Little Julia was getting a face-full of water. As dolphins Tanner and A.J. towed her briskly around the lagoon, they welled up a small wake. But despite the surge mouthward, Julia never stopped smiling, even five minutes later when she stood wrapped in a towel on the dock at Dolphin Research Center in The Florida Keys.

For kids, unbridled exuberance is a typical reaction in Marathon, a favorite Middle Keys family vacation spot. At the Grassy Key Dolphin Research Center, kids have a lot to get excited about, because who can resist a dolphin's smile, let alone a kiss from one of the lovable mammals? Or a chance to play – even paint – with one?
At the Grassy Key Dolphin Research Center, kids have a lot to get excited about, because who can resist a dolphin's smile, let alone a kiss from one of the lovable mammals? Or a chance to play – even paint – with one?

Another brand of Florida's most charismatic wildlife receives visitors at The Turtle Hospital. Families can tour the facility after a film briefing. Four species of endangered sea turtles and one threatened species are brought here for medical attention and rehabilitation. Visitors can admire the turtles and often watch surgical procedures on these gargantuan creatures, which can grow to four feet long and over 400 pounds. If you're really lucky, you may even see baby hatchlings.

Just down the road at Crane Point Museum, Nature Trails & Historic Site, three waist-high, towheaded boys buzzed around a see-into beehive, trying to abide by their father's chiding to keep quiet around the bees. "Wow, that's a lot of bees," I said to them. "I'm not afraid of bees," the older brother of the twins responded bravely.

Here, families can spend a few hours passing through the museum and strolling the easy trails. My favorite part is the exhibit that virtually takes you underwater to where a toothy shark, loggerhead turtle and grumpy-looking grouper look down upon you. The mile-and-a-half trail loops around a Cracker house and its Creature Feature. A changing exhibit of local live wildlife, this is where I encountered the bees and boys.

More wildlife is on the mend at the complex's Wild Bird Center, and at Crane Point, you can watch their healthy counterparts winging around an island rookery. Adderley House, the Keys' oldest domicile outside of Key West, takes you back to the area's early Bahamian heritage.

For a look at a different village of Bahamian-style homes dating back to 1908, visit Pigeon Key. For kids, the fun part is the bumpy ride along the old railroad bridge in a choo-choo-style tram. Alternately, you can walk the 2-1/2 miles or bike it. (Check Overseas Outfitters in Marathon for bike rentals.)

Whatever way you go, be ready for an introduction to the gorgeous views from Seven-Mile Bridge, which the old railroad bridge parallels, serving as a popular fishing pier. Henry Flagler brought the railroad to these parts, despite engineers' declarations that it was impossible. On Pigeon Island, his workers, many of them Bahamian, ate and slept.

Learn the logistics and tragedies involved in the bold railroad endeavor at the site's museum inside the assistant bridge tender's home. The universal love of things that go clackety-clack is a sure way to bridge any family generation gaps. The visitors center on the main island rents snorkel equipment to use while on Pigeon Key.

Snorkeling is also a popular activity at Sombrero Beach, an off-the-beaten-path park where two palm-lined coved beaches, a playground and a sand volleyball court create a pretty, spotlessly maintained setting for playing in the sun.

Families who love the water find Hawk's Cay Resort the perfect fit for basing their Marathon explorations. For starters, dolphin interaction programs take place right on property. It has its own safe lagoon beach, plus a pirate-themed kiddy pool play area behind its Indies Club, where kids and teen programs take place.

For dinner, our favorite family stop is Keys Fisheries, Market & Marina in Marathon. A highlight for kids is feeding tarpon from the docks. The last time I visited, they asked for the name of a movie when you placed your order. I heard families being beckoned – Little Mermaid, Nemo, Shrek. Then suddenly two small boys burst onto the scene shouting "Pelicans, pelicans, pelicans!" They could not contain their excitement at seeing the big floppy birds, which I so took for granted, waddling along the docks and diving into the harbor.

Opportunities for exuberance come in frequent and surprising forms when you're a kid or kid-at-heart discovering magical Marathon.

For more information on fun family activities in The Florida Keys, call 800-FLA-KEYS or visit www.fla-keys.com.

Chelle Koster Walton has authored nine Florida guidebooks and countless travel and food articles for national publications.