Kayak Journey

My old friend from college flew down for a girl's weekend getaway with me.  We launched out of Everglades City and kayaked through the Florida Keys 7 miles out and camped on a deserted island: Tiger Key.  It was quite relaxing and we had a fabulous time.  The next day, we packed up, and kayaked back through the channel.
I was hoping to see some wildlife - not much out there this time, but I did see a Skate.  It's from the ray and shark families.  (Thanks Yoelly, from Deering, for identifying it for us!)

Eco Academy Plant Identification Class

Went to the Everglades today - did some plant identification.

Scout knows how to tell apart 15 different species of plants, what they are used for, if they are edible or medicinal, or poisonous.

She picked me a flower along the way.  I just love it when my girls give me flowers.

More Plant Identification Classes in the different zones of Florida.  

 This is an endangered holly berry plant, I forgot it's name.

Things to do in Miami

KID FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES!!!

Living in Miami has been a blast!  If you have a chance to visit - these are some places to go!

Kirby Boardwalk  - Awesome walk down a boardwalk out into the Everglades. Half mile long. Take water.  Outhouses available at parking lot.  Wear sunscreen.  Sometimes the bugs here are actually attracted to you when you wear bug spray - so, no repellent.   Near by is the Oasis visitor center for Big Cypress National Preserve.  Alligators can been seen there.  You can also take a walk down some trails out into Big Cypress / Everglades - Bring water.  It can get very muddy during our wet season, June-November.  Pretty dry the rest of the time.
You can also go on an nice walk through the everglades on a boardwalk at the National Park in the south entrance - the Anhinga Trail.  There is also airboat rides near there, and Robert is Here fruit stand (see below) is also located near there. 

  

 Key Biscayne - Bill Baggs State Park is a great beach to take your family.  It's where the locals go and not nearly as party-oriented as South Beach.  $20 for a couple of chairs and umbrella is really nice too.  Bring some fresh fruit to snack on and water.  There is a restaurant there as well as outdoor showers to clean off the sand and bathrooms.

Crandon Park on Key Biscayne is also a fabulous beach.

Rated top 10 in the nation.

Coral Castle is pretty amazing. It's a wonderful place to walk around and look at the stone work and carvings.  It's like going to Narnia.

 Shark Valley State Park - See alligators, bike ride, look out tower, take a tram ride (2 hrs but it's listening to a tour guide explain all about the everglades and totally worth it!!)  This tram ride is my favorite place to take visitors when showing them the Everglades because of the tram tour.

Air boat ride - I use the one right across the street from Shark Valley because it's only $10 per person.  The ride is 45 minutes long and cotton balls are provided as ear plugs.

 John Pennekamp State Park - This is a MUST VISIT on Key Largo. Here you can rent canoe or kayak for $12 an hour and canoe through the salt water mangrove trails. I also take my visitors snorkeling, diving, and especially on a glass bottom boat ride!!!!  The gift shop is great too.  There's also lots of seafood places around if you want to have local fish for lunch.

 Fairchild tropical garden - if they like to see the lush vegetation, take them here. We went when Chihuli had his glass art on display.

Miami Zoo - rated top 10 in the nation.

Fruit and Spice Park - I love to take my company here.  It's just a short stop in the gift shop. (Frankly, I think the park itself is boring unless you have a tour guide telling which kind of tree you are looking at.)  The gift shop has a fruit sample section where they can taste all the weird and different fruits that are in season, like dragon fruit, breadfruit, jack fruit, lychee nuts and stuff you've never heard of before.

Robert is Here - This is the best place to buy fresh produce - they have all the weird stuff too like dragon fruit if you wanted to bring anything home to eat. They have about 20 different flavors of honey and tons of local fruit preserves in all flavors.   Also, they have the best shakes in the world!!!  All the flavors like guava and strawberry key lime, sapote, and mamey.  They have about 30 flavors.  My favorite is banana/coconut cream pie.  It's also very close to the south entrance of the Everglades, in Homestead.

If you have small kids, go to Pinecrest gardens to play in the fountains and splash park.  You can walk around the trails and see a lush jungle landscape, giant banyan trees, feed the fish, and see a herd of iguanas basking in the sun near the lake.  There is a playground and a small petting zoo as well.

Bayside market place is a tourist market down my the cruise ships dock.  Here you can get a picture taken with a python, parrot, monkey, or alligator.  You can buy trinkets and clothes, eat food from around the caribbean, and get souvenirs.  They have a live band, and restaurants.  You can also take different touring cruises around the islands to see the millionaire houses including Will Smith and Vanilla Ice.  You can get a henna tattoo and piercings as well.

Brickell Ave. - The street with all the skyscrapers. Home to 150 banks worldwide.  This is Downtown Miami at it's finest.

Coco Walk and Old Cutler - We drive down this road so my visitors can see the beautiful houses and magnificent trees. Coral Gables just past miracle mile has a beautiful section too.

 Then, of course there is South Beach.  The spring break hang out.  I usually just drive up Collins Ave. and my visitors take a quick look.  It's not really my family's style and culture, but I hear Lincoln Ave. has some fun shopping and sight seeing, and the beach is big.  They have rainbow sections and topless sections and lots of hard bodies on display.  This is where all the clubs are, and those that want to see and be seen.

Actor's Playhouse on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables frequently has children's plays as well as acting classes your child can join.

Adrienne Arsht Center frequently has concerts, shows, broadway, and the Nutcracker at Christmas time. 

Miami Childrens Museum

Planetarium

Lion Safari

Butterfly World Garden

Fishing Charter - Wanna fish in the ocean but not pay hundreds?  This place is great - can accommodate up to 50 people and is super reasonable priced.

Grapeland Water Park - Miami's only water park... kinda sad since it's such a hot city... I guess they expect us to go to Orlando. 

Sea Turtle Hatchling Release - this is totally fun.  Kids/families get to learn about the turtles and watch them get released into the ocean.  You MUST have reservations. We did the one on Key Biscayne.

These are some more attractions:

• Everglades Alligator Farm: South Florida’s oldest alligator farm is near the main entrance of Everglades National Park. It offers guided airboat tours plus alligator, snake, and wildlife shows. 40351 SW 192 Avenue; Homestead, Florida 33034; 305-247-2628.
• Flamingo Gardens: Flamingo Gardens, established in 1927, has more than 3,000 tropical and sub-tropical species of plants and trees in its 60 acres and also has the largest collection of Florida native wildlife in the state. 3750 S. Flamingo Road; Davie/Ft. Lauderdale 33330; 954-473-2955.
• Jungle Island: Jungle Island offers animal shows, exhibits, streams and waterfalls plus hands-on animal interactions. 1111 Parrot Jungle Trail; Miami 33132; 305-400-7000; www.JungleIsland.com
• Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science: The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science offers educational programs, exhibits, a Planetarium and the Batchelor Wildlife Center. 3280 South Miami Avenue; Miami 33129; 305-646-4200.
• Pérez Art Museum Miami: PAMM includes 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor program space, including art galleries, a waterfront restaurant and bar and an education center. 1103 Biscayne Blvd.; Miami 33132; 305-375- 3000.
• Sawgrass Recreation Park: This attraction in Broward includes airboat rides and an animal exhibit area with more than 100 mammals and reptiles, including a Florida panther. 1006 N. Highway 27; Weston 33327; 954-389-0202.
• Young At Art Museum: The Young At Art Museum includes permanent galleries, studios, a teen center and recording studio and a preschool and early childhood learning center. 751 SW 121st Avenue; Davie 33325; 954-424-008.

Eco Academy - Interior Wetlands

Today we went slogging through the Everglades.  It's wet season so there was water. 

Panama got in the water first. The kids were a bit aprehensive.

Excited and nervous all at the same time.

Frequently the teacher, would stop and explain about the ecosystem and wildlife as well as the plants, what they were used for, all about their features and purposes, the stories of the seminole indians, and the dangers to be aware of while out there. 

The kids were excited when the water started getting deeper.  It was pretty mucky being behind so many people - you would walk along, sinking in mud 6 inches deep, then suddenly fall in a hole or trip over a tree trunk under the water.  It was outrageously fun hiking blindly!

Some plants attache themselves to the trees - they grow without water or soil - just in the air.

Sometimes it was up to Scout's shoulders.  She would climb on my back and we would slog until it got back down to her waist - then she was on her own again.  She is one of the youngest in the class.  You have to be at least 9 yrs old.  She just made it this year.

We walked past a large gator hole where I'm sure a very large alligator lives. Luckily we didn't see it.

I can't wait to come back with the family and do this again!