Heading to Florida

[cmacusa3]

I'm taking the family down to Florida in a week and was wondering if any Florida members can recommend some cool places to see Torts. We are going to Miami, Everglades and to the Keys. We have some stuff planned but I definitely would like some ideas for a few other things to do.

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh, man...wish I could stow away. Send Vic Morgan - @emysbreeder - an email and see if he'll let you come look at all his Manouria tortoises. He's in St. Augustine. Try to contact Mike - @Alaskamike and Greg - @ALDABRAMAN too. wouldn't it be great if you could visit them?

 

[cmacusa3]

Thanks and yes I would love to see them all!

 

[Gillian M]

Enjoy it!

 

[MichaelaW]

For sure go visit Vic Morgan!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I've been told that zoo Miami has a Redfoot exhibit.
Tropic Plants nursery in Tamarac has a Redfoot exhibit. And several parks have wild Gophers.
But to see them in numbers, they are near the space coast. Near Cape Canaveral.
Down south, here, seeing a Gopher is not unusual. I just can't guarantee any one spot to look for them.
Certainly, scrub areas just outside of the glades are hotspots.
Let me do some homework and get back to you.

 

[Pearly]

If you have young children definitely Miami Zoo! It's pretty big so plan to spend a day, but we took our children there couple of times and definitely going back. The exhibits are good size and animals look well cared for. There's splash area for the kids to cool off and play and they used to have camel rides for the kids. We spend whole day each time and still didn't make it to all the exhibits. I like that their focus is not on caging the animals but rather giving them some space where they can be safely observed by the visitors. Couple of yrs ago was last time we went and the place was clean, well maintained, beautifully landscaped and planted with all kinds of cool plants. I hope you and family enjoy it but do reserve entire day

 

[cmacusa3]

Thanks, My kids are older 16 boy, girl almost 14. They love all animals so any of the experience's would be fun. Last year I was in Orlando playing ball and we got to see a Gopher tortoise in the condo complex.

It's my 20th anniversary so I still have to plan some stuff for the wife too

 

[Pearly]

Congratulations on your 20th! We just had our 23rd. You know your wife's likes and dislikes. If she likes luxury spa kind of a thing than your possibilities down there are endless. We go down to the Keys almost every summer. Couple of yrs ago we made an impromptu stop on Islamorada on our way back home, rented a little boat and jetski and ended up spending entire day first riding the boat around those little islands and then anchored the boat at the sandbar and my husband was taking the kids in jetski rides until everybody had their fill. My children are young, daughter 11.5, and boys are 9. This particular trip was 2 summers ago but they are still talking about it

 

[Pearly]

Oh and Sunset cruise on Key West. You can do a dinner cruise but I personally never like to eat on those. There are plenty of good restaurants in town. Your wife may enjoy that. Definitely check out Sunset Pier at around sunset time. Lots of action there. There used to be a bagpiper for many years there who played at sunset but I didn't see him at my last trip. He'd been there for many years. I started going down to Key West back in 1989 just for day trips and every time I'd been there, the Bagpiper was playing at sunset. Makes me sad to think he maybe gone.

 

[cmacusa3]

Thank you! I went to Islamorada several years ago with work and went snorkeling so we plan on stopping there. Then spending a few nights in Key West at the Waldorf Astoria. Then back to Miami for a few more days. I need a break from work and this insane heat. I realize it's going to be hot and humid in Florida but these 105 degree days here are insane.

 

[cmacusa3]

Oh and Sunset cruise on Key West. You can do a dinner cruise but I personally never like to eat on those. There are plenty of good restaurants in town. Your wife may enjoy that. Definitely check out Sunset Pier at around sunset time. Lots of action there. There used to be a bagpiper for many years there who played at sunset but I didn't see him at my last trip. He'd been there for many years. I started going down to Key West back in 1989 just for day trips and every time I'd been there, the Bagpiper was playing at sunset. Makes me sad to think he maybe gone.

We have some dinner planned where they takes us on a boat somewhere to eat.

 

[Pearly]

We have some dinner planned where they takes us on a boat somewhere to eat.

Sounds like you've got it down. Have fun

 

[Pearly]

Thank you! I went to Islamorada several years ago with work and went snorkeling so we plan on stopping there. Then spending a few nights in Key West at the Waldorf Astoria. Then back to Miami for a few more days. I need a break from work and this insane heat. I realize it's going to be hot and humid in Florida but these 105 degree days here are insane.

It's been in high 90's here too with heat index of 105 or so, but here getting under a tree canopy makes a huge difference. In Florida it doesn't. At least not for me. I lived down there for 7 yrs and don't miss that humid heat at all. That's only good for the tortoises

 

[Gillian M]

​

Gillian and Oli!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Pm sent

 

[Speedy-1]

Happy anniversary ! Hope you all have a great time !

 

[cmacusa3]

Happy anniversary ! Hope you all have a great time !

Thank you very much!! Looking forward to it!!

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Good news is most of the exotic lizards, birds and fish, etc are back in force thanks to very mild winters.
Are the kids interested in that stuff?

 

[cmacusa3]

My kids absolutely love that stuff. My daughter has 2 leopard geckos. My son is starting to grow out of it a little but if he isn't playing baseball he's fishing. That's his College plans now to join the fishing teams.

They go nuts every time we go to Florida because all the lizards. We have blue tail lizards in the yard but it's nothing like what we see in Florida.