How does a trucker end up on Alligator Alley?

American Alligator

As with every job, in over-the-road trucking there are good days and bad days, ups and downs. Some of the high points of life on the road so far have been the times spent exploring Florida. On one such trip with a day layover waiting for freight we looked for the closest rest stop to park the semi and get away from the crowds in Miami. As we drove along Interstate Highway 75 we realized we were on a road called Alligator Alley in the Florida Everglades. Looking out the window, the alligators were swimming in the canals right along the highway. How amazing is that for a first timer in Florida?

Alligator Alley is also known as Everglades Parkway and is also Interstate 75, State Road 93 and State Road 84 which runs from Naples on the west coast of Florida to Weston on the east. It was first opened in 1969 and was given its name by the American Automobile Association (AAA) because they thought no one would use it and it would only be used by alligators. Since then the alligators follow the highway swimming along the roadside canals, so the nickname now has a literal meaning.

At the rest area we were able to get out right next to the water as if we were going to “fish” for some reptiles. Some water birds watched unconcerned as the “gator” looked up with those cold eyes bulging out of the water. I needed more information about alligators before being comfortable getting very close to the water.

We gathered information about the surrounding ecosystem at the Collier County rest area, half-way between Exits 49 & 80 (there are not many exits on this highway). For example the Everglades is not the proverbial swamp that many people think it is. It is actually a river, flowing southwest at a slow rate of about a quarter mile per day. There was also an interesting display about the endangered Wood Storks, large “Muppet” looking birds, kind of spooky but cute.

The American alligator was once on the endangered species list but now Florida lists them as “species of special concern” so alligators can be legally taken only with proper licenses and permits. This designation provides federal protection for alligators but allows state-approved management and control programs.

They sell little alligator heads as souvenirs at the gift shops and at the truck stops. I thought they were cute but had to get around an aversion to killing the wildlife. I had to remind myself that these alligators are farmed for harvest like beef and chicken. They are a natural resource and if grown for meat etc. are part of the exports of the area, locals would be able to grow and sell them.

At Exit #49 we turned north on State Road 833 locating the only truck stop where we could safely drop our trailer for a few hours. Continuing on for 15 miles, passing through part of a the Seminole Indian Nation, we arrived at the Billie Swamp Safari Everglades Eco-Tours hoping to get an airboat ride. The Billie Swamp Safari has a café, alligator wrestling, gifts, tours and does have parking for your bob-tail.

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