The best chance of finding a keeper in the U.S. is along Florida’s beaches.  But first, there are some things to know.  Shelling along Florida’s Gulf coast is a totally different experience from shelling along Florida’s Atlantic beaches.  The sand is different – grainier and darker on the Atlantic side; whiter and powderier on the Gulf side.  The water is different – bigger waves roll in all the way from Africa on the Atlantic side; smaller ones build over the shallower, bowl-shaped Gulf of Mexico on the Gulf side.

And, the shells are different.  Atlantic coast shells are larger, thicker, are more intense in color and have stronger markings, a result of their more turbulent journey.  Eastern Banded Tulips, Crown Conchs, Florida Fighting Conchs, bright orange Lion Paws are great finds.  Gulf coast shells are smaller, more delicate in texture, paler in color.  Spiky Murexes, square-patterned Scotch Bonnets, pastel-pale Coquinas, glistening Olives and patterned Calico Scallops (with luck with both halves still attached) are barely dipped in soft pinks, mauves, pale yellows, light tans.

Complicating the quest even further, every beach is different, each known for particular finds.  Dedicated shellers go on quests, knowing just where to look for specific species; novices find them by chance.  Those chances are greatly improved by reading Chuck and Debbie Robinson’s “The Art of Shelling.”

Any list of Florida Gulf coast shelling hot spots always begins with the most famous: Sanibel Beach off Ft. Myers.  Jutting out in a westerly direction (rather than the north/south lay of the rest of the Gulf coast barrier islands), the prevailing winds and currents push up against the island making it a giant shell catcher.  So many shells have washed up over the eons that the sand is made up of minute shell particles which crackle and crunch pleasantly underfoot. 

So plentiful are the Murex, Tulips, Angel Wings, Turkey Wings, Lettered Olives, Cowries, Whelks, Scallops, Sunray Venuses, and Spiny Jewel Boxes on Sanibel that along the hotel lined beaches everyone does the “Sanibel Stoop”- the bent-over-at-the-waist, head-down, eyes-glued-to-the-sand, shell-seeking position! 

Not quite as crowded is the beach along Blind Pass, separating Sanibel Island from Captiva Island, or the more secluded Bowman’s Beach off Sanibel-Captiva Road.  Likewise, at the east tip of the island Lighthouse Beach, the site of the historic, still functioning Sanibel Lighthouse picturesquely nestled among the sea oats, is another somewhat less-traveled shelling spot. 

Collecting live shells on Sanibel is prohibited.  As a matter of fact, it’s just good practice not to collect live shells anywhere.  If a shell appears to have an inhabitant, leave it be.  There are plenty of empty ones out there for the taking.  The same goes for the popular, easy to find sand dollar.  If they are tanish-green, with a sanpapery surface, leave them in the water to see another day.  Look for those that are bleached out white, they’re pretty, delicate, and no longer alive.  Handle them gently as they’re also brittle and crumble easily.

Traveling in Florida with kids?  A stop in Venice, under an hour from Ft. Myers is a must.   Kids will treasure the fossilized sharks’ teeth they find, and find them they will!  There are so many sharks’ teeth along Venice Beach that the sand is a smoky gray!  Look for them, too, just north of the Venice Fishing Pier, where the long narrow stretch of black sand is loaded with these pre-historic finds. Carpsen Beach, just south of the Venice Airport, is another great place to find both shells and sharks’ teeth.

In the Sarasota area, the expansive curve of Turtle Beach on Siesta Key yields Calicos, Coquinas, Kitten Paws, Slipper Shells, and Sand Dollars.  In St. Petersburg, just over the Skyway bridge spanning the mouth of Tampa Bay is Fort DeSoto State Park, historically interesting, with fort remnants to see,  trails to walk, coves to kayak, places to fish, and beaches to shell.

Just to the north of Fort DeSoto, Shell Island, an uninhabited boomerang shaped island, is  accessible only by boat, the Shell Key Shuttle, which makes round trips from the bay side of Pass-A-Grille 3 times a day.  While there are no creature comforts on the island, it’s a delightful shelling experience especially on weekdays, when pleasure boats filled with party people aren’t anchored just off the beach.

Caladesi Island State Park just off shore from Dunedin and Clearwater Beach was Dr. Beach’s  “Top Beach in America” pick for 2008, and with good reason.   With a few more amenities than Shell Island, it, too, is accessible only by ferry departing from nearby Honeymoon Island and from Clearwater Beach.  Feeling far removed from the hubub of one of Florida’s most populated areas, it’s a joy to walk the still-pristine beach lined with sea oats and crisscrossed with purple beach morning glories, watch the wading egrets and herons carefully pursuing their catch, swim in clear Gulf waters, and find plenty of shells.  

Although your finds along Florida’s Atlantic beaches won’t be as numerous, your keepers will be big, beautiful, deep water shells.  In Palm Beach, the flats off Peanut Island at low tide might yield a Florida Fighting Conch or a Banded Tulip, but you have to take a water taxi to get there.  Here, the grassy flats are a better place to look than along the sandy beach, but you must wear tennis shoes for any flats wading as broken glass and sharp objects could lie buried just beneath the surface.

The beach along A1A between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach is dotted with stairs that lead up and over the beach dunes.  While there are homes and high rises along this stretch, there are still some areas with public accessibility.  The beach stroll is delightful; the chance of finding a keeper high.  A bit further north, along the 21 mile stretch of beach at Canaveral National Seashore/Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, you’re sure to find Prickly Cockles, Shark Eyes, Turkey and Angel Wings, Lightning Whelks and Calico Scallops in tidal pools and on flats just off the beach.  Wading shoes are a must. 

The beaches around St. Augustine are good shelling places too – Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Anastasia Island Beach.  Quaint and historic St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, is an added bonus.  Imagine, you can shell around Matanzas Inlet used by the Spaniards as a back door entrance to their settlement guarded by still-intact Castillo San Marcos, made of coquina shells, a favorite regional 16th century building material!

Practice the Sanibel Stoop! 

Bring along your patience and a strong back.

Slather on sunscreen, slap on a hat.  

Start looking for those keepers.

They appear playful, curious; they show off, display a certain joie de vivre, and even look us right in the eye – all personality traits we claim as our own!   Like us, they’re mammals, and are therefore warm-blooded, have lungs that breathe air, give birth to their young and nurse them.  Add these facts - they have large brains, live in complex societies, help one another, learn from experience.  It’s no wonder we’re intrigued.There’s a bit of envy too.  We wish, that like them, we could transition effortlessly between the air above the surface and the mysterious sea beneath it.  We wish we could frolic with abandon beneath the sea, unfettered by flippers, snorkels and masks.

Since at least as far back as the ancient Greeks, human characteristics have been attributed to the dolphin.  In some Greek myths they appear in the nick of time to rescue lost seamen, transport humans from the sea to serve a larger purpose, and are depicted as once human, transformed from human to dolphin through act or deed. They were so important in the culture of ancient Greece, that they appear in sculpture, pottery, and mosaics, and the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy named one of his original constellations Delphinus, the dolphin.

However we spin it, there is no doubt that the attraction is there, and in resort destinations all over the globe people attempt to connect with them.  We flock to see them in the wild on dolphin watching trips, applaud their choreographed performances in facilities where they are trained to entertain, clamor for the chance to “swim” with them, either in captivity or in the wild.

In Florida, bottlenose dolphin are the ones you’ll see, captive or in the wild.  Captive dolphins are headline acts in major aquatic facilities where they are trained to leap through hoops, beach themselves on platforms, jump in unison, and “tail walk.” These attractions include big, splashy Sea World in Orlando; smaller Marineland, between St. Augustine and Daytona Beach, where dolphin have been entertaining tourists since 1938; Miami Seaquarium in Miami; the Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach on Florida’s panhandle; and Theater of the Sea, halfway down the Florida Keys.

In addition to the staged performances, these attractions offer dolphin encounters - immersions or “swims,” shallow water contact, feedings, and trainer for a day experiences - all under the supervision of trainers.  In land-locked Orlando, the all-inclusive Vegas-style “island retreat” resort, Discovery Cove, offers scheduled interactions in tropically landscaped lagoons with its resident dolphins.

In the Florida Keys, Dolphin Cove Marine Mammal Education Center in Key Largo and Dolphin Research Center on Grassy Key are more low-key, emphasizing the marine education component of their facility by demonstrating and explaining the intelligence and abilities of the dolphin, as well as offering “swims” with their resident dolphin in on-site coastal lagoons.

“Swimming” with dolphins sounds exciting, but it is not without controversy.  Much has been written about the appropriateness of such interactions, and the concerns of conservationist are available online.  For those wishing to “swim” with dolphins in the wild, it’s important to remember that while we have personified them and attribute playful qualities to them, they are first and foremost big, strong, unpredictable wild creatures. There are regulations overseeing human/dolphin interactions and they vary greatly throughout the world.  In some locations, the ability to get in the water with them is restricted to those holding special permits.  Check with the operator at your destination to fully understand what the experience holds.

While watching trained captive dolphins perform is entertaining, and being in the water with them exciting, there is no better way to see dolphins than in the wild, in their own habitat, on their own terms, doing what they do naturally.

Throughout Florida, the popularity of ecotours is rising as tourists increasingly seek out the chance to catch sight of wildlife unique to the area.  Those offering dolphin sightings provide the chance to get out on the water to experience these wonderful creatures, unchoreographed!  The moment is special when suddenly, out of nowhere in the never-ending expanse of sea, a pod of dolphin suddenly surfaces.

Such an encounter is exhilarating, usually accompanied by shouts of “Dolphin – over there!”  What a sight it is! They surface, rolling upward in a “porpoise” motion, breathe through their blow hole, only to “porpoise” back under again.  Before you know it, they pop up again, amazingly far away, a testament to their incredible underwater speed.  They leap into the air with joyous abandon.

They swim, sleek and streamlined, just below the surface, right up in front of the bow of the boat, keeping just ahead of the boat’s forward speed, a majestic bowsprit leading the way.  Or, they zoom up to the boat out of nowhere, break the surface purposefully parallel to the boat, roll a bit to one side to peer up with one eye!

All along Florida’s coast, these wonderful naturally-occurring encounters happen just by chance, on trips aboard boats of all sizes.  In Tampa, the Florida Aquarium, which does not exhibit dolphins, offers a Wild Dolphin Ecotour on a boat ride out to areas dolphin frequent.  On day trips aboard smaller charter boats like Wild Dolphin Adventure in Key West, you might see them frolicking in their natural habitat, on the move, searching for fish to eat.  While dolphin are always the star attraction, a trip like this is a  wonderful chance to get out in the turquoise water of the pristine “back country” of the Florida Keys to enjoy memorable times swimming, snorkeling and bird watching in the crystal clear Gulf waters.

Pay attention when you’re out there!  You may get lucky and experience the best sight of all – As these majestic creatures break the surface of the sea nearby, one just may be accompanied by a calf, tucked in tight alongside her, mimicking her every move, but in miniature form!

But Florida has something more to offer kids – something natural, connecting, and equally magical, if in a different sort of way.    

In separate posts on Trusted Tours Travel Guide, you’ll see three of these – places where kids can see, smell, hear, and sometimes feel Florida’s unique natural habitat –golden sawgrass in the Florida Everglades, alligators lying ever-so still on cypress logs, gentle manatees moving ever so slowly, green, flat-laying tree frogs camouflaged in bright bromeliads, flamingos decked out in the brightest of pinks, roseate spoonbills rhythmically waving paddle shaped bills back and forth in the shallows seaching for fish, great white herons gracefully balancing in tree-top nests, stingrays swimming in an underwater ballet, great barracuda lurking territorially, giant sea turtles surfacing for air, and multi-colored tropical fish darting over coral patches.

Some of these can be seen in the wild; others are exhibited in special, kid-friendly, kid-scaled attractions that recreate natural habitats so realistically that they feel real. For kids who get so much information through the click of a mouse, it’s wonderful to see their response when they encounter the real thing, up close, whether in nature or in a habitat recreated.  The hope is that through these encounters children will begin to understand the special residents of Florida, whose numbers are dwindling as a consequence of development and human interference. 

The first of three The Real Florida for Kids features Lowry Park Zoo.

In the middle of urban Tampa, Lowry Park Zoo has created a very kid-friendly environment - and kids love it!  While it has all the big animals that attract people to zoos – white tigers, elephants, rhinoceros, monkeys, and even a rare tapir – its Florida exhibits are really special.   

Along shady, curved paths, in exhibit areas tucked in and among oaks draped in moss, saw palmetto, and natural-looking ponds, huge (grandfathers, surely) American alligators lounge in the sun. 

 Kids can pretend to be alligators too, lounging on nearby benches, just like the real alligators sunning just beyond in the very natural exhibit.

Box turtles and gopher tortoises; a young Florida panther rescued in the Everglades after having been abandoned; owls, wild turkeys and sandhill cranes; pink flamingos and Roseate spoonbills; red wolves, black bears, and shiny sleek otters – all are there to see, in settings as close to their natural habitat as possible.  In the Manatee Aquatic Center, a pair of Florida’s gentle giants can be viewed both from the surface of the water and beneath it!  There too, is the almost-motionless, prehistoric-looking alligator snapping turtle.  In Stingray Bay, amid much squealing and splashing, kids are instructed how to safely feed the stingray pieces of shrimp and fish.   

The pint-sized Discovery Center is a great little place, where kids figure out that frogs come in different sizes, shapes and colors so they can blend right into their surroundings.  Want to know what a bull frog or a tree frog sounds like? Hear it with a press of a button located beneath individual frog exhibits, coordinated with informative story boards.

Kids get really hot at Florida parks and zoos, particularly in the summer.  At Lowry Park Zoo, kids, especially the very little ones, love cooling off in the spouting fountains in the water play area in Wallaroo Station’s Children’s Zoo, where they are plenty of farm animals to pet too! Be sure to bring a swimsuit and towel for the water fun.

Let kids experience natural Florida…the real Florida.  It’s the best.  Look for the next two posts:  The Real Florida for Kids -The Mysterious Everglades and The Real Florida for Kids -The Amazing Sea Life of the Florida Keys. 

I was surprised by how different the day and night Starlight cruises are in Tampa, Florida. Completely different crowd from day to night. While the daytime was casual, relaxed and oriented to sightseeing with mostly an older group the night time was energetic, fun and oriented to dancing with a younger group.

The Starlight Majesty ship is roomy, stable and capable of carrying 280 passengers on three levels. The top deck is open and the other two are enclosed and air-conditioned except for a small area near the bow. The staff is friendly and helpful. Starlight offers 3-hour lunch, dinner, dancing and sightseeing cruises out of Clearwater Beach and St. Petersburg, Florida.

Day:

The Lunch Sightseeing Cruise out of Clearwater Beach, FL is quiet and relaxing.

The lunch menu offered 5 choices from salads to seafood in lunch sized portions served at your table. The cruise goes south on the Intracoastal Waterway between Clearwater and Clearwater Beach. Music is provided by a duo and features classic sing-a-long hits and when the music takes a break in the middle of the cruise, the captain narrates for 20 minutes.

Overall a nice, quiet, relaxing midday sightseeing cruise with good food and good service. They also offer a dance luncheon cruise.

Night:

The Dinner Cruise out of Clearwater Beach, Fl is good fun.

They seat you as you board and immediately bring out an appetizer, which was a bacon wrapped scallop and a slice of grilled chicken. Once you order your dinner from 12 or more choices, they suggest exploring the ship until salads are served at 8pm. Dinner follows and is tasty. The crowd ranged in age and many danced to the musical duo that also does the lunch cruise but the music was more upbeat. I’d compare the music to attending a wedding.

The atmosphere was lively the whole night and the lights from the shoreline of the Intracoastal Waterway added a nice background to the night air. Lots of couples and groups seemed to enjoy the experience. A fun way to spend an evening.

So is there a difference between Day and Night? Absolutely! If you want to just relax and enjoy sea breezes or put on your dancing shoes and sing along you’ll find it at Starlight Cruises in Tampa, Florida. Permission to come aboard Captain!  More photos here.

Okay, I’ll admit it…I drove past the Florida Aquarium four times before I saw it over my left shoulder. Sheesh! I was so annoyed that I had to sit down and breathe deeply. Once inside my tension melted away. Soon I was floating amongst the fish. Gliding along while filtered sunlight washed over me and cool blue light calmed my senses….no…really. The interior was so tranquil that I could have fallen asleep. It was wonderful.

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, Florida is part of the “Tampa Bay’s Triplet”package. I enjoyed the tropical rainforest area, the coral reef viewing window and the penguin promenade show is fun.

You can swim with the fishes and dive with the sharks here but one of the most popular features is the ”Explore a Shore,” 2 acre, outdoor waterpark geared towards young children. Parents can enjoy the Cantina while watching the kids have a blast. Everyone wins.

So…get excellent directions to the parking lot, buy your Tampa Bay’s Triplet ticket and enjoy the Florida Aquarium. More photos here.

The Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida is one of the most unusual zoos I have ever visited. Part zoo, carnival, water park, aquarium, theme park, arcade and petting zoo, they try to have a little something for everyone, choosing variety over depth. It’s a busy kids dream come true.

The Lowry Park Zoo is part of the “Tampa Bay’s Triplet” package. I saw animals, rides, games, safaris, feedings, touch tanks and aviaries. Done with the Elephants? Feed a Giraffe. Tired of walking? Take a sky ride. Want to beat the heat? Cool off at the waterpark. They even have plans for a waterslide. (Bring some cash and coin to get the most from these experiences) More photos here.

Over 2,000 animals, endless variety and hours of fun on 41 acres in Tampa Florida.

Not Baaaaaaaaaaad.

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa, Florida is…well…industrial. No flourishes or fluff, just interesting science exhibits and daily demonstrations. Even the IMAX dome Theater lets you see the projection room from the museum so you can watch and learn. Nice!

MOSI is part of the “Tampa Bay’s Triplet” Package and loads of fun. My favorite was Disasterville where they simulate a tornado and a hurricane in different rooms. Safe but cool. Travelling exhibits and new IMAX movies keep things fresh. A Pirate and treasure exhibit was featured while I was there, including it’s own gift shop.

The Museum of Science and Industry is fun for all ages especially if you enjoy exploring the world around us. Don’t miss the Butterfly room outside. If you enjoy fast Mexican food then the Qdabo Grill next door is good. See more photos here.

Tampa, Florida is a city of contrasts for me. It can offer a hip urban scene or a laid back Florida retreat. Known for its water activities, Tampa provides almost anything you can imagine that is water-based. The choices are endless. The challenge is getting around.

Because almost 3 Million residents live in the “Tampa Bay area” , travelling here requires preparation. You need extra time to get around and excellent directions. The rewards are many. Beautiful beaches, exciting activities, interesting arts, active nightlife, delightful dining and a major theme park make Tampa a worthy destination. Bring your patience and enjoy.

Now that I’m a little older, the visit had me wondering if the experience would still be as exciting. It was. Today Silver Springs is a wonderful blend of the old and the new. Signs of progress mixed with nostalgia from over one-hundred years of greeting guests gives Silver Springs a great feel and lots to do.

The Glass bottom boats are still there and you can also explore other parts of the river on two narrated boat rides. One of my favorite experiences was feeding the giraffe near the petting zoo.
You get what looks like graham crackers to hold up until the giraffe’s foot long black tongue snakes out and wraps around the wafer. Sweet.

Silver Springs has been a tourist attraction for a long time and some may consider it old-fashioned. No, it’s not laser tag and roller coasters but that’s part of it’s charm. The combination of animals, rides and shows in a beautiful Old Florida setting was very appealing to me and I got a big charge out of the history. So many famous movies and television shows were shot there that it’s hard to keep track. Tarzan, James Bond, Sea Hunt, I Spy. The list is endless. I was also surprised to see the names on their concert series list. Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers and Ronnie Milsap among others were featured. Don’t miss the Jeep Safari near the bears at the back of the gift shop. Bouncy and fun. Had a good sandwich at the Deli, too.

All in all, very relaxing, lots to do in a natural environment which appeals to kids and adults.
The “Original Florida Tourist Attraction” I remember from my childhood is still going strong. I’m not sure but when I was looking down in the clear water, I thought I saw something large and dark move at the bottom near a cave. Maybe, just maybe.