Florida question - Traveling North on 75 from Miami

[Renthead Mommy]

is there anything to see/do at Big Cypress National preserve or Miccosukee Indian reservation? We are taking a cruise out of Miami. When we are done we are heading to my grandparents in Port Charlotte, so heading up 75 north. Is it worth planning any stops in there? I don't want an all day thing, just something to break up a 3-4 hour car ride after a tiring week on a cruise ship. Also, is that "Alligator Allie"? or is highway 41 further south considered Alligator Allie? Would that route be more interesting to see? I know it would be slower, but I'm okay with that if it's worth the trip.

[Renthead Mommy]

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[Ibbygirl]

Oh yes there is a nice museum at the Miccosukee reservation. They have an Indian village where you can see how they cook and make baskets and jewelry, they have alligator wrestling and air boat rides and the museum is really nice. They have all types of artifacts and clothing from the Miccosukee tribe. Everglades national park is also there.

http://www.miccosukee.com/indian_village.htm

 

http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm

[creekland]

is there anything to see/do at Big Cypress National preserve or Miccosukee Indian reservation? We are taking a cruise out of Miami. When we are done we are heading to my grandparents in Port Charlotte, so heading up 75 north. Is it worth planning any stops in there? I don't want an all day thing, just something to break up a 3-4 hour car ride after a tiring week on a cruise ship. Also, is that "Alligator Allie"? or is highway 41 further south considered Alligator Allie? Would that route be more interesting to see? I know it would be slower, but I'm okay with that if it's worth the trip.

 

If you want to stop and see things, you have to take highway 41, not I 75. 41 is the Tamiami Trail. 75 is Alligator Alley. Big Cypress has their welcome center off 41 (yes, worth a quick stop - see the gators and big fish and look around in the Visitor's Center).

 

http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/directions.htm

 

There are also several outfits offering Airboat tours of the Everglades all along the eastern side of the trail (mostly, if not all, before Big Cypress). None of them go into Everglades NP as airboats aren't allowed there, but they are still in the larger Everglades ecosystem. On the western side of the trail you get the western entrance to the NP. That's ok for a quick stop too, but it's not as nice as the eastern side of the NP. In the middle is a road to an observation tower. Personally, that's skippable...

 

As you drive along the road you often see gators and birds of all sorts. It can be scenic in that aspect, but in reality, the scenery doesn't change much. When I was young we saw a black panther once, but that's so, so rare... In any case, we still prefer 41 to 75...

[mchel210]

Wow...I havent taken 41 in soooo long and I have never been to the Indian Village there. What else do you expect from a lifelong Florida resident? LOl...my sister came to visit and did stop there...she said it was fun.

 

I usually take I75 across (alligator alley) is just a long boring road...well...so is then entire state of Florida. 6 hours of the same scenery. North Florida is pretty nice.

 

Another choice is taking I75 but stopping at HOliday Park or Billy's Swamp Safari for an airboat ride without stopping at the Indian reservation. I believe both can be found online. My kids have done Billy's Swamp Safari and it isnt too far from 75. They loved it.

[chiguirre]

Last winter break we went to Billy's Swamp Safari. The entrance is close to the Miccosukee museum. It was well worth the drive from Ft. Lauderdale and the kids really enjoyed it. We didn't go to the museum because it was just an afternoon trip for us.