My wife and I did the full day adventure with Garl. There was a nice family of 4 with us as well. We started in Key Largo and rode with Garl to the Everglades (recommended so that you can pick his brain of nature knowledge). The first stop is Robert Is Here, a cool fruit stand with exotic fruits and milkshakes. Stock up! Garl took us on short hikes to alligator water holes and cypress domes. Our trip was during a drought, so water levels were extremely low. The highlight of the trip was kayaking in Nine Mile Pond. We kayaked very close to at least 30 alligators! Have no fear; the gators eat fish, not people. We watched a gator eat a snook as he played with it on the shore. We saw many birds up close including black vultures, egrets, anhinga, wood storks, herons, ibis, and spoonbills. Bring your binoculars!
Then we drove down to Flamingo and saw a crocodile and osprey. The winds were too high (21 mph) and from the east, so we couldn't kayak the ocean. Too bad, because Garl said he has seen sharks, dolphins, and manatees there.
Garl felt bad about the high winds; so on the way back to Key Largo, he asked us if we wanted to kayak at night. We headed out (with Garl's dog River) and had a wine toast on our kayaks at sunset. Then we kayaked to a small island in the dark with flashlights and saw horseshoe crabs, arrow crabs, scallops, sponges, and other fish, as well as a bird rookery.
If you have any interest in nature and adventure, do this trip! You will love it! Garl is a great guy. Bring a camera, binoculars, sun block, deet, and clothes that can get dirty or wet. The mosquitoes were pretty bad; so long sleeve clothes may help. Also, if possible, plan your trip when winds are low, so that you can kayak more, further and faster. Most of all, enjoy your day with Garl!!!