operates out of a 7-by-8-foot irrigation shed, the smallest in the country, and it will postmark anything you hand it.

    40904 Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee, FL

What the colours mean

On this day

  • National Parks & Forests1
  • Guided Tours1
  • Quirky Americana & Roadside Oddities1

And how much each one matters

  • AnchorAlways do — the reason this stop is on the map
  • Worth itDo most of these
  • BonusQuirky bonus, if it's happening while you're here