We thoroughly enjoyed our two months in Florida getting all of our must-see items checked off. There were some places that we visited along the way that didn’t get into the five Bucket List posts, so I am wrapping them up here. While I know we didn’t see everything Florida has to offer, we sure did have fun exploring so many unique sights throughout the state.
Orange Groves:
One of the things that Florida is well-known for is its orange groves. I really wanted to see one in person and luckily, we found Showcase of Citrus in Clermont. This family-owned attraction features 2500 acres of working citrus and cattle ranch operations where you can ride in the world’s largest 4×4 on their monster truck tour. We saw zebras, water buffalo, alligators, and lots of native birds on the informative ride. You can also pick your own fruit from over 50 varieties of citrus or shop in the farm store. The orange juice slushies were a refreshing treat and topped off a fun day!
Kennedy Space Center:
We toured the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at Cape Canaveral with our good RV friend Susan. You could spend days at this amazing facility absorbing the story of humans in space from the beginnings to current missions. It was so cool to learn about the ingenuity of those early pioneers who inspired a nation to reach for the stars –and then were actually able to do it…all with old fashioned math and computers that had just a fraction of the computing power we now have in our cell phones!
Today when technological advances are almost an everyday occurrence, it might be hard for younger people to imagine a world where the development of a space program was a national effort. During a tense global conflict that pitted the ideologies of communism and capitalism against one another, the two major superpowers of United States and Soviet Union competed to out-achieve the other in the Space Race. Apollo 11’s successful moon landing was watched by more than a billion people and united the country with a sense of pride, accomplishment, and confidence.
The engineering triumphs of the Space Race led to the Apollo program and then to the Space Shuttle, Hubble telescope, International Space Station, and now explorations of Mars and beyond. You can see excellent exhibits on all of these programs, as well as the unsung heroes of mission control, tributes in the Hall of Fame, and memorials to lost astronauts. We were wowed by full scale models and actual space artifacts throughout the facility. Kennedy Space Center in Florida is well laid out and (in my opinion) on a whole different level than Space Center Houston.
We also lucked out and got to see a space launch while we were at Cape Canaveral. Our timing was good because the Astra 3 launch was originally scheduled for Monday but was delayed until Thursday during our visit. The company’s maiden mission from Florida was supposed to deliver four NASA-sponsored CubeSats, or small spacecraft, into orbit. The liftoff was successful, but unfortunately the rocket had trouble during second stage separation that prevented the satellites from deploying. Hopefully they will have better luck next time.
Butterfly World:
In Coconut Creek we stopped at the largest butterfly park in the world. Home to more than 20,000 live butterflies within its 3 acres, Butterfly World has aviaries, botanical gardens, a working butterfly farm, and a research center.
The enclosed aviaries were especially cool to experience because you walk among thousands of butterflies as they gracefully fly around. I expected to have to search to see the butterflies, but they were truly everywhere you looked! With 13 different areas to explore, this was another fun stop.
The Turtle Hospital:
On our way to Key West, we visited the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key. Situated on the grounds of an old motel, this facility works hard to care for sick and injured sea turtles and then rehab and release them whenever possible. You can take a 90-minute guided tour which includes a sea turtle presentation and a behind the scenes look at the hospital facilities and rehabilitation area. I really liked being able to feed some of the permanent residents at the end of the tour!
The Turtle Hospital is the largest rehab center in the US and treats 5 endangered species of turtle. Common issues they treat arise from entanglement in nets and debris and ingesting plastics and other trash. Boat strikes also cause damage to the turtles’ hard shell causing injury, infections, or gas buildup. One of the most prevalent issues treated at the Turtle Hospital is the Fibropapilloma Virus which causes cauliflower-like tumors that impede a turtle’s ability to see, eat, and move. We got to observe a surgery where eye tumors were being removed from a turtle so that he could see better.
The Turtle Hospital also does important work in advocating for environmental legislation to make beaches and water safe for sea turtles. They are involved in educating the public through tours and outreach events at schools and parks. If you live in Florida, you can purchase a sea turtle license plate to help support the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Since we aren’t Florida residents, I purchased a cool bracelet from the store, and we also “adopted” one of their permanent residents that isn’t able to be returned to the wild. Our payment will contribute to the cost of Montel’s food and medicine for a year.
Tampa Fun:
In Tampa we stopped to see the new products at the Florida RV Super Show (nope, didn’t buy anything!). It was great to see special Air Force friends Cheri and Brendan, as well as attend the wedding of their daughter Katie. Katie and Chris had a beautiful day and we were excited to be a part of it.
This was our second trip to Florida, and we thoroughly enjoyed all of the places we visited. The months of January and February are a great time to be there since the temperatures are moderate and the humidity is low. All of the winter snowbirds are there too, though, so if you go make sure to get your reservations early for the popular spots. It was definitely nice to be wearing shorts and visiting the beaches and other outdoor places rather than dealing with the winter weather that much of the country was experiencing. Until next time Florida!
Wow! You guys stay busy and find all the good stuff! I agree 100% on Kennedy Space Center – definitely much better than Houston, and I’m jealous you got to see a launch. We were close, but no cigar. Love the sea turtle hospital too! It’s smart for them to allow visitors so much access and involvement in what they’re doing. It helps show people their donations really are going to a good cause.
The space launch was totally luck! Our friend Susan was at the KARS military campground in Cape Canaveral and told us about it (also a great place to watch from). We did love the Turtle Hospital and getting to see their operations and turtles up close. You are definitely right about it being smart for visitors to see their donations at work–plus it inspires us to want to help more!
WOW so much more to do in Florida and these are some very unique adventures and experiences to participate in. Another great post and thanks for sharing 🙂
We have been to Florida twice now for several months and had a ball seeing so many cool places. I am sure we will be back eventually as there is still more to explore there!