We just got back from a 2 week family vacation to visit with my friend in Cape Coral, Florida. We also took a long weekend to Key Largo so the kids could see the ocean and experience the crystal clear blue water. We have great lakes in the Midwest (especially in Michigan) but you usually can't see your feet even in the shallow parts so the crystal clear water was beautiful. The backyard pool was a big hit and we had our choice of Sanibel Island and Ft. Myers Beach. We were having such a great time, it was hard to leave to go to Key Largo.
We found the Florida Key's to be a great family vacation with the feel of a Caribbean Island but without the price tag and hassle of going out of the U.S. The kids keep busy for hours snorkeling right on the hotel beach finding horse shoe crabs and small schools of fish. But I was really excited when my teenage daughter asked to go on the hotel's Enviro Tour. We were picked up at our hotel in a small dingy boat and our tour started in a boat launch just around the corner from the hotel. Our captain, Dominique, showed us reef fossils on the walls of the boat launch and explained how the Florida Keys had been a live coral reef many years ago. Limestone is the natural resource they cut from the fossilized land. We then went out to the Mangroves and learned how Mangrove Forests help filter salt water, provide habitat and breeding areas for fish, and protect the mainland from storms. Dominique allowed the kids to touch an upside down jelly fish (they didn't get stung), found a hermit crab, star fish, sea horse and many other small sea creatures which they collected in a small aquarium (jar) and released in a safe and healthy shallow area near the Mangroves. The opportunity to learn about the Florida Mangroves and local sea life was a wonderful educational experience for us all. I think it brought us full circle because we saw how choices people make inland affect our lakes and oceans and the animals that live in and around them.
We had an interesting discussion on the way back to Cape Coral and it was fun to see how much the kids had learned. They were pointing out trash on the side of the road and concerned about it getting into the Ocean water. We took the scenic drive back along the Everglades, looking for alligators and tuning into the local radio conservation recording.
The trip has personally given me a greater appreciation for clean water and how non-toxic alternatives for our homes can make an impact beyond our families and community. I have become newly inspired through the eyes of my children. Although Florida and other areas are more in tune with natural conservation and green alternatives, the Midwest is catching up and I am hopeful that our children will be the real change makers and inspire us all.
We found the Florida Key's to be a great family vacation with the feel of a Caribbean Island but without the price tag and hassle of going out of the U.S. The kids keep busy for hours snorkeling right on the hotel beach finding horse shoe crabs and small schools of fish. But I was really excited when my teenage daughter asked to go on the hotel's Enviro Tour. We were picked up at our hotel in a small dingy boat and our tour started in a boat launch just around the corner from the hotel. Our captain, Dominique, showed us reef fossils on the walls of the boat launch and explained how the Florida Keys had been a live coral reef many years ago. Limestone is the natural resource they cut from the fossilized land. We then went out to the Mangroves and learned how Mangrove Forests help filter salt water, provide habitat and breeding areas for fish, and protect the mainland from storms. Dominique allowed the kids to touch an upside down jelly fish (they didn't get stung), found a hermit crab, star fish, sea horse and many other small sea creatures which they collected in a small aquarium (jar) and released in a safe and healthy shallow area near the Mangroves. The opportunity to learn about the Florida Mangroves and local sea life was a wonderful educational experience for us all. I think it brought us full circle because we saw how choices people make inland affect our lakes and oceans and the animals that live in and around them.
We had an interesting discussion on the way back to Cape Coral and it was fun to see how much the kids had learned. They were pointing out trash on the side of the road and concerned about it getting into the Ocean water. We took the scenic drive back along the Everglades, looking for alligators and tuning into the local radio conservation recording.
The trip has personally given me a greater appreciation for clean water and how non-toxic alternatives for our homes can make an impact beyond our families and community. I have become newly inspired through the eyes of my children. Although Florida and other areas are more in tune with natural conservation and green alternatives, the Midwest is catching up and I am hopeful that our children will be the real change makers and inspire us all.
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