Lion Country Safari

The Florida Summer Savings Pass is a great deal for vacationers to South Florida and Florida residents looking for fun day trips.  I first purchased one for my family years ago when we visited Boca Raton and visited 3 of the attractions.  Now that we live here, I know I can get even more value from it all summer long.  For $58/adult and $48/child, you can enjoy unlimited visits to Miami Zoo, Miami Seaquarium, Museum of Discovery and Science, and Lion Country Safari from 5/12-9/30.

When you consider the regular price of admissions for each of these attractions, you'll quickly see that you could easily get your money's worth.

	Adult	Child
Lion Country Safari	$35	$26 (age 3-9)
Miami Zoo	$22.95	$18.95 (age 3-12)
Seaquarium	$46.99	$36.99 (age 3-9)
MODS	$16	$13 (age 2-12)

This past weekend, we took a trip to Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, which is about 20 miles west of West Palm Beach and 60 miles north of Ft. Lauderdale.  We first came here 2 years ago and it's exactly what as I remember it.  It's not a huge, fancy park but there's plenty to do and see, especially for little ones including rides, attractions and animal encounters.  Their website says to plan for 4-5 hours at the park but we were there for almost 8 hours.

You start with a drive through the wildlife preserve.  It's pretty neat to get so close to the animals.  You'll see lions, giraffes, zebras, monkeys, alpaca, rhinoceros, alpaca, just to name a few.

The animals wander everywhere (except for the lions which are behind a fence) and signs remind visitors that this is their home and the animals have the right of way.  Sometimes they cross right in the path of the cars.  You are allowed to pull over and watch the animals.  Just don't be that car that stops in the middle and blocks everyone else behind you!

While we waited for one ostrich to move out of the car path, another one surprised us and came pecking at our window.

As typical of Florida summers there's often rain or lightning.  Apparently the state of Florida has the greatest occurrences of lightning in the entire United States.  So on this visit while there was no rain, all the water attractions were closed because of lightning activity within a 5 miles radius.

While we waited for the spray park and water slides to open, there was still plenty to do.  The kids rode scooters, ran through a hedge lined maze, played mini golf, and visited the petting zoo--all included in the price of admission.

For nominal costs ($1/a stick to feed birds, $2/a small head of romaine), we fed the goats and budgies while we waited.

They also have gemstone and fossil panning, which we didn't do on this visit.  But my kids enjoyed it on our previous visit.  You purchase a mining bag and pour it into a screen bottom box.  You place it in the sluice, a trough of running water.  And as the dirt is washed away, you'll find various gemstones and fossils.  Of course, what you find will depend on the type of bag you purchase.

Finally, 3 hours later, just before we were about to call it quits.  The lightning warning was lifted and the kids got to enjoy the spray park, 2 water slides, water wars, and paddle boating.

Honestly, my older son was not that excited to go here when I told him our plans.  But in the end he said he had a great time.  And isn't that so much of life?  Often it's just a matter of readjusting our
attitude and remembering it's not necessarily about what we're doing but enjoying the people that we are doing it with.

Disney World - First Visit as Annual Passholders

This year our family moved from New Jersey, the only home my children have ever known, to Florida.  It was a really sad move for them.  To cheer them up, hubby bought annual passes to Disney World.

The goal for my Disney World posts to come is to document our Disney travels to see at the end of the year if we would want to renew our passes.  I'll fill each post with highlights of each trip, tips, dining suggestions, and to-dos aside from rides, because there really are so many unique experiences that will complete your trip.

Our first Disney trip was over MLK weekend.  On a spur of the moment decision, we decided to spend the long weekend at Disney.  Even just days before the trip it was really easy to find a reasonably priced room on Disney property.  We stayed at the WDW Dolphin Hotel, which is considered a Deluxe Resort.  It is what you think of in a traditional hotel with a large lobby, restaurants on premise, meeting rooms etc.  For our family of 5 it meant 2 double beds, a roll away bed and 1 bathroom.  Since it was winter we didn't enjoy the outdoor amenities but they do have pools, tennis courts etc.  The Dolphin Hotel is close to Epcot and accessible to the parks by bus or boat.  See an interactive map of WDW resorts in relation to all the parks here.

Know Before You Go: Florida Weather in Winter
We are from NJ, a place where my son will wear shorts even in the snow until I beg him to wear some pants or at least long socks.  Our agreed cut off used to be that below 50 degrees he wears pants.  So imagine when we got to Disney World in January and it was in the 60's and he came in shorts and the rest of with short sleeves.  I quickly learned that 60 degrees here is not the same as 60 in NJ.  With the high humidity, the cold cuts through you.  So prepare some jackets and sweatshirts if traveling to WDW in the winter.

Magic Kingdom (MK):
To Do:
1. Watch the Happily Ever After Fireworks at 9:15 p.m. as the grand finale to your day.  It's more than a firework show--it's fireworks, lasers and projections of Disney characters on Cinderella's castle all synchronized to well recognized soundtracks that will take you on a musical journey of watching dreams come true.  If you stay til the end of the 18 minute show you can see Tinkerbell fly across the night sky.  What a magical way to end your best day ever.

TIP: You will want a view where you can see the base of the castle all the way up to the spires to enjoy the full experience because the projections are a huge part of the show.  We didn't stake out a spot early but showed up on the middle of Main Street right before the show started and found a place to stand.  The view from Main Street is good depending on if you have anyone directly in front blocking your view.  It certainly was great for my 2 little ones sitting on our shoulders but not for my 9 year old who couldn't see with so many people packed in front of us.  Honestly by the end of the show, my shoulders were sore from holding a 40 pounder while trying to crane my neck around for a view.

front view of the castle from Main Street USA

We've also watched the fireworks from the entrance to Tomorrowland and by boat which I'll post on later.

View from the bridge by Tomorrowland

2. Catch the Festival of Fantasy Parade.  Check the performance times on your Disney app and add it to your schedule.

TIP: Many people would recommend Main Street to view the parade because it only seems fitting to watch it with the backdrop of the castle.  On this trip we did find seats on the curb along Main Street.  But on another visit we watched it in Frontierland near the edge of Adventureland where the parade begins and we got a great view of each float and the performers.  Having already seen it we weren't as concerned about creating that perfect ambiance than just taking a break while watching the parade.

Animal Kingdom (AK):
To Do: 
1. Watch the Tree of Life Awakenings at night.  The Tree of Life is prominently displayed at the center of AK and is a towering 145 foot symbol of all living things and their place in the circle of life.  At night, it transforms to an amazing display of lights and animals.  It is visually mesmerizing.

2. Face Painting
So your child (or you) want to get some face painting and you're wondering if you should spend the ~$15.  The process doesn't take long to have done nor have we ever had to wait in line very long for our turn.  It's also a fun alternative to pass the time while with a little one while waiting for members of your party to finish their thrill ride.  And the results are pretty amazing.  But remember that you will have your face-painted child in all your pictures for that day if you were thinking you wanted to use that family photo in front of the castle for your holiday card.  So maybe do that photo first and then get the face painting.

TIP: Get the face painting done early in the day so you can maximize it on your child, and you can get FREE touch ups as necessary during your visit at that park!  That's pretty awesome.

Hollywood Studios (HS):
To Do:
Jedi Training
We, along with many others, ran to get in line for Jedi Training tickets at the opening of HS.  Tickets are first come, first served and you register for the time slot you want to do the training so you can work around your already scheduled fast passes.  After the group training, each child will have an opportunity to use the force while armed in light sabers to "fight" Darth Vader or Darth Maul.

TIP: 1. There will be a mad dash of parents trying to secure a spot for their Star Wars loving kids, so get there early and look at a map beforehand to know where you're going.  My first time, I found HS to be less intuitive to navigate than the other parks.
2. Your kids need to be with you.  They will be "interviewed" to see whether they are able to participate.  They will need to be able to follow simple instructions.  So don't leave them behind with dad while mom runs ahead.

Memorable Eats:
If you stay at the Dolphin or Swan Resort, stop by The Fountain for the "Fountain Funnel" -- 7 flavors of ice cream, 3 sauces, 3 toppings, topped with whipped cream and a cherry for $28.99.  You'll want to share it, or maybe not. 

7 scoops, 3 sauces, 3 toppings-dig in!

Farewell Miami

Our last full day in Miami, hubby went to play golf early in the morning and the round only took him 2 1/2 hours.,.and he said he even dawdled.  That's completely unheard of in NY!  During that time the kids and I just enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at one of the hotel's restaurants and then headed to the beach.  By the time hubby returned, the kids were ready for a change of pace and we moved over to the heated pools.  Frolicking in the pools while listening to live calypso music made me feel like we were in the tropics.  After a quick lunch at the tiki bar, we all took a nice nap and then headed right back to the pools.

For dinner, we went to Chef Philip Ho for really great dim sum.  I'm not a dim sum aficionado but I loved everything that we ordered.  Another plus was that the restaurant was right across from our hotel.

When visiting a new place, I like to see and do as much of the local attractions as possible.  But for this long of a trip, I'm glad we had built in some down time before we headed back home.  As much as I enjoyed Miami, after eating out so much I wanted to go home and as my father said, just eat some "kongnamul" gook and bap (Korean soup and rice).

picture perfect view from our hotel room

Farewell Miami.  I will miss the 80 degree weather.  Hope to visit again soon!

Science Museum & Newport Beachside Resort

After taking the grandparents to the airport and a tearful goodbye by "L" we checked out of our downtown Miami hotel and headed to one last "mainland" destination before heading to Miami Beach.

Recently "L" has been into space shuttles and planets so I thought he would enjoy a trip to the planetarium at the Miami Science Museum.  With the ASTC Passport Program we enjoyed free admission to the museum.

My son often surprises me in many ways.  At the museum he enjoyed holding a gecko and petting a python (which I thought he would be terrified by.)  But then when it was time for the the planetarium show (which I thought he would absolutely love) he started crying to leave because it was pitch dark.  It didn't occur to me at the time, but in retrospect, I should have prepared him for the darkness.  In actuality, it's been a long time since I've been in a planetarium and I forgot that it gets dark in there.

"L" holding a gecko

a huge tire

Afterwards, we headed to Sunny Isles Beach for lunch at Timo, an Italian restaurant that came highly recommended.  We actually arrived just as they were closing the kitchen but they were nice to accommodate us anyways. 

Then just a few blocks away, we checked in at the Newport Beachside Resort where we were all eager to plop ourselves down and just relax.  I usually don't care too much about where we stay during vacations because we usually spend the day out and are just looking for a place to sleep.  However this time I was glad that after a few jam packed days of sightseeing, we could stay put and take advantage of all the amenities of a resort including direct private beach access and heated pools. 

i love these umbrellas!

beautiful blue skies and waters

half buried kids

One of the best things I packed for this trip was microwaveable rice and geem (roasted seaweed) for my kids.  It's familiar for the kids and a nice change from all the dining out we had been doing.  The other great buy I had made for this trip was a First Years umbrella stroller.  This one had one of the highest weight limits and was inexpensive for something that I knew was going to get tossed around.  It served us well in the airport and with napping kids.  My 3-year old is big for his age and so his head would hang over the back when he was napping but it was easily remedied by putting a towel over the parent console to bridge the gap.

The Everglades and Biscayne Bay Boat Tour

(written 2/21 in Miami)

We spent a nice, relaxing morning at the Everglades National Park, aka "The River of Grass."  The Everglades are the 3rd largest national park in the U.S. behind Death Valley and Yellowstone, and it is also considered a World Heritage Site.  We took a 2-hour Shark Valley Tram Tour covering a 15 mile loop and a short walk up to an observation deck.  During the tour we saw LOTS of alligators, sometimes a little too close (a foot away from the path we were on.)  Apparently, alligators are faster than I thought; they can go 25 mph.  I saw a bunch of other visitors biking through the Everglades and if ever I go back, I think I'd like to do that.

beautiful views and lots of gators (that's one 5 ft away from my hubby & kids!)

For lunch we ate at Michael's Genuine Food and Drink.  We all enjoyed our starter, sweet and sour pork belly over kimchi.  It isn't your typical fermented kimchi, rather a quick pickle incorporating southeast asian flavors including cilantro and lime juice.  It was quite delicious and even my parents enjoyed this nontraditional version of kimchi.

sweet and sour pork belly over kimchi

We also went on a Biscayne Bay Glass Bottom Boat Tour.  I chose this boat tour because the glass bottom distinguished it from other boats but when I went to check out the glass bottom, it was covered in green muck and they said the water wasn't clear enough for viewing.  Really?  I think it was the glass that wasn't clear enough for viewing.  Nonetheless, the boat tour was informative and fun.  The tour took us around Biscayne Bay to tour the local landmarks and the mansions of famous celebrities including J. Lo, Liz Taylor, Puff Daddy, and Jackie Chan.  I think if I wasn't trying to entertain two kids, the sunset view of the Miami skyline and Bay would have been more romantic. 

miami skyline, some mansions, and beautiful blue waters

We topped off the day with Joe's Stone Crabs, a Miami mainstay.  Unfortunately they do not take reservations and I was told the wait would be 2 hours.  So, we went next door to their take-out store where they also had tables.  If all that a 2-hour wait was going to get me was table service, than self-service was just as good.  I didn't inquire about the market price for an order of jumbo stone crabs when I ordered, but honestly I wasn't expecting it to be $75 for 6 claws.  Though, that along with fried shrimp, some crab cakes and some fried green tomatoes completed the Miami dining experience.

stone crabs

fried green tomatoes

"L" has a claw finger

With the grandparents traveling with us, hubby and I thought we would go out after the kids were in bed but honestly we were so exhausted after all the sightseeing each day that we never made it out!

Welcome to Miami!

(written 2/20 in Miami)

For weeks, every time hubby has mentioned our upcoming Miami vacation trip, I've been responding in a sing-songy voice with the catchy line from Will Smith's song "Welcome to Miami."  Well after much planning, we finally made it here.  We've been planning a family vacation early this year since we didn't take one last year with so much uncertainty about hubby's work and where we'd be living.  And also, we had wanted to take my parents as a 70th birthday gift for my father.

After arriving on Saturday, our first authentic experience of Miami was dinner at Versailles.  Hubby's responsibility of the vacation itinerary was the food and he had read that this was the most popular Cuban restaurant in Miami, or as they self-proclaim "The world's most famous Cuban restaurant."  The food was decent and the portions huge but I wasn't really impressed, and even less so by the service.  Maybe if you're a local or speak the language you get more attentive service.  After dinner we went to pick up the grandparents at the airport and the kids were so excited to see them.  "L" wanted to move his car seat to the back row so that he could sit next to Grandpa.

Sunday was our first full day and it was a busy one.  For this trip, I had prepared a detailed itinerary for each day.  I admit it, I'm a control freak.  But alas, an unexpected wrench threw us off when "L" developed an eye infection causing him much irritation and a lot of discharge.  Luckily, hubby had the sense to contact an ophthalmologist friend who called in a prescription at 2 a.m.  Unfortunately, when we went to pick it up in the morning the pharmacy didn't have that particular antibiotic and we had to find another pharmacy that had it in stock.  While the prescription was prepared we killed time by the Biscayne Bay in this pretty, yuppy area full of high-rises called the Brickell.

love the blue waters and palm trees!

 

A few hours later than planned, we finally made it to our first Miami attraction, the Seaquarium.  The Seaquarium was surprisingly a smaller place than I envisioned, but it was a full experience.  It's not your typical aquarium where you see sea animals in tanks and behind glass; actually most of the things to do and see there are interactive in the form of shows and demonstrations.  We watched Salty the sealion perform a comedy routine with his trainers and then a performance by Lolita the killer whale and some exotic Pacific white-sided dolphins.  It was quite amazing how they could follow instructions and perform the feats they did.  I wanted to see a shark feeding but it was much later in the afternoon and we had other plans.  The sharks are not in tanks, they are in a circular channel around a kid's playground.

waiting for Salty the sealion's performance

Lolita the killer whale made quite a splash

the kids loved these inflatables!

We had planned to go to the Rickenbacker Fish Company for a waterfront dining experience, but it was unexpectedly closed--another wrench in our plans!  While trying to find another place to eat, we got so frustrated because of the traffic due to a Miami Heat game.  Eventually we headed back towards the hotel only to go to a local Cuban fast food chain called La Granga.  I was actually quite impressed with the quality of the food, considering it was "fast food."   The scallops were really tender and the chicken was flavorful and juicy.

Then we went to check out Lummus Beach and Park (aka "Glitter Beach" because that's where the models go for magazine photo shoots), considered one of the best beaches in Miami.  Because our schedule was thrown off we didn't get to come earlier to play in the sand but the kids still had fun playing in the dark.  South Beach is one happening place at night--people were still hanging out on the beaches and there was lots of loud live music and bright lights.  I think I could just sit and people watch there.

fun times on the beach

We saw some cool things and enjoyed some gelato before heading back to the hotel. 

a monster truck; imagine trying to find a parking spot for it!

sugar bringing out the sillies