Category — Miami FL

The Superbowl may be over, but Miami’s party reputation still isn’t going anywhere. Don’t let that discourage you from planning a family vacation to Sunny Florida, however! Miami is more family-friendly than you think, and has gorgeous weather this time of year. Here are some ideas for a fun-filled day with your kids in beautiful Key Biscayne:

Miami Seaquarium – The Miami Seaquarium might not be the biggest aquarium, or even the best, but its location on Key Biscayne overlooking the water gives it a definitive edge over the competition. The aquarium’s modest size is perfect for a fun day that won’t tire you out, and offers several live shows to keep you entertained throughout. Your choices include the Top Deck Dolphin Show, Killer Whale & Dolphin Show, Flipper Dolphin Show and Sea Lion Show. And if your kids want a more intimate experience with the dolphin, check out their swim-with-the-dolphins program for an adventure in the water!

Crandon Park Beach – Pack your picnic basket or grab a quick lunch and stop by the Crandon Park beach for a leisure break at one of Miami’s top beaches. The white sand and perfect waves are guaranteed to keep everyone in a good mood. But if swimming does get old, the Crandon Park Beach Amusement Center is there to provide kids with endless dry-land entertainment, ranging from a carousel, outdoor skating rink, splash fountain and playground.

Read my full article at Oyster Locals.

A couple years ago we went down to South Florida and spent a few days visiting friends. One of our stop was Miami Seaquarium. The ironic part was we had lived down in South Florida for almost 10 years and we had never visited the aquarium before. Even after we had kids, we didn’t take any trip down there. Now that we live in Atlanta, we made sure that we included the aquarium on our trip.

The aquarium is located on beautiful Biscayne Bay area right by the beach. So we could actually plan a better trip and bring our picnic for a fun day at the beach. But we didn’t. Oh! well..

I had already a few attractions in mind that we would like to see. Knowing that we won’t be able to do the whole thing since we arrived a bit later than planned (which is no surprised here.. Have any family with kids ever be on time as they plan?)

I knew that there were several live-shows all throughout the day from Top Deck Dolphin Show, Killer Whale & Dolphin Show, Flipper Dolphin Show and Sea Lion Show. I mean there are more shows and exhibits than we could possibly finish that day. So I figured we would just do the major ones.

Once I got the show scheduled, we headed to the Top Deck Dolphin Show. We arrived a bit late so we didn’t have a place to sit. Mr. Rojo carried Mr. Z on his shoulder and I carried Miss J. Well, it was well-worth the wait and the trip to visit our chiropractor afterward. The show was entertaining. One warning, if you will stand next to the deck then get ready to be wet. We weren’t prepare for this so we didn’t have extra clothes. Needless to say it was a very yucky feeling for the rest of the day. Luckily the Miami heat (not the basketball team) dried our clothes rather quickly.

Our next stop was the Killer Whale and Dolphin Show. This time we were early. So we had to wait for about 10 mins for the stadium to open. Again, we should prepare with one of those hand-held fan. Urgg.. It was hot. But we made it and got a great seat. The show was fun. It was my favorite. I was amazed by the trainers who interacted with the whale and dolphin. The tricks that they performed weren’t easy but they executed it perfectly!

The last stop for our live-show marathon was the Flipper Dolphin show. The site for this show was right next to the beach so not only we had a great show but a great view of the Atlantic ocean to boot. The kids loved running up and down and checked out sea gulls on the beach. Once the show started, they were entertaining enough to captivate them for the length of the show. By that time, we had run out of our energy so it was time to pack it up.

Overall, the aquarium was a great visit for family with kids. It wasn’t as big as other aquarium but packed full with shows and exhibit. It will be great for family with small kids as well. Due to size it makes it more manageable for parents to stroll around with kids.

Check out other travelers’ Photo Friday at Delicious Baby.

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