Page 30 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to Florida

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
For more exciting animal encounters, visit Zoo Miami just north of Homestead, Monkey Jungle south of the zoo, Jungle Island in downtown Miami and the Miami Seaquarium in Key Biscayne. At the Miami Seaquarium, visitors enjoy the Penguin Isle, a habitat for African penguins, which can be viewed above and below water in a 9,000- gallon pool. Boasting an impressive collec- tion of rare plants and flowers, as well as a sprawling tropical oasis, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden hosts special events like the International Mango Festival and Interna- tional Orchid Festival.
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is located in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park. The 250,000-square- foot facility includes a planetarium, aquarium and science museum.
Head to ArtsPark at Young Circle in downtown Hollywood to enjoy a 10-acre interactive park complete with a children’s play area. Near Fort Lauderdale, Flamingo Gardens and Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary offers 60 acres of diverse native plants and trees, a Bird of Prey Center with a free-flight aviary, and the chance to view alligators, flamingos, bobcats and Florida panthers. For a mix of ecology, history and architec- ture, the Bonnet House Museum & Gardens in Fort Lauderdale is a 36-acre estate preserving a piece of Old Florida charm. While in Fort Lauderdale, hop on board the Jungle Queen for a sightseeing cruise. Then, check out more than 20,000 butterflies from around the globe at Butterfly World in Coconut Creek, one of the world’s largest butterflyparks.
MOUNTS BOTANICAL GARDEN, WEST PALM BEACH • DISCOVER THE PALM BEACHES/JACEK PHOTOGRAPHY
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4 DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK: drytortugas.com
5 GUMBO LIMBO NATURE CENTER: gumbolimbo.org
TURTLE HOSPITAL: turtlehospital.org
MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS: morikami.org ZOO MIAMI: zoomiami.org
28 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA
Visit the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach for guided marsh tours, bird walks, canoe trips and more. Become part of the herd at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, a drive- through adventure where you can check out more than 1,000 animals including giraffes, lions, zebras and monkeys. Nearby, the Cox Science Center and Aquarium in- cludes a planetarium, a one-of-a-kind 18- hole conservation-themed mini-golf course, the quarter-mile Fisher Family Science Trail and the open-air amphitheater which features daily live science shows, trivia sessions and concerts, along with many other educational programs.
See the three young Malayan tiger cubs born at the Palm Beach Zoo in May of 2020. The zoo houses some 190 species, including at risk and endangered types.
Providing the opportunity to see
endangered sea turtles and other marine life up close, the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach is a hospital for injured sea turtles where visitors learn about Florida’s marine life and the ecosystem.
ROAD TRIPS
Probably the most iconic, convertible, wind- in-your-hair drive in Southeast Florida is the one along Route 1, a.k.a. the Overseas Highway, from Miami to Key West.
But who says a road trip means you have to drive a car? Why not let someone else do the driving and hop aboard Brightline, Florida’s intercity passenger train that uses nearly 200 miles of Henry Flagler’s existing Florida East Coast Railroad? And since trains hit speeds of 125 miles per hour, you can expect to reach your destination faster than if you drove. Stations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach are designed to connect with current public transportation options in each city, making it simple to explore those locations. Additional stops have been added to service other cities like Aventura and Boca Raton, including service expansion to Orlando.
From the Miami station, walk to FTX Arena, Adrienne Arsht Center, PortMiami and Bayfront Park. Take the train up to the Fort Lauderdale station and walk to the Historic District, Museum of Discovery and Science, Riverwalk A&E District and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. From the West Palm Beach station, take a stroll to the Clematis District, The Square and Post Park.
5 MUST-SEE ATTRACTIONS