Archive for September, 2007
While Miami is perhaps best known for its thriving nightlife scene and port linking the United States to Central and South America, it’s also a great vacation destination for families. Sunny weather and lots of indoor and outdoor activities await tourists of all ages. Here are some suggested stops for your next family trip to Miami.
1. Everglades Alligator Farm is South Florida’s oldest alligator farm, established in 1985 when state government voted to allow the commercial farming of alligators. Though it was originally conceived as an airboat ride, this farm is now full of activities for families. Perhaps most popular are the alligator shows, where visitors learn about its life, habitat, and more. Spectators may even get to hold a baby alligator at the end of the show!
2. Jungle Island is home to 1,100 tropical birds and 2,000 species of plants and flowers. The park’s newest attraction is called The Hippo, a 168-foot, 4-story high beachfront water slide. Other diversions at this outdoor animal park include three animal shows: Wild Encounters, featuring tigers, chimpanzees and orangutans; Winged Wonders, showcasing cockatoos, talking parrots, and more; Reptile Giants, starring some of the world’s most dangerous and poisonous snakes.
3. The Gold Coast Railroad Museum takes visitors back in time to the golden era of trains. Some of the early pieces in the collection include a private railroad car built for President Franklin Roosevelt and the Florida East Coast Railway locomotive number 153, the engine that pulled the rescue train out of Marathon, Florida, after the 1935 hurricane. Kids will enjoy Thomas the Tank Engine tables for interactive activities.
4. Miami Children’s Museum features two floors filled with interactive activities covering the arts, culture, community, and communication. Kids can explore a two-story sandcastle, shop for pretend produce in a supermarket, and try out being a news anchor in a kid-friendly television studio.
5. Monkey Jungle houses more than 400 primates, which run free in its 30-acre South Florida jungle habitat. This is one of the few protected habitats for endangered primates in the United States and the only one that the general public can explore. Almost 30 different species of primates live on the reserve, including gibbons, guenons, spider monkeys, colobus, and the nearly extinct Golden Lion Tamarin, a native of Brazil.
6. Miami Seaquarium’s 38 acres of land are home to dozens of tropical birds, reptiles, and other animals. Overlooking beautiful Biscayne Bay, the Seaquarium presents several different shows and presentations to help visitors learn about these fascinating sea creatures.
7. Miami MetroZoo showcases more than 1,300 animals representing over 400 species spread over 300 acres. Special exhibits include the largest Asian aviary in the United States. Visitors can also enjoy wildlife shows, tram tours, feeding demonstrations, and more.
8. A cruise along Biscayne Bay is the perfect way to see Miami’s coastline, including the downtown skyline, the Port of Miami, Fisher Island, Miami Beach and “Millionaire’s Row.” The Queen Island Cruise lasts only ninety minutes so Mom and Dad can enjoy the views before their little sailors get antsy!
About the Author
Susan Johnston is the copywriter for Go Miami Card, which offers over 30 of Florida’s best attractions, activities, and more on one easy-to-use smartcard.
September 25th, 2007
With its neighborhood charm and world class attractions, San Francisco offers something for everyone, including families. Below are some suggested family-friendly activities for your next trip to San Francisco.
1. Located at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Area Discovery Museum offers a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for children ages 6 months to 8 years old. The Museum features hands-on art and science exhibits, performances, workshops, and special events. Tot Spot lets younger children explore animal homes and habitats as they walk, roll, or jump on a water-filled pond. Lookout Cove is a two and half acre outdoor exhibit highlighting iconic places in the Bay Area.
2. The Charles M. Schulz Museum pays homage to the creator of the beloved Peanuts cartoon. The museum features exhibits centered on Schulz’s life and art, including changing exhibits, original cartoon strips, and an outdoor courtyard with sculptures and a Snoopy Labyrinth. It also presents hands-on workshops where children can learn about cartooning, creating characters, and more.
3. Exploratorium combines art, science and human perception in more than 650 exhibits about marine and insect life, meteorology, and more. The Tactile Dome, which takes visitors through total darkness with only their sense of touch to guide them, is among the museum’s most popular exhibits. Exploratorium offers free admission on the first Wednesday of each month.
4. The Golden Gate Park Carousel is a favorite among locals and visitors from around the world. Originally built near Buffalo, NY in 1912, this 92-year old vintage carousel has been in its current location since 1941. Generations of children have been enchanted by carousel creatures like horses, zebra, camels, and more.
5. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom offers 35 rides, ranging from heart-pounding roller coasters to light-hearted family rides like the Congo Queen. It also features interactions with exotic land animals and majestic marine life, exciting shows, games of skill, and the chance to meet the “Justice League” Super Heroes and the loveable Looney Tunes characters.
6. Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences features marine from all over the world: poison dart frogs, box turtles, sea horses, clown fish, and more. Not only can you see (and in many cases, touch!) these fascinating animals, you can interact and learn from aquatic biologists about how they study and care for the animals. The Early Childhood Program features story time and a nature nest where kids can explore plants and animals. Visitors of all ages can watch penguin feedings twice a day at 11:00 am and 3:30 pm.
7. The ZEUM lets families explore San Francisco’s tech side with hands-on activities in animation, video production, sound production, performance, and visual arts. Kids can experiment with claymation, star in a music video, and explore digital photography. A new exhibit called Painting with Light features a virtual reality game where players navigate through a computer-generated maze projected on the floor.
8. San Francisco’s Wax Museum at Fisherman’s Wharf houses over 275 realistic wax figures ranging from presidents and sports heroes to Hollywood superstars and historical figures. Whether you admire Mohandas Gandhi or Bill Gates, John Travolta or Donald Trump, this museum has it all!
About the Author
Susan Johnston is the copywriter for Go San Francisco Card, which offers over 45 of the Bay Area’s best attractions, activities, and more on one easy-to-use smartcard.
September 12th, 2007
When you own a business, no matter if you run it from your home or if you have an office building that your business is located in, making time for your kids is always something that you want to focus on, and it is always something that you are going to be concerned with.
If you want to be able to be there for your kids, you have to be sure that you are making time for them. With a home business, or a small business, this can be very hard because there might often be times in which you simply have to be wherever the business is, and you can’t afford to not be there. This is something that you might find very difficult because if you take time away from your business your business is going to suffer and therefore you won’t have the money to help your kids have the kind of life you want them to have. However, what good is the money for your children if you don’t spend enough time with them and you don’t know them very well?
There has to be a balance between spending enough time with your children and spending enough time to make sure that your business is doing well and that you don’t have to worry about making money for your children. The best way to do this is to make sure that your business, even if it is located in your home, has regular work hours that you can follow. One of the best things for you to do would be to try your hardest to get all of your home business work done while your kids are at school. This is a great way to make sure that your schedules match. If you work hard, most days you should be able to be done with work for the day when your children get home from school. If there is still more to do, maybe you can plan your tasks so that some of them can be completed later in the evening after the kids have gone to bed.
However, we all know that with a home business there are some times when this isn’t possible. In order to be a success for your family, you often have to work long hours, and this might cut into the time you have set aside for your family. A good solution for this is to get your family involved in the business. If you have school aged children, they can come to your business after school and do small chores while they wait for you to finish your day of work. This is a great way to get them involved, have them learning, and spend time with them all at once. No matter what your home business is, if you need to work longer days, it is always a good idea to get your children involved, even if all they are doing is taping boxes shut or taking out the trash. They can always do something, and can always be learning.
About the Author
Our website is dedicated to researching Internet home based business ideas that can help you start a new Internet home business or grow the one you already have.
Please visit www.Your-Internet-Shop.com to search for Information Products on a wide variety of topics.
September 7th, 2007
