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Michaela Rondeau holds a baby alligator while visiting Skunk Ape Headquarters.

Airboats and swamp buggies may be a fun way to travel into the Everglades, but there is another to traverse deep into the swamp without being eaten by mosquitoes.

Several scenic drives wind through the natural preserves, providing a glimpse of Florida’s wildlife from the comfort of your vehicle.

Making our way east on U.S. 41, the saw grass marsh seemed to extend forever into the horizon as my family and I eagerly searched for any sign of anything moving! In recent years, we’d heard about the so-called Skunk Ape, so we thought we’d look out for him. Telling the tale of the Everglades Skunk Ape to our youngest was fun as we explained his foul smell and huge size. She knew we were teasing when we pretended we saw him off in the distance.

Our first stop was to get a map so we didn’t get lost! The Everglades Chamber of Commerce on the corner of U.S. 41 and SR 29 South. It is about 25 miles east of Naples and a beautiful drive in itself. The Chamber can give you information on the area, and set you off in the right direction.

We chose Janes Scenic Drive in the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. Just north on SR 29 past the tiny town of Copeland is where we found true peace in a busy world.

The well graded gravel road stretches about 20 miles into the strand and is a favorite spot for those who love bird watching.

Gazing out into the openness toward cypress marshes, various shades of wildflowers liven up the browns and greens that make up the Everglades. The area is prime Florida panther habitat, but we didn’t see any on our outing.

Turner River Road is another gravel road that leads north off of US 41 and takes you through what is called the Big Cypress National Preserve. White ibises roost in the trees that frame the sides of the canal. This is where we spotted quite a few alligators. If you slow down, it’s kind of like a drive by live museum.

We did get out of the car for a few snapshots, which my daughter enjoyed taking, until a dragonfly flew into her face.

Looming slash pines and cypress trees rise up from the swamp and made us wish we had brought our binoculars to broaden our view.

There are many other scenic drives further into the Everglades, each offering their own spectacular views of our beautiful neck of the woods. They are listed on the maps from the Everglades Chamber of Commerce.

After our long drive, we decided to stop at the Skunk Ape Research Headquarters at Gator Dave’s Trading Company on the south side of US 41. The owner, Dave Shealy, was out that day so we didn’t get the digs on Skunk Ape. But we did visit the live animal zoo, where my daughter held a baby alligator, fed the chickens and goats, then saw more alligators!

Although the Everglades teem with wildlife, we didn’t see any bears, panthers, snakes — or the Skunk Ape.

If you go, bring your hiking gear. You might decide to access any number of the hiking trails that lead into the wilderness. Also bring snacks and water, but keep in mind the lack of facilities and always put safety first.

Directions: Everglades Chamber of Commerce, east U.S. 41, on corner of SR 29. They can provide you with several maps of trails and scenic drives, along with any questions concerning the Everglades.