Tropical Treasures & Waterfront Wonders
Florida's Southeast Region
The chic elegance of Palm Beach and the pulsating rhythms of Miami's
South Beach are more than enough to keep most vacationers deliriously
and delightfully entertained. Add in the grassy vastness of the
Everglades and the coral majesty of the Florida Keys, and the result
is a miracle of diversity and a vacation treasure unlike any other
- this is Southeast Florida.
Family-Friendly
Vacations
Families can spend the day combing the shore for sunken treasure,
marveling at amazing wonders of science and technology or exploring
the shadowed corridors of historic red-brick forts - it's all in
a day's fun in Southeast Florida.
Miles of clean ocean beaches provide the perfect backdrop to the
friendly, small-town atmosphere and casual lifestyle of Martin County.
In addition to the friendly locals, visitors will be met by a number
of unusual geological phenomena in the area, including Blowing Rock
Preserve on Jupiter Island, the site of Florida's largest outcropping
of Anastasia limestone. At high tide, surging waves erupt through
the blowholes in the rugged gray stone, sending plumes of water
high into the air.
Upon hearing the tales of the millions of dollars in gold, silver,
gems and artifacts which have been discovered in the shallow waters
off Hutchinson Island, children are sure to set off in search of
treasure along the barrier island, which runs parallel to Martin
County's coast. A 10-ship Spanish fleet was sunk during a 1715 hurricane,
and treasures have been washing ashore ever since. Nearby Bathtub
Beach offers reef-protected swimming ideal for children, and dune
and river walks perfect for barefoot exploring.
After beachcombing for jewels, stroll up to Gilbert's Bar House
of Refuge, which was built in 1875 as a haven for shipwrecked sailors.
The refuge is the last remaining in a chain of rescue stations established
by the Coast Guard in the 19th century. Today, the site includes
a boathouse, early life-saving equipment, model ships and an aquarium.
The family can enjoy an easy bicycle ride from the refuge to find
another type of treasure. The pink-hued Elliott Museum features
American memorabilia and an assortment of strange inventions, including
the knot-tying machine and the quadricycle, a forerunner of the
automobile. Children will particularly enjoy the scale model of
an old-time circus.
To the south lies a true gem of Florida's Gold Coast - Palm Beach
County. Long heralded as a playground for the rich and famous, Palm
Beach County is also surprisingly replete with family-oriented activities.
In northern Palm Beach County, Jupiter's historic triangle provides
families with a peek into the area's history. The historic complex
is comprised of the Florida History Center and Museum, a Florida
cracker-style building featuring the "History Shaped by Nature"
exhibit; the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, the county's oldest structure;
and the DuBois Pioneer Home, the county's oldest home and repository
for historical artifacts. To the west, visitors can meet a 6-foot-tall
blue emu face-to-face and tour the production facilities for movies
such as "Smokey and the Bandit," at Burt Reynolds' Ranch
and Studio Tour. On the 168-acre ranch, families can wander through
interesting historical buildings, tour on-site production facilities
and meet a variety of farm and exotic animals. And over at the Pahokee
Museum, visitors will find tributes to two other famous native sons
- country western singer Mel Tillis and professional football player
Ricky Jackson.
For a wild time in West Palm Beach, visitors can drive through
the Lion Country Safari's 500-acre wildlife preserve and spot more
than 1,000 free-roaming wild animals, from giraffes and bison to
elephants and lions. Other park attractions include free boat cruises,
a petting zoo, dinosaur exhibit and reptile park. On a smaller scale,
the 22-acre Dreher Park Zoo features more than 500 exotic and domestic
animals, including several endangered species, in a tropical garden
environment.
At Knollwood Groves in Lake Worth, families can explore native
Seminole Indian culture at Hallpatee Seminole Village, or enjoy
alligator wrestling shows, airboat rides and guided Everglades tours.
Take a wagon tour through 30 acres of orange groves and watch the
citrus fruit become Florida's famous "liquid gold" at
the grove's on-site juice-processing plant.
Many of the numerous museums in southern Palm Beach County hold
special appeal to children of all ages. The International Museum
of Cartoon Art, in Boca Raton, is the only facility of its kind,
dedicated to collecting, displaying and interpreting important works
of cartoon art. Commemorating fun of a different sort is the Sports
Immortals Museum, showcasing the largest sports memorabilia collection
in the world. Boca Raton also features two museums geared especially
toward children - the Children's Science Explorium and the Children's
Museum of Boca Raton at Singing Pines. Both learning centers feature
exciting and creative hands-on exhibits designed to teach children
about everything from electrical fields to recycling.
With more than 300 miles of navigable inland waterways and 40,000
resident yachts, it's no wonder Greater Fort Lauderdale is known
as the "Venice of America." Although once known primarily
as a mecca for college students on spring break, Fort Lauderdale
has become a dynamic family-oriented vacation destination. Families
can enjoy water taxi rides to various entertainment venues or stroll
along the meandering Riverwalk to many downtown cultural sites.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale is home to the Museum of Discovery and
Science, Florida's most visited museum, which helps kids of all
ages explore science, space and the environment. The museum's five-story
Blockbuster 3-D IMAX theater offers thrills of another kind in panoramic
films such as "Rolling Stones at the MAX" and "The
Living Sea."
The Jungle Queen plies area waterways on daily sightseeing and
dinner cruises through Old Fort Lauderdale, past the palatial estates
of Millionaires Row, with colorful commentary on interesting sights
and celebrity residents past and present. Dinner cruises stop at
a tropical island paradise for "all-you-can-eat" barbecue
dinners and an old-fashioned vaudeville show. The return trip features
a sing-along of old family favorites.
For an unforgettable trip to the beach, families choose from more
than 23 miles of sparkling sand, stretching from Deerfield Beach
in the north to Hallandale in the south. Some popular spots include
Pompano Beach and its famous 1,800-foot municipal fishing pier and
plentiful oceanside playgrounds and mini-picnic pavilions; Fort
Lauderdale Beach for its new $26-million pedestrian promenade, where
families and couples can stroll arm-in-arm; and Dania for John U.
Lloyd State Recreation Area, which offers 244-acres of canoeing,
swimming, fishing and picnicking.
With headquarters in Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Seminole Tribe
has developed eco/heritage attractions for the whole family. West
of Fort Lauderdale on the Big Cypress Reservation is Billie Swamp
Safari. The Seminole Tribe's official Everglades attraction includes
swamp buggy tours, airboat rides, exotic animals, alligator shows
and Seminole arts and crafts.
Five minutes from Billie Swamp Safari is the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki museum,
the nation's finest museum of the Florida Seminole. The museum features
rare artifacts on loan from the Smithsonian Institution.
Shopping opportunities range from Sawgrass Mills, the world's largest
discount outlet mall, to the 2,000-vendor, 75-acre Swap Shop. Kids
will love the Swap Shop's giant carousel, while everyone will enjoy
the free daily entertainment, including a real circus complete with
elephants and a man on the flying trapeze. While parents shop nearby
malls, kids can explore the Young at Art museum and Art Center in
Davie. Here, kids will learn about computer art, how to build sculptures
and even attend art classes.
For visitors torn between "getting away from it all"
and "being a part of it all," Miami offers the best of
both worlds, with a remarkable style of its own. It's a blend of
21st century and Old-World architecture, thrill-packed sports and
leisurely sunbathing, colorful big-city culture and quaint small-town
neighborhoods.
Scattered throughout Greater Miami's neighborhoods are a wide variety
of family-friendly attractions. For history and fine art in one
location, check out the Metro-Dade Cultural Center in the heart
of downtown Miami. Housed in one complex are the Historical Museum
of Southern Florida, featuring life-size dioramas tracing some 10,000
years of south Florida history, and the Miami Art Museum of Dade
County, showcasing major exhibits from museums and collections around
the world. Heading towards Biscayne Bay, visitors happen upon the
delightful flamingo-colored, shoebox-shaped pavilions that comprise
Bayside Marketplace. Visitors will enjoy exploring this eclectic
waterfront specialty center with upscale shops, boutiques, retail
booths, gourmet restaurants and fast-food outlets. Across the bay,
a perpetually revolving shark statue greets visitors at the entrance
of Key Biscayne, reminding them to stop by the Miami Seaquarium
and meet a host of fascinating sea creatures. Taking center stage
during daily shows are Lolita, a 10,000-pound killer whale and the
world-famous dolphin, Flipper, with frisky sea lions grabbing the
spotlight at every chance. Offering six daily shows, the facility
also features tropical aquariums full of manatees, morays, sea turtles
and reef fish, as well as what is billed as th |
