Vacations Blog

Clearwater Beach

Clearwater, Florida is a great place for a family vacation.

The beaches are made up of the softest white sand you can imagine (It feels like flour!  Seriously!).  The water is a beautiful shade of turquoise blue with very little wave activity to worry about with little kids.  And there are lots of tourist activities aimed towards families.

One of my favorite things to do with the kids – and a great way to see a new side of Clearwater – is to take a ride on the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s Sea Life Safari Eco-Tour boat.

This boat excursion that is put on by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium leaves from the Clearwater Marina Pier, which is just across the street from the main beach access.  You’ll take a two hour ride through the intracoastal waters with a stop at Shell Island.

There are many boat excursions you can take in Clearwater, but this one provides a unique learning experience because of its association with the local aquarium.

Upon boarding the boat, you’ll head into the part of the intracoastal where you’re most likely to see dolphins.  About 200 dolphins swim in and out of the bay during the day, which means you have an excellent chance of seeing at least one no matter when you go.

Pictures of dolphins. Kind of.

Your chances of getting a good picture of said dolphins are not as good.  Unless, of course, you have more skill than the author – which is entirely possible.

Fortunately, your kids will not care near as much about your ability to capture photographic evidence of dolphins as they will about being able to watch real dolphin swim, jump and play along side the boat.

The Sea Life Safari Eco-Tour will also take you past another phenomenon known as Millionaire’s Island.

Millionaire's Island in Clearwater, Florida

Your kids will probably not be nearly as impressed with Millionaire’s Island and the many mansions along the waterway as they are with the dolphins.  Unless, of course, they are at the age where they have started to watch bad reality TV, in which case they might be impressed when Hulk Hogan’s house is pointed out to them.

The port stop of the Sea Life Safari Cruise is Shell Island.  At this point you’ll be let off the boat for a specified amount of time and allowed to hunt for sea shells along the small barrier island.

Hunting for Sea Shells on Shell Island

All of these sights – including shell island – can be enjoyed from just about any boat excursion in Clearwater.  What sets the Sea Life Safari Eco-Cruise is the trolling net that is tossed out from the back of the boat by the workers from the Aquarium.

The workers are responsible for collecting data about the sea life in the intracoastal waters, and much of their observations are made right from the Eco-Cruise boats.  They are the only boats in the bay licensed to use this particular kind of net.  The net runs through the water for three minutes, scooping up whatever sea life is in the water at the time.

Pulling in the net on the Sea Life Safari Eco-Cruise

Once the net is reeled in, you’ll get a chance to learn about whatever is pulled in.  There are also several examples of other animals and water plants on the boat that you’ll learn about as well.

Kids help identify sea life on the cruise.

The Eco-Cruise provides a fun, hands-on learning experience for all of the passengers.  You get to see, touch and hold a variety of different plants and animals that are native to the Clearwater area.

Holding a.. uh.. something. Sponge, I think.

Part of the cruise also includes checking the crab traps that the aquarium has placed into the bay.  On our trip, we watched them pull in a blue crab from one of the traps.

Checking out a freshly caught crab.

I loved watching the kids get a chance to get up close and personal with all of the different wild life.  The kids were learning a lot in a fun atmosphere that was relaxing for the adults as well.

If you’re interested in marine life, or have a budding marine biologist in your family, I highly recommend taking advantage of the Eco-tour in Clearwater.  Cruises run daily at 11:00 and 1:30, as well as afternoon routes.  (The website only lists two times, but we went on a 4:00pm tour.)

Visit the Clearwater Marina Aquarium’s website for more information.

As a travel destination, Chicago for me had always seemed too big, too busy, daunting.  Couple that with the fact that I’ve got baggage, small children to be more precise, and Chicago has been noticeably absent any of my travel agendas.  I am happy to report that this is no longer the case.  Oh, Chicago is still big and busy, but maybe not quite as daunting.

There are countless things to do and see in the Windy City and I would imagine that in a year you could scarcely see them all.  However, with a well planned weekend, it’s possible to hit some highlights and whet your appetite for future returns.

The John G. Shedd Aquarium is a must see if you travel with kids.  Home to thousands of species of aquatic life from sharks in the wild reef to frogs in the Amazon there is something for everyone.  My kids really enjoyed speaking with the diver who fed the fish in the Carribean exhibit and learning about the different types of food all of the fish eat.

The Shedd Aquarium

The Shedd is open daily at 9:00 am and closes at 5:00 pm (6:00 pm weekends.)  If your travel plans allow, I would suggest a weekday visit arriving when the doors open.  I am told that on the weekends lines are long, though tickets may be purchased online in advance to avoid having to wait.

After your fill of aquatic splendor, adventure is only steps away, literally.  The Shedd is part of what is called the Museum Campus which is also home to The Field Museum of Natural History, The Adler Space Planetarium and Soldier Field.

The Art Institute of Chicago should be a definite on any short list of things to see when planning your visit to Chicago.  Home to some of the worlds most famous paintings and over 5,000 years of artistic  expression the Art Institute offers something everyone in the family can appreciate.  There’s even an area downstairs where kids can play with blocks and read books, color or actually touch some of the items on display.  The docents really do not appreciate the touching of artwork in the galleries upstairs.  This I know!

The Art Institute of Chicago

Admission to the Art Institute is $12 for adults and free to children 12 and younger.  Thurday evenings from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm there is a sponsored free general admission for everyone.  It’s hard to beat a deal like that.

The Art Institue is located on Michigan Avenue, yes that Michigan Avenue, so when you have sufficiently cultured up your next must experience is again literally steps away.  Michagan Avenue is world famous for it’s ultimate shopping and dining.

And might I just add this little tidbit. If you happen to find yourself on Michigan Avenue shopping with a seven year old little girl, you can assure yourself of Parent of the Year status.  Located in the Water Tower Center is every little girl’s promised land, The American Girl Place.  All of your girl’s favorite characters are there replete with costumes and accessories.  There’s a photo studio, a cafe, scheduled events and more. It was my experience, though, that six year old little boys do not particularly appreciate The American Girl Place.

I found Chicago a pleasant surprise and a great family vacation destination.   Upon leaving I was already making a list of the things I need to see on my next trip back.

If you’re planning a trip, check out Chicago flights.

Best way to beat the heat and grime of New York City is to head upstate. But not everyone is fortunate enough, or filthy rich, to be able to own a cabin in the Adirondack Mountains. And New York hotels don’t come cheap either. So, for those of us stranded in the City, NYC offers a splendid collection of zoos, an aquarium and plenty of gardens.

Central Park Zoo & Tisch Children’s Zoo: The zoo recreates the natural habitats of over 130 species. Star attractions include Ida & Gus, the polar bears in the Polar Circle. Then there’s the Ice Pack building with penguins tottering about, the noisy and vibrant rainforest with all sorts of exotic specimens including tropical birds, snakes, frogs and lizards. If you’re there with your children, don’t forget to visit the Tisch Children’s Zoo. Details here.

New York Aquarium: New York City’s only aquarium, situated by the sea next to the Coney Island Amusement Park, boasts over 350 species of aquatic wildlife with over 8000 specimens. The latest addition, and a huge draw, is Baby Akituusaq aka Tuusaq, a roly-poly walrus calf born a year ago in June 2007.

Tuusaq, now weighing 400 pounds with tiny teeth just beginning to show, is a pampered brat, with everyone at the Aquarium, including his mother, Kulusiq aka Kulu, doting on him. His father, Ayveq, passed away a few weeks back, on June 22, 2008. More details about the New York Aquarium’s animals, hours and rates here.

Other zoos and wildlife parks include the Bronx Zoo, the Queens and Prospect Park Wildlife Centers. Major gardens include the Brooklyn and New York Botanical Gardens. Then there’s also the Staten Island Botanical Garden, which you can visit by taking a free ride on the Staten Island ferry, which would be a good idea for a summer afternoon anyway.

Photo by Stig Nygaard via flickr (creative commons).