Eyewitness Travel Family Guide Florida Read online

  6. Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum Kids can race toy cars on the figure-eight track, and also explore numerous exciting hands-on science stations in this museum.

  7. Cuban Foundation Museum Collection Former Cuban president Fulgencio Batista donated the core of the museum’s famed Cuban art collection in the 1950s. It is considered to be the best collection outside Cuba.

  8. Sculpture Garden This magical outdoor exhibition area is dotted with works by noted contemporary sculptors such as Ernest Shaw and Juan José Sicre.

  Left Skeleton of a giant sloth Middle Exterior of the Charles and Linda Williams Children’s Museum Right Teddy bears at the Root Family Museum

  >>Practical Information

  >>More Things to Do

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Ice Age giants

  Once upon a time, huge Ice Age mammals – some as big as a bus – lived in Florida, including these below: The scimitar cat was the size of a lion, could run about 60 mph (96 km/h), and had razor-sharp teeth.

  The dire wolf was much bigger and stronger than today’s timber wolves, and hunted with up to 20 other wolves in a pack.

  The giant terror bird, at 7 ft (2 m) tall, didn’t actually fly – and was a carnivore (meat-eater).

  Hunting for bears

  The museum’s collection of teddies goes far beyond the “bear” essentials! As you explore this giant collection, try to discover the oldest, the newest, the prettiest, and the ugliest bears. Can you try sketching them?

  Fossil find

  In late 2011, a construction crew discovered some weird bones just down the road from the museum. The bones turned out to be from a 9-ft- (3-m-) tall mastodon, which weighed about 10,000 lbs (4,536 kg) and probably romped around Daytona about 50,000 to 100,000 years ago. Check the museum’s website for more information.

  * * *

  < The Northeast

  16. Blue Spring State Park

  Make a splash

  When the summer’s hottest days roll around, families love to take a refreshing plunge into Blue Spring, where they can swim, snorkel, canoe, kayak, or take a riverboat tour. Certified scuba divers can even dive here. With the onset of winter in mid-November, all water activities stop as Florida’s manatees migrate here. The park is a designated Manatee Refuge, and children will delight in watching from the boardwalk as the manatees feed, frolic, and take care of their calves.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Manatees talk the talk

  While it can’t be said that manatees have their own language, they do communicate. Wonder what “Yikes, danger!” or “Mom, I’m lost!” or “Now I’m mad!” would sound like? To find out, go to www.savethemanatee.org/coolstuff.htm and click on “Sounds.” The website also has games, stickers, and coloring sheets. Best of all, there’s also a webcam that shows manatees at Blue Spring State Park.

  * * *

  < The Northeast

  17. Ocala National Forest

  Tarzan’s playground

  A picturesque hiking trail running through Ocala National Forest

  The second-largest National Forest in the country, this 600-sq-mile (1,780-sq-km) jungle could take many years to explore fully – from its sandy Big Scrub to the semitropical Juniper Springs. Among the many attractions that appeal to families, the Yearling Trail takes hikers to Pat’s Island, the place where the family in the Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Yearling (1938) lived. Look out for the endangered Florida black bear on the Florida Black Bear Scenic Highway (State Road 19). The forest is also great for birding – spot bald eagles, ospreys, waterfowl, and owls. Several lakes draw bass anglers, and a full-facility marina rents boats. There are also campgrounds, horse trails, and springs popular for swimming, canoeing, and tubing.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  < The Northeast

  18. Ocala Thoroughbred Farm Country

  Horsing around

  Marion County, popularly known as “The Horse Capital of the World,” is guaranteed to be a big hit with horse-crazy kids. Watch a polo match or a real rodeo, get a close look at Thoroughbreds – including the famous Rohara Arabians and Young’s Paso Finos – at one of the 600 Thoroughbred farms in the area, or explore the countryside on horseback at a ride-for-fun stable. Marion County boasts thousands of national and world champs, plus six Kentucky Derby winners.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  Thoroughly thoroughbred

  A Thoroughbred is a particular breed of horse that is especially good at racing, jumping, and other show events. These beautiful horses are usually about 64 in (163 cm) tall, with a deep chest and a long neck. Those bred to run longer distances are usually smaller, and the ones meant to run shorter distances have bigger muscles.

  The fastest two minutes in sports

  The Kentucky Derby is a race for 3-year-old Thoroughbreds held each year in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is 1¼ miles (2 km), and the winner is draped with a blanket of roses. The 2015 Derby winner, American Pharoah, was trained in Ocala.

  * * *

  < The Northeast

  19. Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

  House of a literary genius

  A room at the house in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park

  Although she was not a native Floridian, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ writings about this area and its people have made her one of the state’s best-known authors. She came to live on this farmstead in search of a quiet place to write and fell in love with it, as most visitors do, too. Her books, especially The Yearling, which is a favorite among younger readers, help convey the realities of living close to the wilderness in harmony with nature. The park includes her home, furnished as it was when she lived here in the 1930s, a workers’ home, a barn, a kitchen garden, and other outbuildings. The home’s interior can be viewed only by guided tour.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Letting Off Steam

  >>Eat and Drink

  < The Northeast

  20. Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park

  Home on the range, where the deer and the buffalo roam

  Tree-lined drive in Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Gainesville

  This 33-sq mile- (85-sq km-) preserve, 2 hours west of Daytona Beach, is home to deer, bison, wild horses, Florida Cracker cows, and alligators. It is not necessary to hike deep into the wilderness to see its wildlife – the park has multiple observation platforms, including a 50-ft (15-m) tower for a bird’s-eye view. Remember to carry binoculars – 271 species of birds, from bald eagles to sandhill cranes, live here. There is plenty of human history here to explore, too. An audio-visual presentation at the visitor center tells the story of this wilderness, which goes back at least 12,000 years.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  < The Northeast

  21. Florida Museum of Natural History

  Calling all “__ologists!”

  Butterfly exhibit in the Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesville

  For families with kids who love science – whether they want to grow up to be paleontologists, zoologists, or archaeologists – the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History in Gainesville is an astonishing treasure house of information and exhibits. One of American’s top five natural history museums, it houses more than 30 million specimens in multiple disciplines. Exhibits at the Hall of Florida Fossils cover the last 65 million years in Florida, from the Eocene era (when the state was underwater) to the arrival of humans about 14,000 years ago. The McGuire Center, the largest research facility on the planet dedicated to the study of butterflies,
includes a screened outdoor exhibit called the Butterfly Rainforest. This contains hundreds of butterflies from all over the world, living in a predator-free environment among waterfalls and tropical plants. On weekend afternoons, when the weather permits, visitors can view live butterfly releases.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Letting Off Steam

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  A hummingbird quiz

  Are the following true or false? Hummingbirds prefer red or reddish flowers.

  Hummingbirds get all of their energy from sipping nectar.

  Hummingbirds are one of only three kinds of birds that can fly backward.

  Many hummingbirds migrate to Mexico in winter.

  >> Answers

  Which wings are which?

  Most butterflies rest with their wings held up, while moths spread theirs out flat. Check out the Museum of Natural History’s butterfly guide at www.flmnh.ufl.edu/butterflies/guide to learn about butterflies.

  * * *

  < The Northeast

  22. Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park

  A sinking sensation

  Steps leading to the bottom of the sinkhole in Devil’s Milhopper Geological State Park

  The Devil’s Millhopper, in Gainesville, is a sinkhole that appeared when an underground cavern collapsed due to heat and humidity. The sinkhole created a miniature rain forest with many small springs whose streams flow down its sides. On a hot summer day, descending all 236 steps to the sinkhole’s lowest point is rewarding for its noticeably cooler temperature. Remember to wear stout shoes if you are up for the walk. Though younger kids may find it exhausting, the walk rewards the energetic ones with sightings of birds from the pinelands and suburbs.

  >>Practical Information

  >>Take Cover

  >>Eat and Drink

  >>Kids' Corner

  Kids’ Corner

  What is a sinkhole?

  Sinkholes are a common feature of Florida’s landscape. They occur when loose soil, for example, lies on top of some kinds of stone. Rain and surface water gradually wash it through the cracks in the stone into caves beneath, eventually causing a sinkhole.

  The myth around Millhopper

  According to legend, the Devil fell in love with a beautiful American Indian princess. He chased her, and the braves in the tribe raced after him, trying to protect her. The Devil then created a deep sinkhole so that the braves would fall into it. The story says that the braves turned into the limestone rocks that line the sinkhole’s sides.

  * * *

  Where to Stay in the Northeast

  This region offers a wide variety of accommodations, from award-winning resorts and luxurious hotels to campsites located in beautiful state parks within walking distance of the waves. Northeastern Florida offers plenty of both upscale and budget options to choose from.

  Price Guide

  The following price ranges are based on one night’s accommodation in high season for a family of four, inclusive of service charges and additional taxes.

  $: Under $150; $$: $150–300; $$$: over $300

  Agency

  Stockton Real Estate

  www.stocktonrealestate.com

  This local real estate company coordinates short-term rental of individual vacation homes and condos, from oceanfront to golf course locations in Jacksonville and its beaches, Ponte Vedra Beach, and St. Augustine.

  < The Northeast

  Amelia Island

  Resorts

  Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort

  6800 First Coast Hwy, 32034; 904 261 6161; www.omniameliaislandplantation.com

  Spread over 2 sq miles (5 sq km), this resort has 150-plus guest rooms, plus a dazzling beach club and restaurants. Superb supervised kids’ programs, along with games, dinner parties, and picnics are offered.

  $$$ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Cafe • Swimming pool • Beach

  The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

  4750 Amelia Island Pkwy, 32034–5501; 904 277 1100; www.ritzcarltonameliaisland.com

  This oceanfront AAA four-diamond resort has luxurious guest rooms and public spaces. There is a beach, a spa, tennis courts, a fitness center, and stellar programs for kids and teenagers.

  $$$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Cafe • Swimming pool

  Self-catering

  The Villas at Amelia Island Plantation

  6800 First Coast Hwy, 32034; 904 261 6161; www.aipfl.com

  This huge beach resort offers lodging in rooms, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom villas ideal for families. There’s a private beach, golf, a spa, a fitness center, and restaurants.

  $$$ • Family rooms • Kitchen facilities • Swimming pool • Beach • Restaurant

  Camping

  Little Talbot Island State Park

  12157 Heckscher Dr, Jacksonville, 32226; 904 251 2320; www.floridastateparks.org/littletalbotisland

  Located off A1A, this campground offers 40 campsites with water, electricity, and showers. Laundry facilities and bike rentals are available on site. Reserve ahead.

  $ • Kitchen facilities • Beach • Playground

  Atlantic Beach

  Resort

  One Ocean Resort & Spa

  One Ocean Blvd, 32233; 904 249 7402; www.oneoceanresort.com

  A small but beautiful resort hotel by the ocean, with airy rooms and suites equipped with flat-screen TVs and refrigerators. A personal docent will make reservations, and even enroll kids in the wide variety of programs available.

  $$–$$$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Cafe • Swimming pool

  Daytona Beach

  Resorts

  Perry’s Ocean Edge Resort

  2209 S Atlantic Ave, 32118; 386 255 0581 or 800 447 0002; www.perrysoceanedge.com

  Most units in this property come with a full kitchen. The Kids’ Beach Suites in the South Tower are a good option for families. There is an atrium pool that allows swimming year round, a fitness center, water aerobics, and bingo for kids.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Cafe • Swimming pool • Beach • Kitchen facilities

  The Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort

  100 North Atlantic Ave, 32118; 386 254 8200; www.daytonahilton.com

  Family suites and the D-Dawg’s Kidszone, with arts and crafts, board games, and storytelling, make this oceanfront Hilton resort a great family option. Most of the resort’s restaurants offer a kids’ menu.

  $–$$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Family rooms • Swimming pool • Beach

  The King Terrace Suite at The Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort

  Wyndam Oceanwalk Resort

  300 North Atlantic Ave, 32118; 386 323 4800; www.oceanwalk.com

  Spacious one-, two, and three-bedroom condos equipped with full kitchens, refrigerators, microwaves, and TVs. Amenities include pools with special play areas, a lazy river and water slide, a game room, and activities for kids.

  $$ • Wi-Fi • Restaurant • Cafe • Swimming pool • Beach • Kitchen facilities

  Fernandina Beach

  Hotel

  Amelia Hotel at the Beach

  1997 South Fletcher Ave, 32034; 904 206 5200 or 877 263 5428; www.ameliahotel.com

  Across the street from Fernandina’s Main Beach, this family-owned hotel features rooms with king-size beds, microwaves, and mini-refrigerators. Kids will love the fresh-baked cookies and milk in the afternoon. Bikes and beach gear can be rented next door. There is also complimentary hot breakfast for all guests.

  $ • Wi-Fi • Family rooms • Parking • Swimming pool • Beach

  Camping

  Fort Clinch State Park