Reso 2011-1700 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

r~ [; ~ [j r; Travel Family-friendly Miami - who knew? By Kelly Wilton Last March, I was trying to figure out where to go on holiday with my husband and 31/2 year old son. I had a set of fairly strict criteria in my' mind about what I wanted. Because we would be going for only one week and would be travelling with a toddler, I didn't want to go where there would be a time change. Plus, I was looking for a direct flight (maximum four hours) to a warm destination with family activities and a beach. Then I read a travel piece in the Globe and Mall about Miami, certainly not a place I had ever thought of as family friendly. This South Florida city Is more renowned for its hopping night life, high-end shopping and world-famous art deco district. But after reading the article and doing a bit of research, I discovered there is plenty for kids to do in this city and it happened to fit all of my criteria.' rl l i r 1 l J l j [J We had left it too late to book a direct flight from Montreal but we were able to fly into Fort Lauderdale, which is only 45 kilometres north of Miami. We stayed In a two-bedroom suite with a fully equipped kitchen at the Acqualina Resort & Spa in Sunny Isles Beach (20 minute drive' north of Miami). This high:-end resort has a children's program for kids ages 5-12 where they leam about marine biology through arts & crafts, experiments and various other hands-on activities. u u During our stay in Miami, we visited the Children's Museum, Jungle Island, Metrozoo and the Seaquarium. But there are many more attractions for families, including an Alligator farm; a Monkey Jungle, Grapeland Water Park, Everglades Safari Park, a Science Museum and more. And, of course, miles and miles of free family fun with an endless stretch of beaches - a sandcastle haven for little ones. Miami Children's Museum After enjoying an afternoon at the beach building sandcastles and running through the waves, we needed a respite from the heat so decided to head over to the indoor, air-conditioned Children's Museum. Geared specifically to kids under the age of 5, this museum is housed in a two-floor buildIng with 55,000 square feet of hands-on exhibits. My son, Max, was most excited about getting dressed up as a firefighter, pretending to drive a fire truck and having a chance to slide down the pole. He also enjoyed climbing through the two-story sandcastle, cruising on a police motorcycle, and dancing in the world music studio, u u c L L L l_~ L Jungle Island , Directly across the causeway from the d1ildren's Museum is another kid-friendly attraction called Jungle Island. This zoo-type park is home to 3,000 exotic animals and 2,000 species of plants. You can discover some of the world's most fascinating birds, including a very rare Andean condor, a 6-foot tall Cassowary (a large, flightless bird), macaws, singing and talking cockatoos, and many other interesting feathered frIends. There is also a Iiger - half lion/half tiger, red kangaroos, South African penguins and more. Seaquarium ,....~ . ~) i 3 . . I I i I I I I I I I I ! i I I I I I j I ! I I I ! t I I j ! I I I I I I I I i I