Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida
Page 37
Shopping
Throughout the park, shops tempt with attractive souvenirs. Find legions of plush animals at the Sahara Trading Company (in the Morocco area). Sesame Street favorites are the lure at Abby Cadabby’s Treasure Hut (in Safari of Fun) and both teens and parents like the apparel, souvenirs, and jewelry found at the Painted Camel Bazaar (in Pantopia). Caravan Crossing (in the Nairobi Village area) stocks beach towels, backpacks, and T-shirts.
Find Out More
Digital
Explore the real Serengeti Plain of Africa at www.serengeti.org. Go to www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/tut.htm to find out about the amazing discovery of King Tut’s tomb in Egypt. Learn how to make a mini- coaster at home on pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/rollercoaster.html.
Next Stop…
Weeki Wachee springs State Park
About 40 miles (64 km) north of Busch Gardens, the Weeki Wachee Springs (6131 Commercial Way, Weeki Wachee, 34606; 352 592 5656; weekiwachee.com) is where mermaids await. They aren’t real mermaids, of course, but families have been enjoying the acrobatic antics of costumed swimmers since 1947. The arena is a natural spring so deep that the bottom has never been found. Seats are built into the limestone sides of the spring.
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The Florida Aquarium
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Letting Off Steam
If children get restless, head to The Splash Pad, an extensive outdoor water adventure zone in The Florida Aquarium. With a rain-forest theme, the area features dump buckets, spray zones, and a designated water play area for toddlers, plus dry areas to climb and play in.
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Lowry Park Zoo
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Letting Off Steam
The zoo’s Aussie-themed Wallaroo Station offers kids a chance to work off energy with slides, tunnels, and ladders. It includes a cooling water play area, and kids can also splash around in the waters of the Manatee Fountain near the entrance.
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Museum of Science and Industry
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Letting Off Steam
MOSI’s outdoor Backwoods Forest Preserve offers plenty of room to work off excess energy, and its multilevel Sky Trail® Ropes Course is designed with challenges for all ages.
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Ybor City
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Letting Off Steam
The Ybor City Museum State Park has a formal garden with paths for strolls. If children need a break, drive 2 miles (4 km) to Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard on the west shore of Hillsborough Bay – a 7-mile (10-km) promenade for walkers, runners, and bikers advertised as “the world’s longest sidewalk.”
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Glazer Children’s Museum
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Letting Off Steam
The Glazer Museum is located in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park (600 N Ashley Dr, 33602), which offers a playground and a scenic paved waterside path. The playground has a unique feature – an interactive NEOS 360 Ring, which combines video games with aerobic exercises.
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Manatee Viewing Center
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Letting Off Steam
The viewing center’s Tidal Walk to the Tampa Bay Estuary works off energy and also offers a chance to see native coastal plants and birds. At the end of the walkway is another view of manatees swimming – in the plant’s discharge canal.
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The Dalí Museum, St. Petersburg
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Letting Off Steam
The Albert Whitted Park, near the museum and adjacent to a small city-owned airport, offers an aviation-themed playground, and a “control tower” to watch airplanes taking off.
Shopping
The Dalí Museum Store stocks merchandise inspired by Dalí imagery. There is home ware, trendy Art to Wear in the form of jewelry, scarves, fashion apparel, and totes – and more. Kids will like the puzzles and books on optical illusions.
Find Out More
Digital
Check out academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Surrealism for a good introduction to Surrealism.
Next Stop…
Crystal river archaeological state park
A 2-hour drive north of St. Petersburg, this National Historic Landmark (www.floridastateparks.org/crystalriverarchaeological) is one of the best places to see glimpses of the lives of ancient Native Americans in Florida. Once an important ceremonial center for burying the dead and conducting trade, this huge site has six burial mounds, temple platform mounds, and a midden, which is a mound containing shells, bones, and other relics dating as far back as 1,600 years.
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Bayshore Drive
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Letting Off Steam
Energetic kids will find plenty of room to run on the park paths that stretch the length of Bayshore Drive. They are the perfect place for a bike ride, too. Visit the nearby Demen’s Landing Park (1st St, 33701), with a playground and nice spots for a picnic. The park also offers open lawns for frisbees, a game of catch, or kite-flying. Walk over to the South Straub Park (1st Ave N, 33701), which has a rock sculpture that kids love to climb.
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Museum of Fine Arts
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Letting Off Steam
Run around in the bayside park around the museum, or take a trip 12 miles (19 km) southwest to the Fort De Soto Park (www.fortdesoto.com). A great day’s getaway, this is a county park of five interconnected islands with beautiful beaches and a cool historic fort to explore. The islands are home to mangroves, wetlands, and palm hammocks, as well as numerous species of birds. Fishing piers, hiking trails, and canoe, kayak, and bike rentals provide plenty of activities. There are restrooms, a food concession, and outdoor showers to wash away beach sand.
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Great Explorations Children’s Museum
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Letting Off Steam
Go to the Sunken Gardens (1825 4th St N, 33704; 727 551 3102; www.stpete.org/sunken), adjacent to the museum. This long-established attraction has paved paths to stretch young legs, cascading waterfalls, and some 50,000 exotic plants and flowers from around the world.
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Ringling Museum, Sarasota
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Letting Off Steam
The vast grounds of the Ringling estate have many paths for working off excess energy and beautiful gardens to admire. John Ringling’s wife, Mable, was an avid gardener and her Rose Garden, patterned after an Italian circular design, is one of the estate’s prettiest spots. When the 1,200 rose bushes are in bloom, the scents are delightful. Kids will have fun finding Mable’s Secret Garden, the Dwarf Garden, and the estate’s Millennium Tree Trail.
Shopping
The Museum Store delights kids with souvenirs such as juggling balls, clown noses, and puzzles of museum sites. Grown-ups will find scarves with Venetian themes from Cà’ d’Zan, interesting jewelry, and home accessories. St. Armands Circle is lined with dozens of shops of all kinds, plus conveniently located ice-cream parlors for a break.
Find Out More
Digital
See www.ringling.com to learn more about the history of the Ringling circus, the best circus acts, animal care, and other interesting topics. Discover what it takes to be a clown at www.allaboutclowns.com.
Next Stop…
Sarasota Jungle Gardens
One mile (2 km) south of the Ringling Museum, the Sarasota Jungle Gardens (www.sarasotajunglegardens.com) have been pleasing families since the 1940s. There are trails through 10 acres (4 ha) of lush tropical vegetation and a “kiddie jungle” with an imaginative playground. Grown-ups and kids will like feeding the flamingos. Shows geared for kids feature alligators, snakes, birds of
prey, and tropical birds – parrots on roller skates are a favorite.
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The Aquarium at Mote Marine Laboratory
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Letting Off Steam
A large swath of parkland with great views bordering Sarasota Bay, the Ken Thompson Park (1700 Ken Thompson Pkwy, 34236), nearby, has swings for kids, a fishing pier, and lots of green lawn for games and picnics.
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Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
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Take Cover
If raindrops fall, the Kids’ Corner in the Historic Selby House on site is the perfect shelter. This interactive space is filled with plant-themed books, puzzles, activities, and crafts. A volunteer is often on hand to help.
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The Circus Arts Conservatory
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Letting Off Steam
There are lots of activities at Bayfront Park, and families can happily while away an afternoon. Alternatively, for a wilderness experience just 9 miles (14 km) southeast of Sarasota, head for Myakka River State Park (myakkariver.org). Here, the wild and scenic Myakka River flows through miles of untouched wetlands, prairies, and woodlands. Admire its beauty from a canopy walkway high above the ground, a boardwalk across Upper Myakka Lake, a tram tour through the backcountry, airboat tours, or on hiking trails, and watch out for wildlife such as alligators and armadillos.
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Fort Myers
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Letting Off Steam
Get some fresh air and play time at Centennial Park (2000 W 1st St; 239 321 7530), which overlooks the Caloosahatchee River in the River District. A fishing pier, picnic tables, and lots of benches overlooking the river give the park an old-world charm.
Shopping
Look for bargains at flea markets in Fort Myers, such as Fleamasters (4135 Dr. M. L. King Jr Blvd; 2393347001; www.fleamall.com). Downtown’s Franklin Shops (2200 1st St; 2393333130; www.thefranklinshops.com) have everything from apparel and jewelry to fine art within a historic building.
Find Out More
Digital
Visit the Young Inventors page at www.edisonfordwinterestates.org and find coloring sheets and a detective game to play.
Film
The movie Hoot (2006), based on the book of the same name, is set in a fictional town based on Cape Coral and its burrowing owl population. Much of the filming was done in this area.
Next Stop…
Fort Myers Beach
Take a LeeTran bus 16 miles (26 km) southwest to Fort Myers Beach, a favorite with families. Visit its Lynn Hall Memorial Park beach, which has a cool playground, a fishing pier, and a pedestrian mall. Hit Bowditch Point Park for a quieter, more natural beach experience.
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Sanibel and Captiva Islands
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Take Cover
Head for Sanibel’s Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum (3075 Sanibel-Captiva Rd, 33957; www.shellmuseum.org), to identify beach findings and admire seashells, or take part in shell-scavenger hunts.
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Upper Islands
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Letting Off Steam
Head to the uninhabited Picnic Island, near Sanibel Island, for a picnic on its beach park. Be sure to bring along essential supplies.Banana Bay Tour Company (www.bananabaytourcompany.com) runs half-day tours to the island from Fort Myers Beach.
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J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge
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Take Cover
The “Ding” Darling Education Center in the refuge has various interactive exhibits. Check out the eBird computer, habitat vignettes, a Kids’ Corner, and the nature store with games, books, and toys.
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Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
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Take Cover
After exploring the Corkscrew trail, visit the Blair Audubon Center (on site) and learn about the sanctuary’s ecology. Kids will love the Swamp Theater, which re-creates a day in the swamp with sound and light, and the cool nature store.
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Naples
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Letting Off Steam
Head north of Naples to Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park (11135 Gulf Shore Dr N, 34108; 239 597 6196; www.floridastateparks.org/delnor-wiggins) on Vanderbilt Beach. Families can soak up the sun, climb the observation tower, fish in the pass, kayak, and, in summer, follow a ranger on a sea turtle walk.
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Marco Island
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Take Cover
Go to the Marco Island Historical Museum (180 S Heathwood Dr, 34145; 239 642 1440; www.themihs.org), which was built to look like a Calusa Indian village on the outside. The museum has displays that tell the local history. Replicas of the Key Marco Cat can be seen and purchased in the museum’s store.
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Everglades National Park
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Letting Off Steam
Head to the Historic Homestead Town Hall Museum (41 N Krome Ave, Homestead, 33030; 305 242 4463), which contains a captivating selection of historical films and photos about the Everglades. There is also an American La France fire truck from 1925.
Shopping
Drop in to the Gift Shop (at most visitor centers) and support conservation efforts. Choose from rubber snakes, plush birds, wildlife puzzles, books, and T-shirts.
Find Out More
Digital
Check out the kids’ pages on www.nps.gov/ever/forkids/learning-about-the-everglades.htm.
Take Cover
The Museum of the Everglades (www.colliermuseums.com), in Everglades City, focuses on the huge feat of blazing a road through the swampy Everglades, and on the region’s Calusa Indian and fishing heritage.
Next Stop…
Wilder wilderness
Head 73 miles (117 km) northwest to explore the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (www.rookerybay.org), an unspoiled mangrove estuary. The learning center here has a huge aquarium and interactive exhibits about the park’s history. The Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (www.fws.gov) offers fishing and a chance to observe wildlife.
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Biscayne National Park
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Take Cover
Overlooking the marina at Biscayne National Park, the Dante Fascell Visitor Center (9700 SW 328th St, Homestead, 33033; 305 230 1144; www.nps.gov/bisc) houses artistic exhibits representing the park’s different maritime habitats. In the auditorium, rotating exhibits show the Biscayne-related art of local painters.
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Miccosukee Indian Village
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Letting Off Steam
Hop aboard an airboat tour from the Miccosukee Village to visit a Native American clan camp. A former tribal chief takes visitors out on a cultural experience with Buffalo Tiger’s Airboat Tours (www.buffalotigersairboattours.com).