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Writer/Producer: Chelle Koster Walton By definition, a classic roadside attraction should be kitsch at best, bordering on hokey. Tamiami Trail’s brand of roadside attractions fall in line, but yet they boast their own twist and bite, namely nature -- especially alligators. The oldest, Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs, has been around since 1936. Since then, the road has moved, but the zoo attraction persists. East of Naples, The Trail dips into true Everglades territory, where circa-1950s Wooten’s Airboat Tours and the Skunk-Ape Research Headquarters turn the public’s fascination for the wilds into tourist attractions on the funky, swampy, sometimes far-fetched side of things.
Resources:
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours: www.wootensairboats.com
Skunk-Ape Research Headquarters:www.skunkape.infowww.roadsideamerica.com