by DK
Dolphins show off flips and leaps, seals kiss willing spectators, and parrots and reptiles perform in the daily live shows that are the specialty of this aquarium. There is also a delightful magic show that features spectacular illusions, comedy acts, special effects, and interactions with the audience. The aquarium’s inhabitants include sharks, alligators, penguins, iguanas, and sea turtles. Watch shark and sea turtle feeding sessions, as well as underwater scuba demonstrations, before heading for the stingrays that await visitors in their petting pool.
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Seashore scavenger hunt
How many of these can you find at the beach? A bird on the sand
A bird in the air
A smooth pebble
A crab
A broken shell
A whole shell
Sea grass
A sand dune
A beach umbrella
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4. ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Conservatory
A small animal kingdom
Wolf Show at the ZooWorld Zoological & Botanical Conservatory, Panama City Beach
This little local zoo offers up-close views of over 250 animals in a tropical garden setting. Children can learn all about parrots, reptiles, and alligators at the live shows, and even pose for pictures with them. The petting zoo houses lots of farm animals for feeding, as well as a camel. A raised walkway allows for a special treat: feeding Sydney the giraffe. The zoo is especially recommended for younger children.
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Giraffe geography
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world. They can grow up to 19 ft (5.7 m) tall, and have very long necks that help them to reach for tender leaves growing on trees – their favorite food. They sleep standing up, which must be a lot easier than trying to get that long body to lie down.
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5. Pensacola
Beaches and the Blue Angels
Costumed guides in the Historic Pensacola Village
A distinct Southern accent borrowed from the neighboring state of Alabama, and influences from a colorful past, give Pensacola a unique flavor. The Historic Pensacola Village, its oldest quarter, comprises 27 buildings and museums reflecting 450 years of history. Two of the city’s best family attractions are the superb sands of the Gulf Islands National Seashore and tours of the National Naval Aviation Museum, where the famous Blue Angels stunt flyers practice.
Key Sights
1. Seville Square The heart of Pensacola when the area was first settled by the Spanish, this square served as the parade ground for the Fort of Pensacola during British rule in the 1770s.
2. Museum of Commerce This reconstruction of Pensacola’s late 19th- and early 20th-century streetscape features a print workshop, and leather and harness shops.
3. Museum of Industry Exhibits depicting the industries that helped build the city – fishing, brick-making, lumber, and railroads – include a vintage fishing boat and a 1905 locomotive.
4. Pensacola Children’s Museum Its many imaginative exhibits and dress-up period clothing make this museum a great place to take younger kids.
5. British Officer’s Compound Built during the early years of the American Revolution, this compound’s foundations are among the many finds that form Pensacola’s Colonial Archaeological Trail.
6. Pensacola Museum of Art Once a jail, this building now houses contemporary art, decorative glass, and African tribal art.
• Barkley House Built in 1825, this is the oldest surviving example of a “high-house” in the city. Tours of the Historic Pensacola Village include a stop at the house, where visitors can learn about the Barkley family.
Left Barkley House Middle Museum of Commerce Right Seville Square
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Test your Pensacola IQ
The flags of five different countries have flown over Pensacola during its long history. Which country was the first, and which was the last?
Pensacola got its name from the Native American tribe that greeted the first Spanish explorers in 1559. What were they called?
Which city was the original capital of Florida?
>> Answers
Miles of bliss
Along Florida’s heavily built-up shoreline are some magical stretches of unspoiled beach, known as National Seashores, and preserved by the US government for public recreation. The Gulf Islands National Seashore (www.nps.gov/guis) offers superb boat rides, and campgrounds.
Did you know…
In 1559, Pensacola became the first European settlement in the US. But it didn’t last. A month later, a hurricane destroyed supplies, causing the Spanish to flee.
Living in the past
The homes in the Historic Pensacola Village depict how kids lived many years ago. If you had existed then, your family would have done the washing by hand, dipped candles for light, and made their own clothes. Which parts of your life today would you miss?
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6. National Naval Aviation Museum
Spacecraft and fighter planes
A Blue Angel pilot signing autographs
Located at the Pensacola Naval Air Station, a training ground for the US Navy and Marine Corps, this museum traces the history of aviation with thrilling displays. Its amazing exhibits include over 150 restored aircraft and spacecraft, dating from the era of the earliest biplanes to the Space Age, and the Mercury and Apollo space capsules. Hands-on elements include the chance to sit at the controls of a jet trainer, while practice sessions by the Blue Angel stunt pilots add to the excitement.
Key Features
1. MaxFlight Simulator High-tech video and real motion simulate the feeling of being on a mission in a high-speed fighter plane.
2. Sunken Treasures The two aircraft displayed here were used for training during World War II before they sank in Lake Michigan. They were recovered from the lake, remarkably well preserved by the cold water.
3. Cockpit Trainers Kids can climb into cockpits, including those of the A-4 Skyhawk and Corsair II, in this simulated flying experience.
4. The IMAX® Theater Four different features are shown daily on one of the largest IMAX® screens in the world. The Magic of Flight is a regular on the schedule.
5. Blue Angels Check out the display of four A-4 Skyhawks, used by the daredevil Blue Angels, suspended from the ceiling of a seven-story glass atrium.
6. USS Cabot Flight Deck See the replica of a flight deck, and the superstructure of a World War II aircraft carrier, complete with fighter planes.
7. Space Capsule Display Here, space exploration exhibits include a Skylab Command Module, a Mercury capsule, and a Moon Rover vehicle. Astronaut suits and memorabilia are also on display.
8. Biplane With one wing fixed above the other, biplanes were important early aircraft used in World War I. They are favorites in barnstorming air shows today.
9. Hangar Bay One On display are aircraft of the post-World War II era, including a Marine One presidential helicopter and a replica of the Apollo 17 lunar module. There is also a section on Coast Guard aircraft and prisoners of war.
Left Biplane Middle Four A-4 Skyhawks Right IMAX Theater screen
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How many can you find?
The museum has hundreds of aircraft on display. See how many of these you can find during your visit: A6 Intruder
C117 S
kytrain
J2F Duck
K47 Airship Control Car
OS2U Kingfisher
PBY Catalina Cutaway
RF-4B Phantom II
RR-5 Trimotor
The first naval air station
Pensacola was the site of the nation’s first naval air station, founded in 1914. It was here that pilots learned the special skills required to take off and fly from ships at sea.
The Blue Angels
Sixteen Navy and Marine officers are chosen to fly in the Blue Angels. The selection process requires them to apply formally, and they usually serve for two years. Pilots chosen must have at least 1,250 tactical jet flight-hours and the commanding officer, known as “The Boss,” must have 3,000 hours. The group has been flying since 1946 and they put on more than 70 shows each year.
Pilots to guide
The guides at the museum are volunteers – retired veterans who have first-hand flying experiences to share.
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7. Tallahassee
Tons of Southern charm
The canopied Meridian Road, Tallahassee
Encircled by rolling hills and dotted with pine forests, this state capital has a rich Southern flavor. This former site of an Apalachee Indian settlement is now home to several historical museums. Located in the heart of the city, and spreading over several landscaped blocks, the Capitol Complex offers much to see and do for all ages. Pretty gardens, the nearby beaches, beautiful canopied roads, and a wide choice of dining venues are further lures to this city.
Key Sights
1. Florida State University This university is noted for its highly regarded music and theater departments, which stage concerts and plays during the school year.
2. Museum of Florida History Prehistoric mastodons, Native American exhibits, and a replica riverboat brings the state’s past to life in this excellent museum.
3. Florida State Capitol Built in 1977, the tower behind the Historic Capitol houses art exhibits on the main floor. The 22nd floor observation deck offers views for miles around.
4. Florida Historic Capitol Museum See the house and senate chambers, the governor’s suite, and the supreme court, all restored just as they were in the state’s original columned capitol.
5. Park Avenue Historic District This central chain of green parks is lined with 27 homes that predate the Civil War. Built around 1830, the oldest one, The Columns, houses the James Madison Institute.
6. Lake Ella One of Tallahassee’s many lakes, Lake Ella is centered by a spraying fountain and circled by a paved walking trail. The surrounding park has picnic tables and some quaint shops.
7. Goodwood Museum and Gardens Discover what life was like for kids in the South long ago in this 1834 plantation house, where much of the original art and furnishings have been restored.
Left Museum of Florida History Middle Florida State University Right Florida State Capitol
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Capitol Museum quiz
What year did Tallahassee become the state capital?
The city’s first mayor, Francis W. Eppes, had a famous grandfather. Who was he?
Florida State University is the oldest state school. What was the school called before it became a co-ed in 1947?
>> Answers
Canopied roads
Tallahassee is known for its canopied roads, where moss-draped live oaks and other trees have grown so tall that their limbs meet to shade the roads beneath them.
Capital Fighters
Tallahassee was the only Southern capital east of the Mississippi River not captured by the Union during the Civil War. Most men were off serving in the Southern army, but when warned of a pending attack, local volunteers – old men and young boys – met the Union forces at Union Bridge and fought off three major attacks.
Where the four shall meet
In Colonial times, the only part of Florida that was settled was the north and there were just two major towns, St. Augustine and Pensacola. According to legend, a rider set out on horseback from each town and at the spot where they met, the capital city of Tallahassee grew up.
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8. Mission San Luis
Time travel back to the 1600s
A cannon on display in the gardens at Mission San Luis
Costumed interpreters bring to life a reconstruction of one of Florida’s rarest sites: a 1600s mission that was shared by Spanish settlers and the native Apalachee Indians. This unusual cooperation worked because the Spanish needed labor and provisions while the Apalachee Indians wanted peace and prestige. The arrangement lasted until 1704, when both groups fled from British invaders. See the enormous, five-story Indian Council House with its palm-thatched roof. It stands next to a Franciscan church that was constructed by the Apalachee Indians under Spanish supervision. The defensive fort, El Castillo de San Luis, has been re-created, and a Spanish home and working gardens portray everyday life in a community of 1,600 people. The excellent on-site museum traces the archaeological excavations of the area and displays artifacts found during the digs, such as tools and pottery.
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A really big house
The council house at Mission San Luis is one of the largest Apalachee Indian structures ever. It is wider than the length of a football field, and 100,000 palm fronds were used to cover the roof.
Play ball
Drawings at Mission San Luis show a ball game that was played here by the Apalachee Indians hundreds of years ago. The game involved 50 or more players using a ball about the size of a golf ball, made of hardened clay and covered with buckskin. The triangular goal post was crowned by the target: an eagle’s nest. The game was dedicated to the gods of rain and playing it was supposed to ensure water for crops.
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9. Tallahassee Museum
A farm, a plantation, and a zoo – in a museum
A bobcat in the zoo within the Tallahassee Museum grounds
Popular with children, this sprawling, multifaceted museum can entertain for hours. Visit farm animals such as cows, sheep, goats, and pigs in the Big Bend Farm, an 1880s farm complete with reconstructed and restored buildings. The garden grows crops such as corn, cotton, and sugarcane. The museum also has a zoo that features Florida wildlife in natural habitats – there are black bears, a red wolf, a black panther, bobcats, playful river otters, and a Florida alligator. Other attractions include a restored plantation that has an original home, a kitchen, and a slave cabin – a dwelling that tells of a time when slaves were brought from Africa against their will to work the fields on Southern plantations. Families can take a walk on the nature trail, head indoors to experience the hands-on exhibits in the Discovery Center, or discover underwater life in the Fleischmann Natural Science building. The latter has two small freshwater aquariums and an observation window to watch birds feeding outside.
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