Ever do something so great you can't wait to encourage all your friends and family to do the same? This tour was like that. During a day with Garl we saw manatees, crocodiles, bald eagles, flamingoes, snakes, owls, roseate spoonbills, air plants and orchids. Mostly, I will remember my shock at after parking on the side of the road with nothing but tall grass and a thicket of trees in the distance, and after trudging in water we reached the trees and then inside of them.... how unexpectedly, breathtakingly beautiful. It is a fantastic and cool 'other world' inside the cypress domes. I've been to the Everglades before and never seen anything like this. I highly recommend this tour. It is unique.
Garl, who is lucky to make his living doing something he is so passionate about, met us at 11 a.m. and drove us to the Everglades. We were given environment suits to change into: pants and tops with netted hoods to keep the bugs away. The tops have see-through mesh on the sides, so I would advise women to bring a lightweight tank top for modesty's sake. I also recommend water shoes. After our two walks, we drove to Snake Bight where we kayaked until after dark under a full moon. My friends who have seen my pictures of the day have said it looks too rough for them. I never felt unsafe, although having a knowledgeable guide who assures you a snake isn't poisonous helps. I didn't suffer a single scratch or even a mosquito bite (although I kept my net up whenever they came near. Perfectly safe (Garl leads children's tours). He also might be harder to book because National Geographic just signed him on for a three year guiding deal for a film they are making. The trip is also less roughing it then I expected. I thought once we left the car, we'd be out all day, but although you are taken well off the beaten path, the trips include stops at bathrooms and chances to change into dry clothes. Garl even gives you a new environment suit for the kayaking.