The Loxahatchee Queen (tel. 561/746-1466), a 35-foot, 44-passenger pontoon boat in Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Hobe Sound, makes daily tours of the area's otherwise inaccessible backwater, where curious alligators, manatees, eagles, and tortoises often peek out to see who's in their yard. Catch the 2-hour tour, given Wednesday through Sunday as the tide permits, when it includes a stop at Trapper Nelson's home. Known as the "Wildman of Loxahatchee," Nelson lived in primitive conditions on a remote stretch of the water in a log cabin he built himself, now preserved for visitors. Tours leave four times daily -- at 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 3pm -- and cost $14.50 for adults and $9.50 for children 6 to 12.
