St. Petersburg • Clearwater 2009 - (Page 10) :DAY TRIPS If you want to take advantage of the close proximity of some of these nearby attractions, take a day trip to Tampa or Orlando, approximately 30 minutes to 90 minutes away respectively. Tampa Bay Area • • • Fort De Soto Park. It’s the quintessential family beach vacation – little ones building sandcastles and teenagers conquering waves while Mom reads a novel and Dad sleeps underneath a striped beach umbrella. With 35 miles of white sandy beaches in the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, the opportunity to live the fond cliché is a given. But you don’t have to be a parent to see that the area offers families more to do. At Clearwater Beach’s pier festival, a sun-kissed girl tugs on her mom’s hand to watch a clown contort balloons into a horse, while steps away a craftsman melts glass into a vase of fiery colors. Nearby, inside the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, a reunion of adult children and parents watch in wonder as a rescued dolphin named Winter swims with a prosthetic tail. On the mainland, baseball fans of all ages stretch out their gloves to catch a big league homerun ball at Tropicana Field. And that’s just the beginning… » Family Travel • • Adventure Island Water Park A giant waterpark near Busch Gardens. Make a day of it. 888-800-5447; 813-987-5660 www.adventureisland.com Busch Gardens Tampa Bay African-themed adventure park, which combines thrilling rides with one of North America’s largest zoos. 888-800-5447; 813-987-5000 www.buschgardens.com The Florida Aquarium 200,000-sq.-ft. aquarium tells Florida’s unique water story, from a drop of water underground to the open sea. 813-273-4000 www.flaquarium.org Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo Recognized as the No. 1 family-friendly zoo in the United States. 813-935-8552 www.lowryparkzoo.com MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) The largest science center in the southeastern United States. 800-995-MOSI; 813-987-6000 www.mosi.org Orlando Area • » Just The Two Of Us • Lovers stroll along the tide’s edge and watch the Gulf embrace a melting sun. A whisper of reggae blows from a tiki bar down the beach, beckoning the pair to the dance floor as another couple leaves for a candlelit dinner in their hotel suite. Meanwhile, after spending a day alone together on a remote white-sand beach on Caladesi Island, a honeymoon couple browses art galleries in downtown St. Petersburg. They sip wine at a sidewalk café as moonlight sparkles on Tampa Bay and salsa music emanates from a nearby bar. Such mixtures of natural beauty and civilized pursuits keep couples coming back for a dose of romance. ~Lynn Waddell • • Fine dining at the Vinoy’s Marchand’s Grill. Discovery Cove An exclusive island oasis where guests can swim with dolphins. 877-434-7268; 407-370-1280 www.discoverycove.com Islands of Adventure & Universal Studios® Home to The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, the Jurassic Park River Adventure, The Incredible Hulk and Dueling Dragons coasters. 800-232-7827; 407-363-8000 www.universalorlando.com Sea World A marine adventure park with 200 acres of world-class shows, rides and animal encounters. 800-327-2424; 407-351-3600 www.seaworld.com Walt Disney World Resort® A variety of world-class attractions, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. 407-939-6244 www.disneyworld.com 10 : W h a t k i n d o f t r a ve le r a re yo u ? http://www.adventureisland.com http://www.buschgardens.com http://www.flaquarium.org http://www.lowryparkzoo.com http://www.mosi.org http://www.discoverycove.com http://www.universalorlando.com http://www.seaworld.com http://www.disneyworld.com
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