There's No Place Like Home

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Minor things are different, but the relaxed, vacation pace of the Florida lifestyle and the deja-vu feeling I get when visiting the state’s retro attractions haven’t changed.

One stroll through the tropical botanical paradise of Sunken Gardens in St. Petersburg proves the old adage “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Here in Florida, home to such standards as Gatorland and Dinosaur World, I am thankful that the kids can still be mesmerized without resorting to new technology.

The Sunshine State is a year-round vacation getaway for families, including Florida residents like us. My own two children have become quite spoiled by the great travel opportunities in their own backyard. With St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Orlando all nearby, we are discovering plenty of fun and educational activities just a short drive away.

Whether we’re exploring the Gulf Coast or the Space Coast, we have been impressed at the breadth and width of the offerings. With two active boys, we’ve been successful at keeping them engaged and tiring them out at the same time.

Behind-the-scenes tours and activities are very popular with families, since many of them are tailored to kids. Most of Florida’s attractions offer such interactive programs, which can be well worth the extra charge. Advance reservations are often required.

For instance, the Florida Aquarium, adjacent to Tampa’s Port and Channelside Bay Plaza, offers a dive with the sharks program, a swim with the fish in a coral reef tank and a boat tour to see wild dolphins in their native habitat.

My family recently experienced the aquarium’s coral reef adventure. The exhibit, which is modeled after the coral formations of the Dry Tortugas off the Florida Keys, simulates a 60-foot dive, starting among shallow-water reefs and descending to deeper, darker waters. 

Housed in a 500,000-gallon tank, the reef has more than 1,600 residents representing 65 species, all native to Florida. There, we came face-to-face with a huge moray eel. I can rarely get my kids to hold my hand, but as we approached the bright-yellow eel, my six-year-old gripped my hand tightly and peered at me wide-eyed through his mask. Rendered silent by the regulators in our mouths, we explored and bonded during this underwater adventure.

My eight-year-old nephew jumped out of the water, exclaiming, “This is better than Mexico!” Honestly, I’ll never look into a fish tank again without recalling what it was like to be on the inside, surrounded by fish, while peering at the human spectators beyond the glass.

We loved spending the day as marine biologists, casting nets to see what came up and digging through seaweed to discover what lived beneath the water’s surface. That day’s catch included a catfish, some jellyfish and a baby blowfish. After returning to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, we watched a dolphin show and learned about the “Trainer for a Day” program.

It has always been a dream of mine to swim with dolphins, so we packed up and headed south to the Miami Seaquarium, which offers dolphin swim programs at its newly renovated, $5-million Dolphin Harbor. TV’s “Flipper” and plenty of manatees, seals, sharks and killer whales live here on 38 acres on Biscayne Bay.

Closer to home in St. Petersburg there are plenty of hands-on adventures including The Pier. There, ride the Segway people-movers or the four-wheel bike surreys at Wheel Fun.

In the cool, air-conditioned Great Explorations Children’s Museum, kids will be captivated by round-the-clock activities including dance parties, magic shows and science lessons. My boys volunteered to have their hair raised – literally – with static electricity. Kids can build their own cars and then race them on a miniature track there. Other activities include water games, indoor playgrounds and music machines.

My boys spent some quiet time engrossed in a Sketch Express machine, which features an electronic artist (Leonardo) who “draws” a computer portrait. Check out our slideshow of "Hands-on Fun" at the museum.

Since nonstop activity is what my family is looking for, we often head to Clearwater Beach, which has activities for the adventurous, including bungee trampolines, parasailing and jet-skiing. And although the state’s west coast can’t compete with the Atlantic coast when it comes to surf, you might be surprised at how big the west coast waves can get. Keep in mind, of course, that to a three-foot child, everything seems bigger, including the waves.

After treating our children to days filled with nonstop entertainment, I wanted to find an antidote to spoiling them while on the road (if there really is such a thing).

The answer is a volunteer program. Miami’s Doral Golf Resort & Spa and Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort feature a “Volun-Tourism Program” that just might be the cure for taking family travel for granted. The two South Florida resorts have partnered with nonprofit organizations so guests can lend a hand with landscaping a local YMCA or cleaning up trash at the beach near the Biscayne Nature Center.

There is a growing trend toward incorporating “giving back” into vacation itineraries, both as a way of teaching children about the importance of social responsibility and helping adults connect with the place they’re visiting. When you are planning your trip, ask about opportunities at any of the regional visitor bureaus.

Regardless of how you choose to spend your time in Florida, be sure to dig beneath the surface. Children will be more likely to come away with lasting memories if they can climb into the attractions and experience them in a tactile way.