Growing up in Florida, we would occasionally take a family road trip to the east coast of the state to visit the Atlantic Ocean (although between you and me, the Gulf side is much nicer 😉 haha).  To get across the state, Floridians take the “Alligator Alley” (really, just the part of I-75 that crosses the state).  As a child, I was terrified that we would get stranded on this stretch of highway and alligators would crawl into the car and eat us.  For real.  Yes, I had a vivid imagination, but in truth, at that time my dad would occasionally have to screech on the brakes to avoid hitting an alligator or two crossing the road.  In the early 90s, however, the state built fences to protect the wildlife in the Everglades and reduce the amount of alligator roadkill.  😛

I recently went on one of those cool airboats that glide across the water in the Everglades!  It was super fun, our guide was awesome, and the scenery was gorgeous.  We saw sooo many alligators, as well as turtles and sea birds and about a million other species I can’t remember at the moment.  It definitely taught me to see alligators in a different light, and respect their habitat.

PS In some of these photos, you’ll have to look closely to see the gators!!!