“Will we get to see the Florida Panther?” my 10-year-old daughter immediately asked as we planned our New Year’s Trip to Marco Island, Florida.  By now I am used to such queries from my animal science lover.  Although this guy is pretty elusive, we figured we would give it our best shot by traveling to the Northwestern entrance to Everglades National Park in the Southern Florida Gulf Coast.  As soon as we got off the highway to head into Marco Island she saw the signs. “Panther crossing next 5 miles.” She was sure she would spot one that night.

Search by bicycle

Biking in the Everglades is a an essential experience at this National Park.  Menacing alligators were everywhere on the Tamiani trail heading to the Everglades. A quick stop at the Oasis Visitor center at the Big Cyprus National Preserve allowed us to learn more about the Panther and its struggles to survive in the area.  We also learned about the other wildlife in the area with hands -on exhibits.  A ranger provided us with  Junior Ranger quest materials that we used on our adventure in Shark Alley in the Everglades National Park. After we gathered our Junior Ranger materials and all of our newfound knowledge, we rented some bikes from the park service and got ready for a 15 mile loop bike ride to seek out wildlife. I never dreamed I would let me kids get so close to the monstrous Everglades gators, but there we were cruising by them on our bikes. The last few miles were quite an effort for the kids (and the adults too!) Luckily  you can choose to opt for the park service tram for a more relaxing ranger led tour if you don’t think your family is up for the challenge. Although we espied our fair share of gators and gator babies…no panthers.

Search by airboat

Captain Doug’s airboat tours just outside of the park in Everglades City allowed us to continue our quest and fulfilled the need for speed. These boats are smaller airboats so they are able to zip down the mangrove arches and really got our hearts racing. We spotted a Raccoon family and Pelicans that got so close one actually side-swiped my son with his wing…… but the panther continued to evade us.

Search by hiking and wild life drives

The Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve provided the opportunity to hike in the mangroves and drive along the Janes Scenic Wildlife Drive. Sightings outside the park entry indicated that the feline in question had been spotted earlier in the day near a specific fig strangled tree. We were hoping for some luck as we completed the Janes scenic wildlife drive at dusk.  Although we never saw the panther, we  did spot deer, gators, squirrels, a woodpecker, beautiful flora and birds on the small one way 11 mile road full of adventure!

The J ‘Ding” Darling drive located on Sanibel extended our search. My children were thrilled to find the Roseate Spoonbill and some Wood Storks on this drive.  All of our wildlife treks had made us very hungry so we stopped at the Bubble Room, a Captiva landmark since 1974. This spot is kitsch to the max and of course the kids loved it. All the wait staff are decked out as ‘Bubble Scouts’ with crazy patches and hats of their choosing. The restaurant is decorated for Christmas all year and there are several sections just begging to be checked out by the wee-ones, including an outside jail cell.

Search on the Beach

Tigertail Beach is located right on Marco Island and although Captiva and Sanibel garner much of the attention regarding their seashell finds, Tigertail can compete quite hardily. The fine, white sandy beach is very wide, and although we saw no panthers we saw our fair share of other wild creatures including a dolphin pod swimming very close to the shore. No need for a dolphin sighting cruise!!!  The kids snorkeled and swam while we adults got in some good reading time. The beach is complete with a snack bar and a playground, perfect for young children. It is a walk from the parking lot to the beach unless of course you are up for another adventure: crossing the salt pond in waist deep water. (The kids liked this option….maybe not the adults…but it was a quicker way to access the beach.)

Search…at the zoo!

The Lowry Park Zoo has been voted the number one zoo by Parent’s Magazine and once we set foot on its grounds we immediately knew why. All of the exhibits were kid friendly and there were many activities for the kids to participate in including walking amongst the Wallabies, feeding Giraffes, Rhinos and Stingrays. A kiddie roller coaster and a carousel were included with admission and provided a great way to break up the monotony of the ‘zoo experience’. We ran out of time before we could see the entire park, but we did finally see Lucy the Florida Pantherand my daughter finally had her up close and personal encounter.

Region overview | Hotels |  Activities | Exploring the Everglades with Kids | Budget Friendly SW Florida

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Enjoying a perfectly clear 70 degree day from a boat off the coast of Southern California is a pretty great way to spend an afternoon. If that afternoon is a seasonally warm January and the boat is taking you on a whale watching adventure, that day goes from great to spectacular. Gray whale season is just beginning and catching a glimpse of one of these gentle giants on their 10,000 mile migration from Alaska’s Bering Sea to Baja California’s breeding lagoons results in one of those moments where an involuntary gasp escapes as you find yourself in complete awe of nature.

My family has gone whale watching twice this winter with Dana Wharf Whale Watching. The first time was at the beginning of December. The weather was perfect and as we cruised south past Dana Point and along the Laguna Beach coast, I was in my happy place. The scenery was spectacular, the seas were calm, and my kids were having a great time on the boat, giggling away at the pelican (which they named Bruce) that decided to hitch a ride on the stern of the boat. Alas, Bruce and a half dozen sea lions lazing about on a buoy would be the summation of our animal encounters that day. That is not to say that we found our day to be a bust; quite the contrary! We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the water- the kids raved about it to anyone who would listen to them- and everyone on the boat received a voucher to come back again for another attempt at whale spotting.

As soon as the excitement of Christmas passed, my daughter began pestering me every day to see when we might go whale watching again. I checked the forecast and saw that the weather on the second day of the new year was forecasted to be spectacular- another calm 70 degree day was calling our names. This go round was different. The holiday visitors packed the boat and passengers ranged from infants to seniors. The fog was just beginning to burn off and the excitement on board was tangible. The whales must have known we were ready for a show because as soon as we exited the harbor, a gray whale was there to meet us! Success! My kids squealed (and I admit, so did I) as we saw the whale send up a stream of water in exhale and flip its tail as it dove back down below to feed. Unfortunately, the close proximity to the harbor meant that many causal boaters were also in the area and not exhibiting the best etiquette.  Our captain decided to head out into open water in search of another whale. I couldn’t help but question his decision. What if there weren’t any more whales? Boy was I wrong!

We zipped down the coast for several miles with an urgency that a boat which left a perfectly good whale could only exhibit. And then… we found them- a pair of whales, more than happy to put on a show. At first they demonstrated typical whale patterns, surfacing for a few minutes and then heading down for a deep feeding dive. But after a few minutes, they decided to hang out on the surface with us. They seemed just as interested in figuring out what we were about as we were them. Then, as if the day wasn’t going well enough, a pod of bottlenose dolphins headed over to play with the whales! So now we had two whales, dozens of dolphins, and wait… is that a sea lion I spy? Yes, we actually witnessed dolphins and whales playing together while a sea lion watched! “Wild Kingdom” had nothing on this day.

Dolphins and whales enjoying each other's company

Eventually, the captain regretfully informed us that we had to leave the spectacle and get back to dock so the 2 o’clock boat could head out. I could tell from his tone that we had witnessed something special. As we headed back in, we came across a pod of common dolphins that wanted to swim in our wake, leaping up to 20 feet in the air in what was most definitely an act of play. Our perfect day just became a bit more perfect.

Whale Watching for Land Lovers

If you suffer from sea sickness, have an aversion to boats, or just prefer to have two feet on land at all times, you may still get lucky and spot whales from the shore if you happen to know the right places to look.  Dana Point is thought to be a landmark to gray whales heading down to Baja so heading out onto the headlands with a pair of binoculars is a great place to start.  If you are visiting the area and want to search for whales from your hotel, there is no better place than the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.

The Ritz sits on a bluff above the ocean just north of the Dana Point and has many great vantage points from which to view whales.  Whether you are enjoying appetizers at 180blũ, sitting on a Adirondack chair overlooking the ocean on the resorts lawn, or playing at Salt Creek Beach next door, keep your eyes on the sea.  The winter months are prime for gray whale watching and the summer brings blue whales, the largest animals on earth.  Salt Creek is my family’s local beach and we have seen dolphins from the sand on several occasions.

Read more about the family friendly and ideally located Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel.  

It has been only a couple weeks since my last whale watching experience and I am already pining for more. I am quite certain that my family has developed a brand new past time and I will be watching the reports for the first good blue whale sightings this summer. How can I possibly bear letting another season go by without seeing those massive yet gentle giants?

Disclosure: My family received a complimentary night’s stay at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel and whale watching trip with Dana Wharf Sportfishing & Whale Watching in order complete reviews fro Trekaroo and write this story. Neither business asked that I state anything in particular and all opinions are always my own honest thoughts.

Sharlene Earnshaw is the blog editor for Trekaroo.

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October is an ideal time to visit the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park- the summer crowds are gone, the weather is pleasant, and kids are free! From now through October 31st, families looking for a great outing at an amazing bargain will be happy to know that children under the age of 11 can visit two of the top zoological parks in the world at no cost.  Since my family hadn’t been to the Safari Park since it took on its new name (for the previous 38 years it was known as the San Diego Wild Animal Park) and  we decided to take advantage of the free entry for kids and head to the park to check out  the new cheetah run.

Truth be told, I kind of have a thing for cheetahs. You know those little girls who spend their childhoods pining away for pony? Well that was me, but with cheetahs. So as soon as I heard that guests now have the opportunity to see a cheetah run off-leash on a 330-foot track at 70 miles per hour, I knew the kids and I were going to have to head down to Escondido to experience that for ourselves.  I figured we would love the experience but I had no idea just how much it would blow us away!

Every day at 3:30PM, park goers are encouraged to gather around the track to watch one of three cheetahs run the track. Last time most visitors saw these cheetahs was two years ago when they were tiny little cubs that stole the hearts of everyone who passed by their nursery window. Now cheetahs like Johari, are super stars as they chase their favorite toy on a lure at speeds normally seen on the interstate. You definitely want a front row view for this sprint because it is unlike you have ever seen.

There are a couple different ways to experience Shiley’s Cheetah Run. One way is from the bridge near the kids’ cool zone. This advantage point is great because it puts viewers at the end of the track where they can watch a cheetah run full speed in their direction. Another great spot to watch the cheetah run is from the preferred viewing area.  For a $15 fee, viewers will get the chance to get an up close view of the cheetah at take off. Cheetah’s can run from 0 to 60mph in only three seconds so watching an animal accelerate that fast must be spectacular. Thanks to the Safari Park, my family went with the ultimate option- the Cheetah Safari Experience.

If you or your kids love cheetahs and want an up close personal experience, then the Cheetah Safari is definitely for you. The first part of the experience is a pre-show of sorts where guests get to meet an animal ambassador. We met a rock hyrax which looked like a cross between an overgrown guinea pig and a rabbit but is actually the closest living relative to an elephant. My kids got a kick out of having the luxuriously soft animal hop into their laps and watching it the little guy try its best to stay in our little viewing area where the treats were plentiful instead of having to go back to its enclosure with the trainer.

After that, we lined our private side of the fence to watch the cheetah speed by. First the dog companion of Johari the cheetah, Yeti, ran the track. My kids were certain that nothing could run as fast as the dog. Then the cheetah burst from its cage and ran with grace and incredible speed. Tears welled in my eyes- it was more than I could have imaged. I turned to the kids and saw huge grins on their faces. Even a five year old knew that seeing a cheetah run was like witnessing magic.

Johari ran 330 feet in 5.12 seconds- a new park record! She took a few minutes to regain her breath and pump some oxygen back into her blood before she have us one more show- 5.62 seconds. Then she joined us Cheetah Safari guests in our special seating area for a meet and greet. We sat a few feet from Johari, listening to her purr as she happily licked on her bloodsicle. Her trainers gave us a private talk about the cheetahs at the Safari Park and answered our questions about the animal that managed to leave me speechless. While our group wasn’t able to stand near the cheetah for pictures, I was told some groups do get that opportunity, dependent on  a wide variety of factors.

Picture or no picture, our Cheetah Safari experience was incredible. My kids have told everybody who would listen about the “super fast cheetah with a doggy friend” and I fulfilled a cheetah lover’s dream. Of course, there are plenty of other great reasons to head to the Safari Park- including the chance to see the newest member of the gorilla family, Monroe.

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Sharlene Earnshaw is the Blog Editor for Trekaroo.

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A few weeks ago, we visited the California Academy of Sciences specifically to check out the new Extreme Mammal Exhibit.  Our 7 year old is an “animal expert”, so a visit to the Academy of Sciences is always huge treat.  When we first entered the Academy, we were greeted by the teaser section of the Extreme Mammal exhibit.  It was really neat.  In addition to a HUGE sculpture of the largest mammal, there is also a scale where people can compare their weight to that of other mammals.  That part was fun.  The kids delighted in the hands-on aspect of this portion of the exhibit.

Pangolin at Extreme Mammal Exhibit Photo Credit: AMNH/D. Finnin

Once through the ticket queue, you enter another queue with informational posters. After a moment, the doors to the exhibit were opened for us by a young man.  He explained we were entering a temperature controlled environment and to not take any pictures.  He also said to make sure we did not touch any of the exhibits unless a sign specifically said so. No worries – there is plenty here to see and touch.

Kinkajou Skeleton at Extreme Mammal Exhibit - Photo by: Woolly Monkey Fossil in the Extreme Mammal Exhibit - Photo credit: AMNH/R. Mickens

While the exhibits were arranged in an old-school museum style, the flow of the rooms was great.  One topic naturally lead to another.  The information in each section was short and informative.  While my kids rushed through somewhat, there was enough to interest them and get them talking.  My son, Josh, was particularly moved by the section on endangered species and has been studying the causes of extinction since we came home.

Giant Ground Sloth at Extreme Mammal Exhibit - Photo credit: AMNH/D. Finnin

My only complaint with the exhibit – and it’s a minor one – is that, even though it was a new exhibit, it already had a worn appearance.   Some signage was damaged, ripped, or falling apart, and some interactive materials weren’t working properly.   The condition of the exhibit made me feel as if the exhibit was being neglected.   It did not impact my ability to learn and enjoy the exhibit, just my ability to view the exhibit in a completely positive light.

Ellesmere Island Diorama at the Extreme Mammal Exhibit - Photo credit: AMNH/D. Finnin

All in all, my 7 year old son who’s a huge animal fan was very moved by the extreme mammal exhibit.  My 5 year old daughter was just slight of bored during our 45 minute tour of exhibit.  Definitely visit with your kids 6 and up who can read and digest all the wonderful information, However, you might want to skip over this special exhibit and head straight for the wonderful aquarium with younger kids.

Related:

• Reviews of the California Academy of Sciences
• Activities for Kids in San Francisco
• Kid-friendly Hotels in San Francisco

Disclosure: This review is based on a complimentary visit to Academy of Sciences.  I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view.

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Heather Tanner is a 2010 Trekaroo Superoo who visited the California Academy of Sciences on assignment to check out the Extreme Mammal Exhibit.

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