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Jan 10

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

Jan 10

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Enjoy the beautiful sights and sounds that South Florida has to offer by visiting Flamingo Gardens, a family-friendly wildlife sanctuary & botanical garden.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

What do you find yourself yearning for in the new year? For me, it’s adventure and exploration. After living in South Florida for nearly 30 years, I have yet to take advantage of all of the natural beauty that surrounds us. There is so much to see and even more to do in the sunshine state, making it nearly impossible for us to run out of spontaneous escapades the entire family can enjoy together. The warm weather and sandy stretch of coastline attracts thousands of tourists each year. They swim, surf, and bask in the sun without a care in the world. While these are the many perks of being a native Floridian, there are hidden gems scattered throughout the state which tend to be overshadowed by the beaches. One of these places being Flamingo Gardens, a 60-foot wildlife sanctuary, aviary, and botanical garden.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

I haven’t been to Flamingo Gardens in years and with it being the last week of her winter vacation, Toodie & I decided to visit for a day of fun. If you have never had the pleasure of visiting a wildlife sanctuary before or are a city dweller in need of a nature fix, this is the place to be. It’s home to over 3000 species of exotic plants, native wildlife, birds, and majestic peacocks.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

The colorful feathers on the male peacocks are truly stunning in person and there are SO many roaming freely. Many of them were also hanging out in the winding branches of the huge trees that overlooked the grounds.  Did you know the bold colors are used to attract their mates? Compared to the males, female feathers are not as dazzling because they’re shorter and often brown or cream color. We even spotted an albino peacock during our tram tour!

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

The Flamingo Pond was our first stop upon arrival. Toodie couldn’t wait to feed the flamingos and other wild birds in the area.

Visiting Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

There are several machines scattered throughout the grounds in which you can purchase a handful of pellets for a quarter. Bring plenty! They go fast, especially if you have a hungry flock surrounding you. Most of the birds will eat them right from your hand which makes for a very cool experience.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

These pretty-in-pink birds had no problem walking right up to the edge of the water for photo opps! A cafe is also conveniently located right next to the pond for a bite to eat while flamingo watching. They serve fresh fruit, sandwiches, beverages, ice cream, and other snacks.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

Along he walkway we also came across the turtle and tortoise habitats. These guys are HUGE in person and they actually move a lot faster than you’d expect! Here you will find African Spur tortoises, Alligator Snapping turtles, Box turtles, Freshwater and Softshell turtles.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

The 25,000 square foot aviary is another great place to get closer to the birds through interactive feeding. You can walk along the path and notice different species all around you. Many of these birds are injured and can no longer live in the wild but are not aggressive towards visitors.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

They will also eat the tiny food pellets right from your hand. Do watch out for unexpected poop. There may be quite a few on the ground, but remember to look up and be aware of your surroundings! After all, you are in their house.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

In between the wildlife show and spending time in the other exhibits, visitors can also take a complimentary tram ride through 42 remote acres. During the narrated tour you will learn more about the tropical rain forest and fruit groves. This part of Flamingo Gardens holds some of the last original jungle growth in South Florida and looks just how it did when the Seminole Indians occupied the area.

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

There are plenty of exciting things to do in Florida but if you are looking for a relaxing and family-friendly atmosphere to keep the kids busy all day, put Flamingo Gardens at the top of your list. We had a blast and didn’t end up leaving until they closed. It’s so easy to get immersed in nature!

Explore The Great Outdoors At Flamingo Gardens In South Florida

Have you ever been to Flamingo Gardens or another wildlife sanctuary in your hometown?

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Posted by youngatheartmommy 6 Comments
Filed Under: Family, Travel Tagged: #LoveFL, Family Fun In Florida, Flamingo Gardens, Florida Travel, South Florida, Travel

Comments

  1. ELISE LANEY says

    Jan 06 at 5:12 pm

    I LOVEEEEEE flamingos!
    Reply
  2. AnnMarie John says

    Jan 07 at 1:44 pm

    I would LOVE to visit here. I have been in CO for about 5 years now and there is so much to see and do here and I need to visit some of them. Most of them are better done in the summer however. Maybe one day I can visit you in South Florida and we can do this all over again.
    Reply
  3. shelly peterson says

    Feb 11 at 8:49 pm

    What a neat place to visit. I would love to go to a wildlife sanctuary. The kids would love it.
    Reply
  4. Betty Sanders says

    Jan 15 at 1:22 am

    I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale in the 50's and 60's. Flamingo Groves as it was called then was a favorite of our family. Happy to know it is still there. I live in Tennessee. Hope to get to see it again someday.
    Reply
    • youngatheartmommy says

      Jan 15 at 12:48 pm

      Oh wow! I’m sure it’s gone through quite a few changes since. It’s a beautiful place, that’s for sure. We love visiting, even it’s to just walk around and enjoy the scenery. The peacocks are always a favorite for us.
      Reply

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  1. 10 Reasons To Visit The Miami Seaquarium With Your Family says:
    Jul 13 at 12:25 pm
    […] venturing out-of-town for our next getaway later this month. South Florida has everything from wildlife sanctuaries to water parks to beaches and museums. There’s never a shortage of things to do here, […]
    Reply

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Hello there! I’m Jessica - just your everyday mom navigating through life with the help of iced coffee and frequent trips to Target. Follow along for yummy recipes, crafty projects, and family-friendly travel tid-bits.

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