Family Fun Friday: The Lil Divas Take on Zoo Miami

Last week the hubby & I took the Lil Divas to visit Zoo Miami.

Zoo Miami is huge! We have never been able to walk around in one trip so this time the hubby had the fab idea to rent a Safari Cycle! It was a great way to tour the Zoo.

The Lil Divas got to ride a camel,

feed the giraffes,

splash in the sprinklers,

ride the carousel,

visit the new Wacky Barn (petting zoo),

and see lots of amazing animals!

It was an awesome day!

Family Fun Friday - Butterfly World Adventures

Living in FL we have lots of opportunity to be outdoors and explore nature.

There is so much to see and do - it is one of the things I love about living here!

Today, I'd like to take you on a Family Adventure through Butterfly World -

a butterfly farm and research facility made up of 10 acres of aviaries and botanical gardens. It also happens to be one of my favorite local places. Why? Quite simply, it's like a lil piece of paradise once you step inside - there are thousands of live butterflies just fluttering all around the beautiful gardens.

The Lil Divas love walking through the authentic Tropical Rainforest Habitat - complete with waterfall and misting cave. They could run and back and forth through this cave for hours if we let them. They never seem to tire of it.

Once you pass through the aviaries you step into the lush Garden areas.

My favorite is the Rose Garden. When they are in bloom it is simply breathtaking!

 

   

The Lil Divas love the Suspension Bridge that leads to Macaw Landing.

They love how it rocks and sways as they move across.

It is so cute to watch them walk/run from opposite ends and meet up in an embrace in the middle - they do it every time!

Another of my personal favorites is the Lorikeet Encounter. I always get a kick out of how these birds will land on your back, head, etc... The girls enjoy feeding them nectar and watching them eat from their hands - though they do get a bit scared when there are more than 1 or 2! :)

Finally, there is the Bug Museum - home to some of the creepiest bugs around!
The girls love watching those creepy crawlies! Me - I'd rather stay far away but being the amazing Mom that I am I dutifully endure the Bug Encounter every time we visit Butterfly World. :)

Butterfly World is one of those quaint places that is perfect for a family outing.

You can pack (or buy) lunch or a snack and just enjoy being in such lovely surroundings. We have been purchasing Season Passes for the past few years and it has been worth every cent.

Another great feature/perk is that Right outside is a fab lil playground!

The Lil Divas love to stop and play there after our time in Butterlfy World.

Hope you enjoyed our adventure!

Join us next Friday for some more Family Fun!

Bern

(P.S) This was a dusted off & revamped old post that never saw any traffic - it was actually my 1st Family Fun Friday post! I really wanted to share Butterfly World on the Show Us Your Town Hop since it's one of my fave local places so I thought it would be prudent to use my initial & mostly unread post and add current pictures, etc to it rather than do a whole new post. Hope you don't mind but I felt this lil post deserved some more attention/reads!

Family Fun Friday - A Swampy Adventure w/Billie Swamp Safari

Last weekend we went on a family adventure to Billie Swamp Safari 

and we had an amazing time!

Billie Swamp Safari let's you explore 2,200 acres of

untamed Florida Everglades.

The land has been preserved by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

Our first stop was the Airboat Launch.

The Airboat Trail takes you through the swamp on an airboat.



This was our first airboat ride  & we were all very excited!

Getting to experience this natural environment was amazing.

It was so fun to ride along the swamp, the breeze the boat provides definitely made it bearable on this hot & sticky FL day!

Along the way we got to see wild pigs, water buffalo,



and alligators 

(they were so close - it made me nervous but it was thrilling too!) 

We also went on a Swamp Buggy Eco-Tour.  

These buggies provide a great elevated view of the land

and were just plain fun to ride and bump along in! 

We got to see deer, bison, birds, alligators, ostrich,

horses and hogs among other things. 



This is a typical Indian hut/living space.

I can't even imagine living out there like this. Wow!



Billie Swamp Safari has various bird and reptile exhibits

as well as a few shows you can take in while you are there.

We saw the snake show and learned quite a bit about the snakes here in FL.

They also have the Swamp Critter and Bird of Prey Show and

an Alligator Wrestling Show at the Gator Pit.

During our visit Billie Swamp Safari was also hosting their

 Swamp Kids Summer Fun Festival.

The Lil Divas got free Kids Club T-shirts (above photo)

They had a great time dancing and playing games with Radio Disney.

The Lil Divas even got to meet and touch a baby alligator!

There were bounce houses, fun crafts, face painting and

the Lil Diva's favorite - the Water Ball!

We had an amazing day & want to thank the generous people over at

Billie Swamp Safari for the amazing experience and the life-long memories!

It was a fun and adventure filled day!

This is definitely a place you will want to experience

if you live near or plan to visit South Florida!

Bern

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets for my family & myself to attend the Swamp Kids Summer Fun Festival and experience all the attractions at Billie Swamp Safari.  That being said, this review is my 100% honest opinion of  Billie Swamp Safari. I am not paid for my reviews or opinions! They are 100% mine! Please remember that your opinions, experiences and tastes might differ from mine.