Need Everglades Advice
 

We will be arriving around 6:00 pm at MIA in a few weeks and have to be in Marco Island for dinner the following night. It seems to me that the most logical way to have time in the Everglades would be to take the Tamiami Trail to the Shark Valley entrance. I need suggestions/advice as to where to stay and get a reasonably good dinner upon arriving at MIA. If we went straight to RT41 are there accommodations along the way or should we just stay near the airport and go first thing in the morning?

Give us a little more info...

Are you renting a car for the drive to and from Marco Island?
What day will you be arriving?
Do you prefer one hotel group over another?
What is your definition of a good dinner...local, sit down, pricey, cheap?

Arriving on a Thursday night and renting a car (all day Friday in the Everglades and ending at Marco Island. A "good" dinner depends on the quality of the food, but I am not opposed to $20+ entrees.

Hotels:
West of the airport in Doral (large golf resort) there are many hotels to choose from. The intercontinental west miami is a good choice.
Just south of the airport is an area called "Blue Lagoon" and the Sofitel or Hampton Inn are good choices.
Both of these areas are on the side of town that makes it easy to head west on US41 on Friday morning.

Food:
Lots of choices, I tend to recommend Cuban cuisine when people ask about where to eat in S. Florida.
Versialles is a sit down place that has a lot of history.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/versailles-restaurant-miami
La Carretta is another that I always visit when in Miami. There are multiple locations and there is one on Calle Ocho (SW8th St./US 41) South of the airport and one near International Mall West of the Airport.
http://lacarreta.com/
Both have good traditional Cuban food at a fair price.

When you leave Friday morning you will head to US 41 westbound towards Naples and once you get past the suburbs (west of the Florida Turnpike Extension) you should reach Shark valley in around 45 minutes. On the way to Shark Valley you will pass the Miccosukee Casino and a few airboat tour operators.
Shark valley is great...you can rent bikes to ride the loop to and from the obeservation tower or you can take the tour tram. both are fun options.
http://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/
From shark valley it will be another hour to Marco.

This should be a good start....

Your hotel stay is dependent on the time you arrive at MIA. You might want to stay at a hotel near the airport if your are arriving after 8 pm. Your dining choices would be limited. I respectfully disagree about the Doral hotel area. If you are not staying near the airport consider travelling south a few miles to Coral Gables. There is a Westin, Hyatt and the Biltmore hotel among others. They are more comfortable. A bit pricier too. The Gables also has better restaurants.

If you must try Cuban food I suggest Villa Habana on Coral Way and S.W. 34th Street. It is smaller, quieter and just as good as La Carreta or Versailles. Have a nice trip. The weather is great for visiting Shark Valley.

+1

Coral Gables is a solid choice.

Someone else recently recommended villa habana (miracle mile) to me. I will definitely try it out next time I am in the area.

Villa Habana has been there for more than 20 years. It is solid. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family and I. The camarones con ajo and the pechuga de pollo a la plancha are top notch.

I'm planning a day trip from Fort Lauderdale out to the Everglades on a Saturday to do some sight-seeing. My current plan is to use the Tamiami Trail/US41 and stop at whatever looks interesting (I see Shark Valley mentioned a lot so will certainly give that consideration). I plan to leave Fort Lauderdale by around 10 a.m. and I'd like to be back by around 5 p.m.

Here's some questions:

• Where would be a good place to stop for lunch?
• How far west should I go before turning back? Would a loop of US41 to SR29 to I-75 be worth doing?

Thanks!

Here are a few (and there are many) options......

1) Quickest option from FLL (~2.5hrs round-trip driving time):
Take I75 to Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation.
http://www.swampsafari.com/

2) Longer option from FLL (~3-3.5hrs round-trip driving time):
Take US41 to Shark Valley and make a stop to take an airboat tour along the way @ Coopertown.
http://www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/
http://coopertownairboats.com/

3) Longest option from FLL (~4-4.5 hours round-trip driving time):
Make a loop by taking US41 to SR29 to I75 and back to FLL, as you have suggested. On the way you could do Shark Valley, Coopertown, Big Cypress Oasis Vistor Center, Clyde Butcher's gallery(photography), and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.
http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisi...torcenters.htm
http://clydebutcher.com/clyde-butcher-galleries.cfm
http://www.floridastateparks.org/fak...nd/default.cfm

Other thoughts:
Full up with a full tank of gas and bring a camera.
There are many food options, mostly snacky/light meals at the stops along the way. You could also pack a lunch and enjoy it at the many picnic table/areas that are available in this part of Florida.

I like those two recommendations. Cooper Town for the airboat ride and the tram tour is nice as wel.

I think we are going to go with Option #2 as well. I called and have reservations for the 2 p.m. tram at Shark Valley and we'll see if we can't get on an earlier one if logistics allow.

I think I'd like to stop somewhere like a Whole Foods and get some lunch items before we get on US41. Can anyone recommed a nice market somewhere near the US41 and Turnpike interchange?

There is a Whole Foods in Plantation (West of FLL), north of US 595 just off University Dr and Peters Rd intersection. The other WF choice is north of Downtown FLL on N. Federal Highway. One of these should be close enough for your purposes.

There are also a number of places to stop once you get onto US 41 and begin to head West into the Everglades. Regular supermarkets like Publix and even a few local/hispanic/island ones (Extra Supermarket) with unique items. Both examples are on the south side of US 41.

Thanks for the advice; we're very much looking forward to our trip this weekend!

You are welcome.
Please do not feed the local wildlife........ in the Everglades, you are food to the local wildlife.:p
Have a great trip.

Alligators All Around!
 

Wel left FLL around 11:30, stopping at the Whole Foods for lunch items (drinks, sandwiches, and snacks - I brought a small soft-sided cooler with me) and then topping off the gas tank at the Sam's Club near MIA before heading off for Shark Valley. We arrived around 1 p.m. and waited about 10 minutes to enter the parking lot. My mom has a National Parks Pass so we didn't have to pay the entrance fee. We took the 2 p.m. tram (our reservations were certainly needed) and really enjoyed the experience. We saw an amazing amount of alligators and also numerous blue herrons, egrets, storks, and other birds along the way. A park ranger narrated the tour, which was very informative.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphot..._3858034_n.jpg