by DK
Older kids may prefer the restaurants and shops in the hotel complex. These include the Hard Rock Cafe itself, the authentic Mexican standards (and guacamole prepared tableside) at Tequila Ranch, and Wetzel’s Pretzels. Hip kids’ clothing store Brats and the Seminole Store are among the shops on site.
If there is time, take in one of the wide range of concerts and shows at the Hard Rock Live, or enjoy a dip in the lagoon-style pool.
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Rock ‘n’ roll
Every Hard Rock Cafe features rock and roll memorabilia on its walls, such as guitars, costumes, posters, photographs, and records of a myriad of artists, from the Beatles and Elvis Presley to Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga
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5. Davie
Cowboys, children’s art and a trip to the stars
Browsing through a variety of cowboy hats at Grif’s Western, Davie
Lying 20 miles (32 km) inland, this Fort Lauderdale suburb is the unlikely venue for some intriguing family attractions. Davie is more like a cowboy outpost than a typical Florida town, a legacy of Florida’s early cattle-ranching settlers. Kids will love watching the town rodeo, held intermittently between February and November. There is even a rodeo for kids in June. Fans of the Wild West should visit Grif’s Western, the leading seller of cowboy boots, hats, and saddles in the state. Stop by the Old Davie School Historical Museum, a restored 1918 schoolhouse, with exhibits that bring Florida’s pioneer history to life. Younger children will get more out of the Young at Art Children’s Museum, which explores the history of art through five child-friendly themes. Finally, do not miss the Buehler Planetarium & Observatory, where planetarium shows are followed by star-gazing sessions. On a clear night, Jupiter, or even Saturn’s rings, might be visible.
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Bucking broncos
The most famous event at a rodeo (and one of the most dangerous) is called bronc riding, where cowboys and cowgirls try to stay on a wild, bucking horse – or bull – for as long as possible. Most get thrown off eventually. Riders score points for how long they can hold on: they have to stay on the horse for at least 8 seconds in order to score – it’s much harder than it sounds!
Scavenger Hunt!
The Old Davie School Historical Museum is crammed with all sorts of strange objects, old photographs, and historic maps. Can you find these exhibits? A stuffed alligator
The Pioneer Hut
The old water well pump
Viele House
An inkwell (Hint: look in the old classroom)
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6. Flamingo Gardens
The home of pink flamingos
This botanical garden, smothered with subtropical plants and trees, is a serene preserve that attracts butterflies and hummingbirds in winter. The gardens are set up with families in mind – children are encouraged to touch and smell herbs and plants in the Children's Garden. But, inevitably, most kids will be asking, “where are the flamingos?” Fear not, the on-site Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 83 species of Florida’s native birds and animals, including alligators, panthers, bobcats, otters, eagles, and pink flamingos. Around 250 birds, including plenty of noisy waders, can be seen inside the huge Free-flight Aviary. For a change of pace, visit the Wray Home Museum, restored to its appearance in the 1930s, when it was the home of Floyd and Jane Wray, the founders of the gardens.
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Bird hunt
How many of these birds can you spot at Flamingo Gardens? Bald eagle
Peacock
Flamingo
Egret
White ibis
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7. Butterfly World
Birds, butterflies, and bugs
A butterfly on foliage in Butterfly World, Coconut Creek
Few places are as enchanting as this nature park, located in Tradewinds Park, where hundreds of brilliantly colored butterflies flutter through tropical greenhouses, and exotic birds nestle in the palms. Inside the Tropical Rain Forest Aviary, bright blue, amber, and yellow butterflies land gently on children’s hands and shoulders. Kids also love the Lorikeet Encounter, where multicolored parrots feed from cups of nectar right out of visitors’ hands.
The Tinalandia Suspension Bridge, which sways as kids romp across it, is another favorite, while the main attractions inside the blossom-filled Jewels of the Sky Aviary are the fearless hummingbirds, which feed on nectar in the flowers. Do not miss the Bug Zoo, where giant water bugs, creepy spiders, and mean-looking wasps are sure to elicit gasps of horror/pleasure.
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Butterflies vs moths
Butterflies fly during the day, unlike moths that fly mostly at night. And most butterflies have antennae that are clubbed at the end. The antennae of the moth are pointed or feathered.
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8. Boca Raton
A Mediterranean fantasy
This lovely city started to develop during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, when famous architect Addison Mizner built the ultra chic pink building called the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Kids will probably spot this fortress from the car. Mizner inspired the Mediterranean Revival style of architecture that still dominates downtown and gives Boca Raton a Continental feel.
Younger kids will find the Boca Raton Children’s Museum enticing. Set within a 1913 driftwood Cracker cottage – the simple abode of early Florida farmers – it has many handson exhibits that will keep children occupied for hours. The KidsCents Bank exhibit shows how a bank works, with teller windows and a working vault, while Pirate Island brings the seafaring world to life with interactive games, stories, and a treasure map. Nearer to the ocean, stroll around Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, where boardwalks wind through a tropical hardwood hammock and a mangrove forest. Spot ospreys, brown pelicans, and the occasional manatee lurking in the warm waters.
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Mouse mouth
The name Boca Raton comes from Spanish words. Boca means “mouth” and raton means “mouse”. So when you visit Boca Raton, you are entering the mouth of the mouse!
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9. Delray Beach
Fun with water and sand
Delray Beach is one of the most popular, family-friendly destinations in South Florida – this small and welcoming beach town has even received awards for being the “Most Fun Small Town in America.” The 2-mile (3-km) beach, with good facilities, is ideal for fun activities, while the calm waters allow for numerous watersports, from paddleboarding to snorkeling. The nearby Atlantic Avenue has plenty of fine restaurants and bars, upscale shops, and art galleries.
When kids tire of the beach, take a stroll along the three-quarter-mile (1-km) boardwalk that winds around the Wakodahatchee Wetlands. This swamp area has become home to a variety of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, frogs, and over 140 different species of birds. More water-related activities can be found at the Sandoway Discovery Center, which has reptiles, shark feedings, a shell collection, and an exhibit on the Delray Wreck, a steamship that sunk off the coast in 1903. The restored Cason Cottage Museum, run by the Delray Beach Historical Societ
y, takes you back to Florida’s pre-boom era, from 1915 to 1935, with a focus on local architecture and history.
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Shark Attack
Feeding sharks at the Sandoway Discovery Center can be very exciting, but did you know… Sharks have been around on Earth in some form for nearly 450 million years!
Sharks are loners, they don’t tend to live in groups.
Sharks never run out of teeth. If they lose any, one from the back-up rows behind it will move into that position. In this way, sharks can use up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime!
The biggest fish ever caught was a great white shark hooked off South Australia in 1959. It weighed an amazing 2,664 lb (1,208 kg) – as much as a small car!
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10. Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens
A day out in the Far East
Stone sculptures and flower beds in the Japanese Gardens, Delray Beach
Southern Florida is an unlikely place for an outpost of classical Japan, but this museum and its beautifully landscaped grounds give visitors an authentic taste of the Far East. See six beautiful Japanese gardens, a Shinto shrine, a teahouse, and a museum – the legacy of a Japanese agricultural colony established in Boca Raton in the early 20th century.
The main section of the museum displays Japanese art, but kids might find this hard-going; aim instead for the Yamato-kan house, where the Japan through the Eyes of a Child exhibit offers a taste of modern Japanese life specially designed for younger kids. Explore a Japanese classroom, a shopping street, and a typical home complete with tatami mats (straw mats used to cover floors), a huge bathtub, and a hightech toilet. The gardens, with zigzag bridges, hidden waterfalls, Zen-inspired rock gardens, and many bonsai trees, are ideal for strolling.
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Cup of Tea?
The tea ceremony (sado) is an important part of Japanese culture, and you can experience this at the teahouse in the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, along with live demonstrations of koto (a traditional stringed instrument) and kitsuke (the art of wearing a kimono).
Learning Japanese
Try to learn these Japanese words: Thank you: Arigatoō
Yes: Hai
Hello: Kon’nichiwa
Goodbye: Sayoōnara
Awesome!: Sugoi!
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11. Palm Beach
Hang out with America’s mega-rich
Impressive facade of The Breakers
One of the wealthiest places in the US, Palm Beach is peppered with grand mansions, pristine gardens, and upscale shopping streets. The town was founded in the 1890s, when Henry Flagler brought his railroad south and built two luxury hotels here. In the 1920s, Addison Mizner added Mediterranean-style homes and plazas, lending the town a refined European air. Ever since, it has attracted tycoons, sports stars, and even royalty.
Key Sights
1. Lake Trail Bike or walk along this tree-shaded 3-mile (5-km) path that borders the waters of Lake Worth to take in scenic lake views and admire Palm Beach mansions.
2. Green’s Pharmacy Open since 1937, this old-fashioned diner is known for its breakfasts, burgers, and ice cream sodas. Hit the pharmacy section for all sorts of beach gear, toys, and old-style sweets.
3. The Breakers Established by Henry Flagler in 1896, this hotel is a spellbinding place to visit for a guided tour. The present Italianate building dates from 1926.
4. Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea This Neo-Gothic church was built in 1926. Stroll in its lush Cluett Memorial Garden, amid the cloisters, with gazebos and a fountain pond filled with colorful koi.
5. Society of the Four Arts While art exhibitions are held inside this Italianate building, the beautifully landscaped grounds contain a series of lush botanical gardens, and a selection of elegant modern sculptures.
6. Norton Museum of Art This museum houses several masterpieces by great artists such as Picasso and Gauguin, as well as modern American art by Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe, and glass artist Dale Chihuly.
Left Lush gardens at the Society of the Four Arts Middle Norton Museum of Art Right Green’s Pharmacy
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Sculpture hunt
Try to find these sculptures in the Society of the Four Arts sculpture garden: Monumental Apple Basket (1998) by Leslie Ortiz
Giraffes (1959) by Luis Montoya
Naja (1979) by Diana Guest
Allies (1995) by Lawrence Holofcener
Ghosts of Palm Beach
Palm Beach Town Hall is said to be haunted by former mayor Paul Ilyinsky, who was related to the Russian royal family. His ghost is said to hum the national anthem of Imperial Russia!
Rags to riches
Tycoon and railroad builder Henry Flagler built the original Breakers hotel in Palm Beach. Flagler got his first job, at the age of 14, in a grain store: he was paid just $5 a month plus room and board. When he died in 1913, he had earned a fortune of $60 million ($1.3 billion in today’s money).
Dream a hotel
The Breakers hotel was designed to look like a grand Italian palace, with two towers and a fortress-like front. See if you can draw a bigger and grander hotel than The Breakers, using at least four shapes: rectangles, squares, triangles, circles, or any others.
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12. Flagler Museum
A palace fit for a merchant prince
Grand piano in the Drawing Room
While traveling along the east coast of Florida, it is impossible not to hear about Henry Flagler, the man who probably did more to develop the state than any other. Before Flagler’s East Coast Railway reached Miami in 1896, most of Florida was a wilderness. By the time the trains made it to Key West in 1912, the region was firmly established as a winter getaway. Flagler’s lavish Palm Beach home, Whitehall, is now the Flagler Museum, a fascinating monument to the man and his legacy.
Key Features
1. Flagler-Kenan History Room Learn about Flagler’s achievements as a founding partner in Standard Oil and as a developer of Florida’s east coast here. An 18-carat gold replica of the telegram announcing the completion of his Key West Railway is also on display.
2. The Grand Hall Seven types of marble were used to create the largest and grandest room built in America’s Gilded Age. It contains a bust of Caesar Augustus and a portrait of Henry Flagler himself.
3. Drawing Room Flagler used delicate aluminum leaf, coated with shellac, to highlight the plaster ornaments in this gorgeous room.
4. Entrance
5. Master Suite Henry Flagler and his wife shared this, the most lavish bedroom in the house. The furniture and gold color are in French Louis XIV style.
6. Music Room Flagler employed his own organist to play a 1,249-pipe Odell organ in this room, a favorite with Mrs. Flagler for holding parties.
7. Yellow Roses Room
• Henry Flagler's private Railcar No. 91 The Flagler Kenan Pavilion has Flagler’s very own “palace on wheels,” with a bedroom, a bathroom, guest quarters, and a kitchen.