*Caution, affiliate links ahead…Don’t worry, I’ll use the money for something practical, like wine…. or a pony!
I had no clue what to expect when we pulled up to Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, Stephanie (my partner in crime that weekend) and I had never been on an airboat ride, considering that we are both in Florida several times a year this is actually quite shocking.
We had been battling rain since we arrived in Florida the night before, not just a few showers here and there, but continuous, torrential downpours. We weren’t even sure that we would be able to go for a ride. Apparently it was meant to be because there was a small break in the clouds that afternoon and we hauled our cookies to Boggy Creek so we could see what all the airboat fuss was about.
We were told as we were boarding that right after the rain is the perfect time to ride because the gators come out in droves after the rain. Um, not sure if I should be excited or terrified at that thought, I went with excited and hoped the gators kept a respectful distance.
Our airboat captain was Andy, and he was a cross between, Larry the cable guy and my uncle Randy. Southern, snarky and hilarious, I’m not sure that the ride would have been as fun without his southern wit accompanying us along the way.
Before we even got out of the dock area we saw a Bald Eagle perched on a post, I had no idea that Florida had the second largest population of Bald Eagles in the country, right after Alaska. I had never seen one up close……wow, just wow.
After we all appropriately oooooed and awwwwed over the eagle we took off, speeding across the water, Stephanie described it like the opening of an IMAX nature movie. We skimmed across the water and took in the breathtaking landscape. Andy would stop when he saw a gator or something interesting for us to see.
We saw this little guy just hanging out on a small patch of grass in the middle of the water.
We were out in the water for about 30 minutes stopping here and there to admire trees, birds and other wildlife.
On our way back we saw several gators swimming near us, it was a little nerve wracking to think of how many there might have been there that we couldn’t see, especially after Andy pointed out that gators can jump 3 feet in the air and could potentially jump in the boat….thanks for putting that in my head, Andy.
I was grateful that the weather cooperated so that we could go on this fun adventure, fortunately we timed our visit perfectly as the clouds opened up and started dumping rain again as soon as we got back in our car.
We had such a fun time and both us agreed that we will be taking our families back to Boggy Creek Airboat rides next time we are in Kissimmee.
Make sure to check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest in airboating fun!
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