Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Nature Vacation ideas?

We have not been on a vacation in 5 years. I have two DYS type kids, DD7 & DS10. I was thinking about something like SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, SeaWorld's Water Park in Orlando. It's very open but it might be nice to go during winter or spring break. We have some Marriott points for Hotel.

My daughter is reading the Dolphin Daires books and would love to swim with the dolphins. This can be done at Discovery Cove. My kids and I love going to the beach.

We are not great planners so everything included and close by makes it simplier. If we can walk out our Hotel and go to the beach - great. All of the above is very close to the Hotel.

I was wondering if anyone has been to these places and if they are very crowed? Is there a best time to go?

Is there some place else that we should consider?

I agree that Florida is generally warm-ish during winter or spring breaks - although that can vary greatly. Places like Discovery Cove are fun, but I will warn you - they can be very pricey. It seems most places in Orlando are not for the budget-conscious. Orlando is also crazy around the times of usual breaks from school, including the week of President's Day in Feb. and December break. Spring break is traditionally busy everywhere in Florida.

How about further south in Florida - the Everglades, Biscayne, the Keys? There are plenty of nature activities that are less expensive. Parts of the Everglades have well-groomed hiking trails and alligators in the wild (not to swim with, of course!).

The beach can be chilly, even in south Florida (except say, Key West), but you may get lucky. I've been to central Florida at the end of December and wished I'd had mittens. Then again, I've been on the beach in a bathing suit in December, too.

I don't know if this is the kind of information you're looking for, but I always thought I'd like to swim with dolphins (despite the extravagant cost) until I saw the trailer for The Cove. Once I started thinking about what it means for dolphins to be in captivity (including how they are captured and treated and the effects captivity has on them), I realized I could not support it.

We have been swimming in the ocean perhaps fifteen feet from (wild) dolphins at a Florida beach, but that was just a matter of luck. Honestly, I wouldn't swim there at all these days, what with the oil and other chemicals used to disperse it in the water.

Oh, and also, Florida does get crazy during Spring break.

You could get some ideas by browsing the Johns Hopkins CTY Family Academic Programs http://cty.jhu.edu/family/science.html .

No vacation in 5 years, how do you cope ?

We had an interesting day trip to a place called Homasassa Springs in Florida on the Gulf Coast when D1 was about the age of your kids. It is a state park. We rode on a boat into the park. They had gators, a hippo, flamingos, and you could go underwater and see manatees swimming above your head in the lagoon. As of July 6, I see a report online that the oil spill has not affected the area.

http://www.homosassasprings.org/Homosassa.cfm

And my dad made arrangements for us to go on an airboat ride not too far from Cocoa Beach (on the Atlantic side) one year, I think it was on the St. John's River. That was very cool, and our kids loved it. There are several places if you search on the internet.

Also, north of the Kennedy Space Center, there is a very interesting drive if bird watching appeals to you. It is in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. We saw tons of stunning birds last spring.

I think I need to start over with my vacation search. Any body else have an easy idea for me?

Bang for the buck?I'd take them on an air-boat tour in the Everglades. You can also do boat tours in the Keys.

There are lots of museums and private marine parks (ie Seaworld )in Florida. You could also go guided snorkeling in some of the National Marine parks with a marine biologist as your guide. If its cold, then just wear a full wet suit. You can find some snorkeling classes locally in a pool to get ready.

You almost need a base and then a car to get around.

Crime is a big problem in parts of Florida. Disney world has excellent "Greenzone" type security and I would consider using one of their hotels as a base for exploration of the state.

Google "guided marine tours florida" for some ideas.

Are you flying or driving? Are you in Florida already?

We took a roadtrip acorss the US and headed out west and just spent a day in a new state and saw some things we'd not had an opportunity to see before. We then went to D.C. this school year and it was a GREAT TRIP! So much to see and do! We hit all the smithsonian museums (they are all free admission). We had a GREAT TIME! The kids loved the monuments too! Lots of walking! You will surely get your exercise!

It would be hard to underestimate how important vacations are for me, so I want you to have a good one. That being said, I have a question about what you are looking for (in addition to JaneSmiths: what are your geographical limitations):
Your title says "Nature vacation ideas", but the things you mentioned (two water parks, an amusement park w/ some animals in it) are not quite what I think of when I think of a nature vacation. So are you really looking to be in nature, or are you looking to be outdoors? Were you picking Orlando because it is close, or because you want to be warm? Let us know what you're thinking, and I'm sure we can come up with some great ideas for you.