The Everglades! Just the name alone conjures up curious images of sunbathing alligators and age-old turtles, leggy wild flamingos, great blue heron in their swampy habitat, sawgrass prairies, forests of mangroves and giant mahogany, red-bellied woodpeckers, soaring hawks, rivers of grass.

Everglades National Park is one of our nation’s impressive treasures, a natural attraction for visitors to South Florida. Here are some of the highlights and tips for making it a safe, fun, and memorable experience. After checking out things to know before you go, load up on fresh drinking water, protective clothing, insect repellent, and sunscreen. The park entrance fee is $10 per vehicle.

Many head first for the Ernest Coe Visitor Center operated by the National Park Service to begin an Everglades adventure. The Visitor Center is located at the park entrance nearest to Miami, only 50 miles from daddy O Hotel Miami’s front door.

Others begin at the Shark Valley entrance, off US Hwy. 41. Consider the 15-mile Shark Valley Tram Tour ($20 adults) for two hours of expert guided narration and the opportunity to climb a 45-foot-high observation tower with tip-top 20 mile-wide views of the giant ecosystem. Since one-third of the 1.5 million acres of the Everglades is water, boating is a big activity. Canoe rentals, glass-bottomed boat tours, airboat tours, and chartered fishing boats are some of the ways to glide through.

Do take on board that you simply cannot do it all - the Everglades covers 734 square miles! So, hike or bike, ride or glide, you can choose from among the awesome options.