| After my rather quaint and leisurely
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| | attractions according to the Orlando
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| scenic boat ride through Winter Park, a
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| | Business Journal. The company now has
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| rather different boating experience was in
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| | eight 18-passenger boats and two
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| store for me: a high speed airboat ride
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| | 6-passenger boats.
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| through Lake Tohopekaliga, provided by
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| | The company is AAA approved and all of its
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| Boggy Creek Airboat Rides.
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| | captains are Master Captains who have to
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| We got started early in the morning and
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| | undergo a one-year apprenticeship. The
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| took the first tour out. The temperature
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| | Coast Guard does surprise inspections to
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| must have been about 45 degrees Fahrenheit
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| | ensure compliance with all safety
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| or so, and in wise anticpation we both
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| | regulations. Michelle also mentioned that
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| wore our Canadian winter jackets. Good
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| | the Water Management Authority uses their
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| thing, because it gets pretty darn cold
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| | airboats because they virtually float on
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| zooming along at high speed on the
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| | the water and are less invasive to plant
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| airboats.
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| | and wildlife than regular propeller driven
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| We were the first ride out of the gate,
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| | boats.
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| and fortunately we were provided with
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| | In addition, the company has added swamp
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| white blankets which kept us reasonably
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| | buggy rides to their offerings about 4
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| warm. Off we went on our 6-passenger
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| | months ago. The swamp buggy was completely
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| airboat, exploring the coastline of Lake
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| | custom built by a company that regularly
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| Tohopekaliga, getting a glimpse at various
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| | builds monster trucks. We entered this
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| types of wetland birds, including bald
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| | monster vehicle from its rear end over a
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| eagles, ospreys, egrets and cranes that
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| | ramp and started our swamp buggy tour.
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| live here in the Central Florida
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| | Chad, being the all-round talented
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| Everglades. The name of the lake means
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| | individual that he is, also took us out on
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| "sleeping tiger" and it extends over
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| | the swamp buggy, this custom-built monster
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| 11,968 acres.
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| | contraption. We went through some
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| Our captain, "big and beefy Chad", took us
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| | solar-powered remote controlled gates onto
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| around to give us an idea of an authentic
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| | a working cattle ranch. Florida actually
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| Florida lake experience. At one point he
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| | still has a pretty sizeable cattle
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| drove the airboat onto land and got out of
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| | industry, and the historic term for
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| the boat to take a picture of us. After
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| | Florida cowboys actually is "cow men".
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| the picture he really cranked it up as he
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| | On our swamp buggy ride we saw a variety
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| went northwards on Lake Toho. At the
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| | of wildlife, including cattle and some
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| northern end of the tour he took us into
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| | awefully cute baby cows. We also caught a
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| some sidearms of the lake where we got see
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| | glimpse of the very tail end of an
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| the marshy wetlands up close. On the way
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| | alligator, who was doing its best to hide
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| back he took his foot off the brake and
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| | itself under the leafy vegetation
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| firmly put it on the gas pedal. He
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| | surrounding a little pond. We also saw
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| mentioned that airboats can reach speeds
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| | some deer and a whole range of different
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| up to 65 miles per hour, I think we must
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| | birds, including the tall sandhill cranes
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| have been pretty close. He even did some
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| | who seem to be totally unafraid of human
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| gentle turns with the boat which turned
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| | beings. The ground was pretty wet in some
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| into an exhiliarating high-speed slalom
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| | areas, and I was amazed that our vehicle
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| experience for all us in the boat.
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| | was capable of plowing through all the
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| I looked over at my husband, and he had a
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| | muck - we even crossed a river!
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| strange smile on his face. After the ride
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| | Boggy Creek Airboat Rides and Swamp Buggy
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| was finished he admitted that he was
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| | Tours is a great family outing, and the
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| really scared, for one thing he doesn't
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| | high-speed experience will even soothe
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| swim and he was worried about exiting our
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| | teenagers' cravings for high adrenaline
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| high-speed vessel. But not to worry, Chad
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| | fun. Airboat tours are generally half an
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| brought us back safely, and I for one,
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| | hour long, are offered every half hour and
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| being a bit of a high-speed freak myself,
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| | don't require reservations. In the summer,
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| was glowing with the experience - I truly
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| | the company offers night rides that are an
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| had a blast!
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| | hour long. Michelle mentioned that on one
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| According to Michelle Peters, who works at
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| | of the night tours last summer she saw 17
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| Boggy Creek Airboat Rides, the company was
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| | alligators, who are nocturnal creatures
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| founded by her sister and brother-in-law,
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| | and come out in full force at night time.
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| Margie and Chris Long, in 1994 and
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| | Well, we didn't really get a good view of
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| operation was started with one 6-passenger
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| | any alligators, but the combination of
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| airboat. Today, the Boggy Creek Airboat
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| | airboat ride and swamp buggy tour really
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| Rides are among the top 10 Orlando
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| | kick-started our engines for the day!
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