With two daughters you might expect images of dolls, pedicures, and shopping during vacation, but what about alligators? Recently we took a trip to Coastal Georgia and traveled further into central Florida. Of course Florida offers the sun, lakes, and theme parks, but the main attraction for my girls on this trip- ALLIGATORS! They were on a mission to find and observe them from the moment we began to see side-of-the-road ponds with Alligator Postings.
On your way down to central Florida, make a stop for lunch at The Crab Shack on Tybee Island, Georgia. Known as the place "where the elite eat in their bare feet", you can sit dockside on the outdoor patio next to an intercoastal creek and enjoy your meal. What you will not want to miss, though, is the alligator pond. Outside of the restaurant you will find two adjoining alligator ponds where small gators are basking in the sun. Your kids can feed the alligators from the area above the pond and interact with them from a safe distance. Feed bags have approved "gator cuisine" and cost just a few dollars.
Next, as you make your way further into Florida, make a stop at Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, Florida. There is a lot to do at this stop, including picking citrus when in season. We enjoyed feeding the farm animals on the property. For most of the year they also offer a weekend circus - so this is a great stop with family. There is no admission fee to enjoy the shop, food and drink tastings, petting zoo, and play area. There are individual fees for the extras like gem mining and the monster truck adventure. They also have, you guessed it...alligator sightings. Your best chance of seeing an alligator is on the 4x4 Giant Truck Adventure. We went on a swamp trip in a 14 foot wide, 16 foot tall, 40 foot long mammoth truck over the 2,500 acre working citrus and cattle ranch. We had so much fun driving straight into the swamp and spotted two of our reptilian friends! Definitely an off-road adventure.
Finally, what Southeastern Alligator Adventure would be complete without a visit to Gatorland? From the moment my daughters saw the brochures they were counting down the days until we were able to visit this unique park that showcases thousands (yes, you read that right) of alligators and crocodiles. Gatorland has it all- from an aviary, to petting zoo, animal shows, a natural alligator breeding marsh where you can feed the gators approved snacks (turkey hot dogs are available for purchase), to the Screamin' Gator Zip Line!
This place was amazing and we were lucky enough to have an extraodinary tour guide for the day, Tim Williams, who has been wrestling and training alligators at Gatorland since 1991. We were able to get up close, really close, to some of these impressive reptiles. In fact, we even got to meet Trezo Je (Cajun for Treasures Eye), a leucistic alligator. One of only a few known leucistic gators, Trezo Je, is not albino, but, rather, has white skin, blue eyes, and patches of traditional alligator coloring. Under the watchful eye of Tim Williams, we got to observe this spectacular alligator up close!
Finally, the piece de resistance (have to throw in a little French in honor of Trezo Je) was the Screamin' Gator Zip Line. You heard me right, flying high above the park on a zip line. A zip line that allows you to look down as you cross over 130 alligators in the breeding marsh below. Don't forget the Cuban and Nile crocodiles watching you from their habitat! While this momma had a little trepidation as my offspring soared, feet dangling, over alligators and crocodiles....they, on the other hand, were thrilled and absolutely elated. The guides make it even more fun with their gator humor, like "Do you know the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? Well.....an alligator will see you later and a crocodile after a while." Also, some verbal miscalculations on the height of the line and the jumping height of the gators adds some fear (um humor) to the adventure. This zip line is voted "Best Zip Line in the USA by AOL Travel" and features one line that is wheelchair accessible (you can remain in your chair and enjoy). 
Enjoy your Southeastern Alligator Adventure - sometimes off-road is the best path!
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