Fort Lauderdale Vacation

One of the most beautiful offerings in the Fort Lauderdale area is the Flamingo Gardens Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary.

As you walk through the sixty acres, you will find an incredible variety of attractions. One of the premiere attractions is the Everglades "Free Flight" Aviary, a 25,000 square foot facility housing one of the largest collections of wading birds in America. A Wildlife Encounter show, which features birds of prey and reptiles and shows their relationship to the environment plays several times during the afternoons. You can also visit rare Florida birds of prey in a naturalistic habitat, the Bird of Prey Center at the Gardens. These birds cannot be released into the wild because they are either endangered or at-risk, but offer a splendid opportunity to get to know a little more about their individual species. During your visit, make sure to take the narrated tram tour through the tropical rainforest, wetlands, and groves. This tour lasts about twenty-five minutes and will give you a chance to see many areas of the "park" that are not readily available on foot.

You will not want to miss the lush Flamingo Island, which has been set aside for flamingos in the midst of waterfalls and tropical vegetation; natural habitats for river otters and Florida bobcats; and the Alligator Lagoon, an educational exhibit of the alligators that are native to the Florida Everglades. If plants are more your style, visit the Tropical Plant House to see their unique plants, including a wondrous display of orchids and calatheas. Be sure to check into the largest collection of Champion trees in the area at the Arboretum or, head to the Citrus Collection, with has been developed to include all known citrus cultivars from the area, both commercial and ornamental varieties. The collection itself and the laboratory give visitors the opportunity to see and taste many types of Florida citrus.