Cooling Off In June

by Adele Woodyard
Water, fresh or salt, sets the stage for the official beginning of Summer. Which, in Florida, starts long before June 20th. Mixed in with dated “specials” are some you can enjoy all hot weather long.
Among the 2012 Top Ten Beaches in America, Dr. Beach named the sands of St. George Island State Park in rhe Panhandle #4 and Key Biscayne’s Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park #8. They are $6 and $8 per carload (2-8 people) respectively
Did you know Friday, June 15 is Nature Photography Day? Florida State Parks have a monthly online photo contest, so while you’re at the beach—or a preserve or a park—bring out that camera and try for a shot or two. Look under Things to Do, photo contest on http://www.floridastateparks.org
Wet ‘n Wild Orlando Blastaway Beach replaced the Kid’s Park with all kind of goodies, like an interactive water playground with 17 slides, soakers, jets, waterfalls, cannons and sandcastles. Florida residents (all ages) $34 plus tax, 1/2 price afternoons. 407-351-1800. http://www.wetnwildorlando.com
If you like thrills and have a couple of hundred bucks ro spare, TradeWinds Island Grand , St. Pete Beach has a JetLev water-powered 30 minute ride where you fly 30 feet above the Gulf at 30 mph. $275, hotel guest; $310 non-guest. Age 18 and over only. Or you can rent wave jets, standup paddleboards etc. by the hour, All are available at TradeWinds Adventure Center (poolside).888-587-8538. http://www.justletgo.com
Sunday, June 17 is Father’s Day—maybe he’d like to see something on the water rather than be in it? The Tampa Bay Water Ski Show will be presenting New Frontier, 6 p.m. Saturday, June 16 (also June 9) on Tower Lake, Oldsmar . It’s an all day affair on June 23, when a number of water ski teams compete for the Southern Regional Water Ski Championship. All then take part in the 6 p.m. pre- 4th of July Patriotic show. The whole family can enjoy their water-borne acrobatics for FREE .813-917-8354; 727-480-9365
June 20-29 Florida State Parks will be hosting 14-18 year old teens from around the country who have a military parent on active duty in, or awaiting deployment to, a war zone During the 2012 4-H Teen High Adventure Camp. nine-day camping trip they will follow a “Journey of a Drop of Water” as they snorkel, kayak, hike and airboat in parks from North Florida to the Keys.
NOTE: Too much water falling from the skies forced a last-minute cancellation of my book signing event at the Gulfport Art Walk, June 1. It has been re-scheduled for the Saturday, June 16 . Art Walk. Maybe if I keep my fingers and toes crossed, I’ll get to meet you in front of the Small Adventures Bookshop then.

Cool Kids In Hot Weather

by Adele Woodyard

The summer of 2010 with it’s record-breaking heat is about half over. By now even the kids are growing bored with vacation and looking forward to school. Middle grade and high school age can pretty much take care of themselves. But what can you do with the small fry when they’re hot, sweaty, cranky and whining they have nothing to do? How about cooling them off with

WATER
No pool? One recent addition to some town parks are water playgrounds where even toddlers can get wet without fear of drowning. Here are a few, that at last count are FREE.

One of the newest in the Tampa Bay area is the Kiwanis Sprayground in Dunedin. Opened a year ago in Highlander Park, the interactive 3000 square feet play area features a tall green dragon spouting water instead of flame. From 9 a.m. to sunset, Moms can sit and visit in the shade while their young ‘uns run through sprays, or mists. Water dumps from a circle of buckets, or pours in sheets from a blue domed “mushroom”. For older brothers and sisters, the standard swimming pool is within walking distance.
727-812-4530.

Kids Kampus in Jacksonville, is one of the oldest—in fact, it’s currently undergoing renovation. Said to be a playground with an educational twist, the splash pool features geysers and sculptures, with mini replicas of Jacksonville landmarks.904-630-5437.

Panama City Beach Aquatic Center in Frank Brown Park features a Splash Park with slides, mounted water guns, misting arcs and a water wheel. 850-236-2205.
Gainesville has Alachua Splash Park where there are sprinklers, fountains, and buckets that dump water on hot heads. 386-462-1610.
Motion sensor water spouts, similar to ones in Lowry Park Zoo, form Interactive Fountains in Punta Gorda’s Laishley Park. Miami has a fun splash park playground in the A.D. Brown Park. 305-666-5883.

ICE
It may be hard to think of Florida in terms of ice and snow but the state has both ski clubs and ice skating rinks. Perhaps it’s the presence of NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, but the area has four rinks for public use. Even Tampa’s Ice Sports Forum, the official training center for the Lightning, allows public skating with lessons for youth and adults.
813-684-7825.

Tampa Bay Skating Academy , Oldsmar has two NHL regulation rinks in 67,000 square feet of space. Hockey leagues and lessons share ice with figure skating sessions and a dance studio. 813-854-4010. Another branch (same name) has a 5600 square feet public rink on the lower level of the Westfield Countryside Mall, Clearwater. The kids can be on ice while you shop. 727-723-7785.

Clearwater Ice Arena offers weekday public sessions from noon to 3 p.m. Evening sessions on weekends have a DJ. Home of the Tampa Bay Junior Lightning, it also features figure skating sessions 727-536-5843.

Happy Holidays II

by Adele Woodyard

 Re-Scheduled:

Buckets of rain drowned out several big holiday events in Pinellas County this weekend, but all is not lost. New dates and places are:

Saturday, Dec. 11 will be snow day for both downtown Clearwater and Oldsmar. “Miracle on Cleveland Street” will have 40 tons of the cold white stuff for kids of all ages to play in, plus Santa and tree lighting in Station Square Park, 5:30-10 p.m.. www.myclearwater.com/downtown  

Oldsmar’s “Christmas Wonderland” has slopes of ice for kids to slide or sled  at R.E. Olds Park, from 6-9 p.m.. Holiday jazz band, Santa, pony rides and good things to eat add to the fun.

Sunday, Dec. 12 is Dunedin’s day when snowflakes are sprinkled on the Pinellas Trail, Main Street. Music, carols, Santa and carriage rides help make it an “Old Fashioned Christmas” from 6-10 p.m.

 More Fun In December

Tampa

Victorian Christmas Stroll at the Henry B. Plant Museum is a walk through an 1891 Christmas with themed trees, toys, music and Old Saint Nick.  10 a.m.-8 p.m. now through Wed. Dec. 23. $10 adult, $5 12 and under; Discount days 12/7 & 8, 12/14 &15, $6, $3 12 and under. 813-254-1891; www.plantmuseum.com

 Ride a carriage through picturesque Hyde Park, 7-10 p.m. Sat. and Sun. through Dec. 20. $10 person ($20 minimum), FREE kids 2 and under. 813-251-3500; www.oldhydepark.com

Friday-Saturdays, at 6-9 p.m. through Dec. 30, Lowry Park Zoo celebrates the holiday with  their evening annual winter festival. Live reindeer and penguins, visits with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides and Frosty’s Foam Factory are part of the fun. $13 adult, $11 ages 3-11, 2 and younger FREE. 813-935-8552; www.lowryparkzoo.com

Largo

Visit Heritage Village’s decorated homes and galleries beneath trees sparkling with colored lights.10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fri., Sat. and Wed., 1-4 p.m. Sun. Continued through Dec. 30. FREE (donations welcome). 727-582-2123; www.pinellascounty.org/heritage

 Kissimmee

Lights are frozen within larger-than-life ice sculptures at Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center.. Open daily, hours vary, through Jan. 3. Since ice is kept at 9 degrees F, better wear hats, scarves, gloves, etc. $18.99-$25.99 adult; $16.99-$22.99 seniors; $9.99-$11.99 ages 4-12; discounts online. 407-586-4423; www.gaylordpalms.com   

 See www.vacationfunflorida.com/bargains for Orlando doings.