Squirrel

I read last night about a guy who has set up a business in Naples called Hug & Hold where you can hug a gator for $5. My DH & I love gators and at $5 each we could afford quite a few hugs. Two questions:

Which is the nearest airport to Naples where you could fly into from London? Would you then connect to Naples via internal flight?

Anyone here think they would do it?

cindyabs

er no. I'm afraid they would hug back......

Squirrel

I found a link. They do tape their mouths whilst they are being hugged

http://www.fox4now.com/news/local/130596718.html

robin1234

Couldn't you fly into Miami, then drive over to Naples ... via Alligator Alley??

Squirrel

Lol. Actually none of us drive, I don't think Amtrak goes there, so it is an internal flight or a bus/coach. Might be easier from Tampa? I'll have to do my research, it would be nice to do the trip in early 2013 before my current ESTA runs out save having to do another one.

AlienUk

I think yes, gators may grudgingly decide to hug you...maybe not for $5 though...

Jerseygirl

If you love gators & they have their mouths taped how can you condone doing such a thing?

DMDA

I was in Miami last month and booked an Everglades tour through the Tourist Centre in South Beach. $50 each for the tour which included a mini bus to the Everglades; airboat tour (I lost count of the gators we saw) and an animal show at the end...big gators being fed, plus a skunk, snake and other animals that you could touch. At the end you could hold a baby gator and take pictures for $3.

The main thing I remember from the airboat tour is that the Everglades is actually a river and is only 3 feet at its deepest!

scrubbedexpat097

I didn't really feel like hugging this one when we were walking the other week in a state park...

Yorkieabroad

Was that at Brazos Bend by any chance? Always take visitors down there cos you're guaranteed some decent gators, normally pretty close up, and the nature center always has some "babies" for holding...the kids love it (and so does dad!)

We were there early in the summer and got stuck coming out by a grassfire on the side of the entrance road...went back to the observatory for observe the moon night last month, but couldn't see how much damage the fire had done cos it was dark.....

GeoffM

I held one in New Orleans. Really soft belly and tough back. Yes, it was a baby but no taping of mouths shut. If it bit your finger then it's bye bye finger.

Squirrel

They don't tape the mouths of the real tiny babies, just the medium sized ones. It's only while you hug them, they don't have their mouths taped all day. It's no worse than putting a muzzle on a dog just while you take him for a walk.

scrubbedexpat097

Yep! Love it there..we always take visitors as well for the same reason.

We always walk around Elm Lake but because of the drought the water level is really low which also means the 'gators are closer


I didn't notice any fire damage so hopefully it was under control quickly!

Titchski

You could fly into Naples, if you don't mind an internal flight in the US.

materialcontroller

The airport at Naples seems to be used for executive services and general aviation only, although there is a service from there to MIA operated by ExecAir that can accomodate upto 3 pax per flight. However at $235 per flight each way (plus taxes) it's not a very economical option.

http://flynaples.com/airlines-and-co...d-destinations

ExecAir