Help with Everglades

I am thinking about taking a trip down to the Everglades in January. I have never been there and would like some tips about where to go and is this a good time of the year?

Better to take I-75 or the mid-state roads H-441 or H-27 - although both have some traffic until you get below Orlando ... 1-95 is not fun nor enjoyable ... Tollway is same ...

January good, Feb/Mar better as more birds are feeding young, so more birds are active and fishing/hunting then. We were there last month ... a little too early, but fun anyway.

Good places ?? Are you camping ?? Monument Lake on the way in is nice, on Hwy 41 (very nice drive, but a little fast, so take care), but is the best highway to cross over the state. Don't take "Alligator Alley" it's a highway/tollway and just the interstate.

Stop at the Ranger Station east of Monument Lake on Hwy 41... as well as Shark Valley - SV was much better before the storms a few years ago, but is still nice and some good shooting. Plan on spending most of your time in Flamingo area, as that's the main camping location for the park. If you tent, fine, if you RV, Flamingo has sites with electric and has hot showers (when it's sunny, solar HW). Lots of opportunities along the park roadways through the interior. Absolute best site for birds is Royal Palm and the Anhinga walk -- DO NOT MISS IT -- it's about a half-mile hike and you can spend days there with a camera.

Lots of Ospreys this year, and alligators, and many wading birds. Some shore / land birds in some areas too, but it is the Everglades, so water birds and animals will prevail. Have fun it's a great photo area ... B

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Stop at the Ranger Station east of Monument Lake on Hwy 41... as well as Shark Valley - SV was much better before the storms a few years ago, but is still nice and some good shooting. Plan on spending most of your time in Flamingo area, as that's the main camping location for the park. If you tent, fine, if you RV, Flamingo has sites with electric and has hot showers (when it's sunny, solar HW). Lots of opportunities along the park roadways through the interior. Absolute best site for birds is Royal Palm and the Anhinga walk -- DO NOT MISS IT -- it's about a half-mile hike and you can spend days there with a camera.
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I'll second the motion to take I-75 down and then across at the south end of the peninsula. I-95 is horrid year round, and the Florida Turnpike, while a better highway, is getting just as congested, The I-75 route will add about 45 minutes to your trip, depending on your actual destination, but the only toll will be if you take the I-75 corrider across the southern peninsula, while the turnpike will be --- more.

If you have a day to kill, start EARLY and go on down into the keys and be a tourist. If you go all the way to Key West it's actually quite a trip, because most of the road once off the mainland is 35 or 45. And they mean it! I've heard people brag that they tooled along at will, but I've never seen an unpatrolled road there... It might be better to spend the night and return the next day, or even the one after that. It's be a shame to get that far and not get to the keys . . . . .