Life Along the Tamiami

Life Along the Tamiami. . The Tamiami Trail changed life in South Florida forever. Crossing the state went from being a multi-day sea and train journey through the Keys to a motor car drive of only a few hours. It opened up access to an area that was considered by most to be an impenetrable swamp., The Seminole and Miccosukee Tribes have been involved with the Tamiami Trail from the start. They served as guides for the surveyors and worked on construction crews. They built their homes along the Trail and sold Indian goods, offered airboat rides and demonstrated their traditional way of life to passing tourists. Today, the Miccosukee and Seminole homes and businesses still dot the Trail., A Culture of Airboats , Early settlers were attracted by cheap land and subsisted by hunting, frogging, and fishing. When tourists saw "Gladesmen" skimming across the everglades and hunting frogs from their airboats, they would stop and ask for rides. Soon the Gladesmen opened airboat rides and other roadside attractions. The first airboat operator on the Tamiami Trail was John Cooper who opened Coopertown in 1945. It was later followed by Gator Park, Everglades Safari Park and others. Tourism took off. Restaurants, airboat rides, alligator and frog farms, gift shops, and other roadside attractions lined the route; enticing travelers to stop., As time passed, the road needed upgrading and widening to keep up with the increasing traffic. Today the Tamiami Trail is used by thousands of cars a day to travel between Miami and Naples. It traverses federal and state protected areas and is a great way to experience the Everglades ecosystem. A variety of walking trails, wildlife viewing areas, campgrounds, and visitor centers are available as you drive across the state. Take the time to stop and explore all the Trail has to offer!