Southwest Florida Museum - Field Trip

The Southwest Florida Museum
One of the best things about being a freelance writer with a travel column is the "research". Being the dedicated type of person that I am - and a homeschool mom to boot- I enjoy taking the boys on these little exploration missions.
This time we got to meet "Snooty" the manatee- and a couple of his lettuce munching friends. If you get a chance to visit this history museum/planetarium/aquarium - well, it is well worth the drive to Tampa. It is on the reciprocal list for museums across the nation - so as long as you have a membership to one near you - it is free. We joined the Charlotte County Historical Museum Society for just $35 and it has opened many doors to other adventures. Check out the ASTC (American Science and Technology Centers) website at http://www.astc.org/ to find a participant near you or to plan your next "field trip".

Jelks Preserve - One of my favorite passtimes is checking out local and even not-so-local parks and preserves. I have a column that I write as a freelancer for Charlotte Woman Magazine about "one tank trips" and things to do in the area- and so it is a part of my job to do the due dilligence and visit lots of fun places. Fortunately, for me - the boys love to go on these "adventures" and it is also healthy and usually at least somewhat educational as well.

On this particular afternoon - just prior to Thanksgiving- we even had the pleasure of my husbands company. The boys carried their fishing poles about a mile through the preserve - down to the Myakka River. It was beautiful- birds singing all the way. We saw several armadillos and a couple of interesting bugs (yet still to be identified)! Most of all- the boys got to use their new fishing rods that they "earned" at the Charlotte County Nature Festival. Fun-