Travels with Grandkids

Well, it's certainly been a busy two weeks, enjoying the visit of our elder daughter and four of our grandchildren. We still have a week to go, so I ask that you pray for our continued sanity. Actually, the little people have been absolutely wonderful. They range in age from little Eddie, who's pushing three, to Pedro, a mature eight-year-old, so it's not easy to find group activities that all will enjoy. This time, though, instead of the usual Disney and related mind-numbing entertainment, we decided to do something a little different. So far it's been a great success; so if you have little ones and find yourself in central Florida, here are some ideas that can make your stay especially memorable and enjoyable.

Our first excursion was to Tampa, about a 90-minute drive from our home. We booked a two-bedroom suite at Chase Suites, a very nice hotel right on the water and relatively convenient to most of the places we intended to visit. On our first day we took the little guys to the zoo...

Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. This is a wonderful zoo that kids of all ages will enjoy. It was once again rated the best zoo in the USA by Parents Magazine -- very kid-oriented with lots of fun things to see and do. Click here and check out their website. The only disappointment, and it was minor, was the River Odyssey Eco-Tour on the Hillsborough River. It was a nice boat ride, and the crew were very pleasant, but it wasn't particularly interesting. I guess we've been spoiled by previous visits to Silver Springs and Mount Dora where the boat rides always churn up lots of alligators and other wild critters. We spent most the day at the zoo and then returned to the hotel for a little dip in the outdoor pool, followed by dinner at the local IHOP (always a treat for youngsters).

Grandson, Eddie, fascinated by the chimpanzees at the Lowry Park Zoo

A cheetah on the prowl at the Lowry Park Zoo

The next day we visited the aquarium and were again pleasantly surprised...

Jellyfish at the Florida Aquarium, Tampa

The Florida Aquarium. Located downtown near the shipping terminal, this is a terrific aquarium. Be sure to take in any of the planned demonstrations and other events scheduled for the day of your visit. You'll receive a schedule of events when you purchase your tickets. The kids loved the up close and personal encounters with the penguins, alligators, snakes and sharks. All in all, it was a wonderful day. Click here to visit the aquarium's website.

A seahorse at the Florida Aquarium, Tampa

Pedro & Camilla interact with a boa constrictor at the Florida Aquarium, Tampa

Yesterday we took off in a different direction and headed north to Gainesville and the Florida Museum of Natural History, located on the campus of the University of Florida. Normally, I might be a bit leery about taking a group of very young ones to a museum, but this one is different. First of all, it's very kid-friendly and admission to the museum itself is free. But the real plus is the Butterfly Rainforest, a closed rainforest-like environment populated by hundreds of butterflies from all over the world. There's an admission fee for this, but it's worth every cent. You follow a path through the exhibit at your own pace and simply marvel at these wonderful creatures who surround you every step of the way. Although you are not permitted to initiate any contact with the butterflies, if you sit down on one of the many benches and wait a few moments, one or more will inevitably land on you (especially if you wear a loud floral Hawaiian shirt). You can take all the photos or videos you like, and if you click here you can view a slide show of some of the photos I took during our brief stay.

A butterfly settles on grandson Pedro's foot

A colorful bird shares the Butterfly Rainforest

One of the many varieties of butterfly in the Rainforest

What a wonderful creation God has given us. Being is certainly very, very good. More on some of our other outings in my next post...

God's peace...