OUTDOORS & NATURE AIRBOAT HAIR, DON’T CARE From the moment your airboat sets off over the wetlands—that buzz! that zip!—you’ll get why a tour here, at the headwaters of the Everglades, is special. Oak canopies, swaying curtains of Spanish moss, cattle ranches, and deer are just a few of the things you’ll see while cruising through this unique ecosystem. Kissimmee’s rivers and lakes aren’t just the point of origin for the Everglades. coyotes, herons, and bald eagles are likely to make an appearance as you jet across the waterways. And the vegetation goes far beyond sawgrass; in these parts you’ll encounter forests of oak and cypress alongside the marshes and swamps. natural habitat. Count on a trip that combines high-speed exhilaration with slow-moving exploration—guides know exactly where to find everything from gators to whooping cranes, sometimes in the coziest of corners. Where You’ll See It This is where the Everglades begins, formed thousands of years ago when water from the Kissimmee River ran south into Lake Okeechobee, touching off the variegated system of wetlands we know today. Area airboats transport you back to the past by exploring places like Shingle Creek where you’ll find yourself immersed in an unspoiled native landscape and learn about the Seminole Indians who once lived here. Early morning and night tours let you catch the wildlife at all hours in its Who Can Take You Getting in on the visceral thrill of an airboat tour here is easy and the various operators provide distinctive experiences. Kissimmee Swamp Tours gives riders headsets with microphones, so you can ask about anything you see and learn from your captain. Want a longer trip? Marsh Landing Adventures offers a four-hour tour deep into the subtropical wilderness. And with Wild Florida , you can follow your airboat ride with a ranch buggy tour on land or explore the destination’s gator and wildlife park. What You’ll See An airboat tour here is like a safari on the water, with a bio-diverse scene that delivers a rich experience you can’t get anywhere else. Launch at the headwaters and you’ll see your fair share of alligators, sure, but also so much more. Because of the area’s cooler temperatures and diverse geography, wild turkeys, cattle, hogs, AT BOGGY CREEK AIRBOAT RIDES “YOU DRIVE THE BOAT” EXPERIENCE Your heart starts to race the minute you step onto Alexander Graham Bell’s nifty invention: a boat with a gas engine that produces hurricane-force winds. Prepare for a deeply immersive experience—and the thrill of a lifetime—in today’s modern adaptation by piloting a Boggy Creek airboat around the edges of Lake Tohopekaliga, whose waters feed the Everglades to the south. Before you jet off, at speeds reaching 45 mph, your Boggy Creek airboat captain briefs you on the basics of how to drive the airboat: shift forward to go faster; there’s no reverse or brakes. Then off you fly, hair whipping back as you whizz and weave through a crazy quilt of marshy waterways, grassy swamps, and stands of trees. Through headphones, the captain narrates the wildlife highlights: great blue herons, egrets, pelicans, ibis, red-winged blackbirds. Keep your own laser-sharp eyes peeled for owls and bald eagles perched high in the Spanish-moss-draped oak trees—and of course, other airboats! This 360-degree primeval panorama takes you back in time hundreds of years, especially when your captain takes over the controls and inches you toward something partially submerged in the water: a gator, whose silent stoniness is a reminder of his ancientness. During your magical hour, you’ll probably spot several more. You might forget the names of the birds you saw, but you’ll never forget the thrill of making eye contact with such an astonishing creature just a few feet away. Read more about airboating here: ExperienceKissimmee.com/airboats ExperienceKissimmee.com 67
Experience Kissimmee 2018 Kissimmee Destination Guide: Page 67
