Planning an Everglades Trip

I just was searching the web and struck me that many people are not aware of the many facets of "The Everglades". There are many different regions of the everglades from Homestead in South Miami Dade, to Naples on the west coast, to Lake Okeechobee and beyond. The term everglades is a broad one and to not understand the differences could mean a disappointing trip to say the least.
When I first started exploring the glades I wanted to see everything and that took me to a lot of different places some of which I liked more than others. That gave me a better idea of what I wanted to pursue and then I started concentrating on those areas. This was no problem for me because I am close by and have time to search. For me the mangrove swamps are the areas of the everglades that I like best and they fit in well with my hobbies. Now if you are a hiker this is not the place for you (at least for hiking) because there is almost no hard ground, a canoe or kayak is the only way. On the other hand The Big Cypress National Widlife Refuge is exactly the place for you. Here`s where it gets interesting, if you like to fish almost anywhere in the everglades is good but what you catch and the way you do it will vary. Fly fishing is my passion as is canoeing/kayaking and saltwater fly fishing is the majority of the fishing that I do. After a while I put it all together and saltwater backcountry kayak/canoe fly fishing is me and no place fits the bill more than the everglades. People that know me always ask "Where can I see an alligator?" or "Where can I go on an airboat ride ?". Although I see more alligators and crocodiles where I go telling anybody to go there would probably be a big let down for them. Most of those people are not going to get into canoe or kayak and paddle 20 miles through mangrove tunnels, spiders, mosquitos, just to see them and without knowing where they are going they will probably never make it back. So depending on what you are expecting to see and do you have to match it to the best place. I cant tell you how many people I have seen on the main park road in Everglades National Park that dont know where to go or what to do, and most of them are from Europe and put alot of time and money for their vacation. You have to get off the road and into the glades thats the only way. I catch and release more fish than the guy fishing from shore for food, I see more birds canoeing than the guy from Canada on a birding vacation to Mzarek Pond can even imagine and its all because I get off the road. You probably heard this before but the everglades is not like Yellowstone it is flat and sometimes you can see for miles. But take a boardwalk trek into mahogany hammock and you will see the largest mahogany tree in the western hemisphere, but from the main park road you cant even make it out. Its the same thing for me when I go to the northeastern states and dont know where to fish for striped bass or trout. Do your homework and I hope that you find what you are looking for.