There are more and more summer fun deals popping up all around. I updated a couple of my favorites in our Summer Picks section. Things like the Regal Cinemas $1 Movie Express and KidsBowlFree.com are great options for rainy or hundred degree days when being outside is just not an option. Better yet, these are Nationwide programs so even if you don’t live in South Florida you can participate!
The Summer Saving Pass for 2015 has been published, and this is my favorite one. It gets you admission all summer long to Lion Country, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Metro Zoo and The Museum of Science and Discovery for $56 for Adults and $46 for kids. This is an incredible deal if you plan to go to make a trip to any 2 of these facilities. In addition the Museum of Discovery and Science is another thing to do when the summer rains or heat prevent anything else. Click Here for a post about one of our trips to Lion Country Safari using the Summer Saving Pass.
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We pick this up Summer Saving Pass up every year. It is a great deal, you get unlimited admission to four different attractions. The Museum of Discovery and Science, Lion Country Safari, Miami Seaquarium, and Miami Metro Zoo.
We went to Lion Country 2x, and Miami Seaquarium. We spent a great deal of time at The Museum of Discovery and Science on those stormy summer afternoons. You can pick up the pass at the gate at any of the 4 attractions.
CLICK HERE for your Week Ahead extremely long list of things to keep you and your family busy, learning, and having fun!
I am starting to load up the calendar for the Holidays already, so if you know of a great upcoming event you think should be on our calendar, please submit it though our website Contact Us page!
Our Fabulous Sponsor Flamingo Gardens has a great new deal out! $6 Saturdays! What a way to spend a cool(ish), (this is South Florida after all) Saturday!
We love Boo at the Zoo! It is going to be held for 2 weekends this year, making it easier for us to hit all of our favorite Halloween Events! We love the Palm Beach Zoo and you can find a review and more pictures HERE.
There are always fun things to do at the Zoo! As usual the Zoo will be presenting all it’s fabulous daily shows and presentations, in addition to:
Trick-or-Treating throughout the Zoo
Paint-Your-Own Pumpkin Patch
Hay Stack Hunt
Costume Contests
Face Painting
Sand Art and Spin Art
Storytelling and Children’s Entertainment
Bounce House
Games and Crafts
Animal Encounters
Halloween Themed Keeper Talks and Animal Enrichments
Paws for a Cause Animal Art Expo with Art Created by Zoo Animals
Boo at the Zoo Spider Monkey with a Pumpkin Enrichment
Beat the heat of the day and head out to Safari Nights at thePalm Beach Zoowill be held every Friday in the summer evenings usually from June through October / 5:30 – 9 p.m. (Please check Up Coming Events for exact dates and times.) If you have never been to the Zoo in the evening, this will be an amazing treat for you! Every Friday night the zoo comes alive with children’s entertainment, roving animal encounters, complimentary rides on the Wildlife Carousel, live music in the Fountain Plaza, and much more! Additional fees apply please contact the Palm Beach Zoo for fees. Click here for a full review of this local treasure!
We love this event. The Gardens have all of their lights up and it is fun to wander around looking for cute little light displays hidden in the trees. It is usually a quiet day and Santa hangs out at the Wray House with some of the resident Bird of Prey and their volunteer handlers.
I have to admit it was tranquil and lovely the temperature was cooler and it made such a nice change to walk around in jeans and long sleeve shirts! This is a low key event and if you are looking for a mellow, beautiful place to spend a few hours in the late afternoon with your family, this is it!
Accreditation:Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums
Geographic Focus:Includes animals from 6 of the 7 continents
Large Animals:Rhinos, Lions, Giraffe, Water Buffalo, Wildebeest, Watusi, Zebras, Eland, Nilgai, Waterbuck, Greater Kudu
Endangered Species:EndangeredVulnerable South American Tapir, Sarus Crane, Southern Ground Hornbill, African Spurred Tortoise, Rhino Iguana, Threatened Southern White Rhino, Rhea, Blackbuck, Goffin’s Cockatoo, Blue Streaked Lory.Chimapnzee, Kulan, White0handed Gibbon, Siamang, Spider monkey, Water Buffalo, Nile Lechew, Cuban Crocodile.
Child watching Ostrich at Lion Country Safari Photo Credit: Erin Franklin
Photo Credit: Erin FranklinTotal Species: 921 species include over 900 individual animal
Kid Friendly Features:Carousel, Flying Elephant Ride, Kiddie Train Ride, Mini Golf, Giraffe feeding, Lory bird feeding, Budgie feeding, Petting Zoo, Ferris wheel, Safari Splash water sprayground, Water Wars, Camel Rides
Smoking:Smoking in Designated Areas only
Cleanliness: Very Clean
Education Programs: School Field Trip Programs, Scout Programs, Toddler Programs, and Birthday Parties.
Research and Conservation Projects: ChimpanZoo Volunteer Program, AAZK (American Association of Zookeepers) projects including Bowling for Rhinos (Rhino Conservation), Cheetah Chili Cook-Off (Cheetah Conservation), Staff Art Show (Benefits winner’s choice of Conservation Charities), Cell Phone Recycling Program. AZA Rhino Species Survival Plan, Rhino Advisory Group and Chimapnazee Species Survival Plan
Size: Total Acres 320 acres
Green Status and Recognition: N/A
Price: $26.50 ages 10-64, $19.50 ages 3-9, 2 and under complimentary. Admission includes entry into both the drive through safari and walk through amusement park.
Review:
As you pull into the Driveway to Lion Country Safari, visitors are met with what can only be called “King Kong” Gates. The attendants are always extremely courteous and hand over a CD that will narrate the journey for the entire car and serenade you will sounds and music of the Serengeti. The Safari is broken up into sections that are separated by gates. There are rubber band looking things on the ground that appear to discourage animals from walking across them into the next section.
In 2005 a fence was put up to protect the lions from the people in the cars and vice versa. Jennifer Berthiaume Marketing Director at Lion Country Safari explained that the fence was added as a safely measure between the lions and guests. “It allows the lions to roam more freely and made it possible for additional shade and climbing structures to be built”. Jennifer goes on to say “We realize that this change may be a disappointment to some of our guests who are accustomed to having the lions come right up to their vehicles; however, we believe that the added safety and other benefits were a necessary compromise. Lion Country Safari offers the largest display of lions in a North American AZA institution. We are proud to have the space to house a full pride of lions (as opposed to just one or two lions) and educate the public about these amazing creatures. With that education, it is important that we respect these wild animals”.
The drive around the Safari takes about an hour or less depending on the speed of the car, but it well worth it to see all the antelope, giraffe, rhino’s and especially for the little kids the Ostrich of all things! It never fails to amaze us how truly large and powerful these birds are!
The photography opportunities on the Safari drive are limitless as you are surrounded by so many different kinds of animals. It is a photographers dream!
Don’t think that the drive around the safari is all there is, because there is so much more! After you drive the Safari you can park your car and go into the walking park. This area has more animal exhibits and lots of rides for the kids. There is enough to see and do in the walking park to spend a whole day there alone! Guests will be able to ride kiddie rides like a carousel and mini train, feed sheep, lorikeets, and a giraffe. You can ride a camel, go on a boat tour, see lots of animals and generally have a great time. If you go the LCS web site you can print out a coupon that discounts $6 per person.
Photo Credit: Cynthia Buckley
Photo Credit: Erin Franklin
Photo Credit: Erin Franklin
Photo Credit: Erin Franklin
Photo Credit: Erin Franklin
Photo Credit: Lion Country Safari
Photo Credit: Lion Country Safari
Photo Credit: Lion Country Safari
Photo Credit: Cynthia Buckley
Photo Credit: Cynthia Buckley
Photo Credit: Cynthia Buckley
Last but not least is the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) located at Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach. This campsite provides facilities that will keep the family happily entertained at all times. Lion Country Safari often offers specials for two free passes to the park with a night of camping, and it even has a pool. The best part is you can sleep right next door to hundreds of animals from over 6 continents. You can hear lions roar and siamangs sing while camping!” No one will be bored at this campground and Zoo, and parents won’t have to exhaust themselves planning camping activities in advance.
Okay, so we headed out to the Flamingo Gardens for The Great Scarecrow Exhibit on Saturday. It was so nice to walk around the Gardens in the finally cooler South Florida weather! What a fun idea! Flamingo Gardens’ patrons build their own scarecrows and enter them into the contest. All the scarecrows are kept on exhibit for the whole month of October. There were scary ones, traditional ones and even one that used recycled materials in a sort of modern art kind of way. My 2 year old made it her mission to get her picture taken with each of the Scarecrows that will be on exhibit till the end of the month.
A few updates on the Gardens, the Garden Shop in the front courtyard is closed as is the Fruit Shipping Store and the Snack Bar. The Snack Bar inside the Gardens next to the Flamingo Exhibit is still open as is the large Gift Shop.
I would love to go to the evening Halloween program, Beware the Lair of the Swamp Witch however the flyers say that it is recommended for 12 years and older, so that leaves us out. Let me know if you go and post a comment here about it for us.
The gardens will be doing a trick or treat event, Story Time with the Good Witch for everyone Halloween weekend, which looks like fun. I will try to get there, but it is a very busy weekend for us.
The Palm Beach Zoo is a quick 40 minute drive from Fort Lauderdale. This 23 acre park has the magical quality of making you feel like you are walking through a lush tropical wonderland. The Zoo has several sections focusing on geographic areas; each area brings together the exhibits and the pathway landscaping to create the feeling of walking through a nature park in South America, Florida, Asia and Australia.
The Florida section brings you up-close and personal with everglade species like alligators, turtles and all manner of things that slither through the watershed. A walk through wetlands provides the visitor with the opportunity to watch otters play on water and on land. Guests can also view a Florida Panther through the windows of an authentic pioneer house, followed by watching flamingos from a rocker on the porch. This section of the Zoo will transport visitors to life in Florida before cars were rocketing down the I95.
The Asian and Australian sections allows guest to view rock wallaby from inside the exhibit. Guests will come eye to eye with Kookaburra, Rhea and Tawny Frogmouth Birds. The crown and glory of this section of the Zoo are the Malayan Tigers. These brothers inhabit a beautiful exhibit complete with waterfall and pool and can be seen frolicking in the water on a hot day. The guest is treated to a misty walk through bamboo pathways once again being transported into another world.
Finally guests are beckoned to walk through the South American section, a tropical Mayan paradise where endangered jaguars sleep in the shade of the overhanging pillars of a scaled down replica of the Temple of 1000 Columns in Chitzen Itza. This section of the Zoo is home to exotic animals like tapirs, giant anteaters and the rare bush dogs. Not to mention the beautiful and colorful parrots found throughout the area.
The Palm Beach Zoo is a fun family friendly facility that offers a snack bar, sit down dining, a carousel, animal shows and demonstrations. The education department offers reasonably priced special programs for kids of all ages including Summer Camp, Stroller Day Tours and Toddler Workshops. Don’t forget to bring bathing suits for the kids! The Zoo has a musical interactive water fountain that no child will want to walk by without taking a splash and dance.
published, and this is my favorite one. It gets you admission all summer long to Lion Country, Miami Seaquarium, Miami Metro Zoo and The Museum of Science and Discovery for $56 for Adults and $46 for kids. This is an incredible deal if you plan to go to make a trip to any 2 of these facilities. In addition the Museum of Discovery and Science is another thing to do when the summer rains or heat prevent anything else. Click Here for a post about one of our trips to Lion Country Safari using the Summer Saving Pass.
How you can help keep this site running.
