Family Things to Do this Summer in Florida
Collect Fossils, Surf a Horse and Chill at Icebar Orlando
May 24, 2009
The Sunshine State is full of summertime family fun. Check out these three places where the cool kids will be hanging out during the summer of 2009.
Family Things to Do this Summer in Florida: Collecting Fossils in the Peace River
Saber-toothed cats, mastodons and giant armadillos once roamed prehistoric Florida. Today, fossils of these mammals along with those of reptiles and invertebrates from the Miocene through the Pleistocene Epochs (24 to .01 million years ago) are uncovered throughout the state. Southwest Florida’s upper Peace River near Arcadia offers the best fossil collecting opportunities and summertime relief.
Anyone can fossil hunt but a permit issued by the University of Florida is required to keep vertebrate fossils. The best way to experience a Peace River dig is with a guide since they have necessary knowledge, permits and tools including sifting screens and shovels and Fossil Expeditions is a family-friendly guide service leading walk-in expeditions to river wading and digging sites. During a dig it is possible to uncover pieces of mastodon teeth, turtle bone fragments and various shark teeth with the possibility of finding a coveted tooth from the largest fish on record, the megalodon shark.
Escape Florida summertime heat with a refreshing Peace River fossil hunt. Walk-in trips are $75 for adults and $65 for children 12 and under. Children 4 and younger are free. Advance reservations required, contact Fossil Expeditions at 239/368-3252.
Family Things to Do this Summer in Florida: Swimming with Horses in Bradenton
Along the palm-lined beaches of Palma Sola Bay in Bradenton, riders grasp tightly to manes, balance their bodies and sit atop bareback horses. The mile-long ride is topped with a dip in the saltwater bay for a cooling equestrian swim with a literal sea horse. Great World Nature Tours offers this aquatic and beach experience and those weighing less than 110 pounds can horse surf, the act of standing on the horse’s back while it wades and swims in water.
Guides escort the horses on land and into the cool sea. Group sizes for the beach horseback riding and swimming experience are limited. The cooling horseback adventure is appropriate for children of all ages and to date, the youngest child on a trip was 3-years-old. Advance reservations are required and all riders must weigh less than 240 pounds. The trip costs $69.95 per person. Contact Great World Nature Tours at 941/907-7272.
Family Things to Do this Summer in Florida: Chilling at ICEBAR Orlando
No need to bring along the parka or gloves, these cold-weather garments are provided at ICEBAR in Orlando, the hottest place to chill in Florida this summer. With walls, tables, bar and even the glasses made of ice, this cool International Drive evening hot spot is the first permanent ice bar in the United States.
The ICEBAR has six entry times every 45 minutes beginning at 7:15 p.m. Children at least 8-years-old are permitted into the cool bar during the 7:15 and 8 p.m. time slots but are not permitted into the Fire Lounge, the adjacent swanky bar ideal for warming up and defrosting. The entry fee is $19.95 per person plus the cost of beverages. Visit the ICEBAR Web site for specials. And no worries about sitting on a cold toilet seat, only about a quarter of the facility is below freezing which excludes the restrooms. ICEBAR Orlando is located at 8967 INTERNATIONAL DRIVE, Orlando; Tel: 407/426.7555.
Additional family-friendly Florida places to keep cool include Florida Caverns State Park in Marianna and the Zipline Safari at Forever Florida in Central Florida.
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