Site Seeing
Listed below, in alphabetical order, is a partial listing of sight seeing opportunities listed by Peter Schulz.
| My favorite places are Green Cay and Wakodahatchee. These are both park like settings that are child friendly, handicap accessible, clean, and easy to visit. And both are only one mile away from Green Cay Village. So don't think about it, just go there! |
American Orchid Society - 16700 AOS Lane, entrance on Jog Rd. approximately 3 miles north of Yamato Rd. (same location as Morikami Museum) Delray Beach (561) 404-2000
Claims thousands of orchids complement a serene but exciting botanical paradise, beckoning visitors to explore paths meandering through 3.5 acres of themed gardens and a magnificent display greenhouse.
Actually a rather small location but VERY clean and professionally run. A nice place to take adult tag-alongs e.g. clean toilets, lot's of shade, snacks, etc. But wait, for photographers it gets even better as the greenhouse is fully enclosed and thus affords one of the few places to take nature pictures on a cold or rainy day. Admission is $10.00 and an annual pass is $40.00. Closed Mondays.
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. 441, north of Atlantic Ave. Delray Beach (561) 734-8303
The marsh trail is a great place to shoot herons, egrets, ibises, alligators and bugs. Just park your car and walk the circular route along the levy. But bring sun protection as there is no shade to be had during the walk. As for fighting crowds, I have never seen many people here, even on holidays and weekends.
A fee of $5.00 is charged to private vehicles entering the refuge but annual and senior citizen passes are available.
Butterfly World - 3600 W. Sample Road, just west of FL Turnpike exit Coconut Creek (954) 977-4400
A great place for shooting butterflies, flowers, and some small exotic birds. VERY clean and professionally run. A nice place to take tag-alongs e.g. music, clean toilets, lot's of shade, snacks, etc. but not much rain cover. So ok for windy days but not rainy days. It's my favorite place for days when rain is threatening because shelter from the rain is never far away.
Admission is $18.00 but an annual pass is only $35.00.
Dreher Park Zoo - 1301 Summit Blvd. West Palm Beach (561) 547-9453
More than 500 animals, representing 120 species (many endangered), including the Florida panther, roam Dreher Parks 22 acres.
Shaded walkways and a paved nature trail allow visitors to enjoy the native flora and fauna up close and personal. The park also has a cafe on the premises.
The zoo is open from 9 AM to 5 PM daily, except Thanksgiving, rain or shine.
Green Cay Wetlands - 12800 Hagen Ranch Road Boynton Beach (561) 966-7000 Less than one mile from Green Cay Village Located on the east side of Hagen Ranch Road just a few blocks south of Flavor Pict Road.
100+ acres of farm land have been transformed by Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department into a wetlands ecosystem. A railed boardwalk with frequent rest stops, some of them shaded, traverses this wildlife habitat. There is also a 9,000-square-foot nature center that includes a turtle pond, frog habitats, an alligator hole and murals depicting what the land, previously the Green Cay Farm, looked like decades ago.
The boardwalk is open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.
Lion Country Safari - Southern Blvd., 15 miles west of I-95 West Palm Beach (561) 793-1084
Lion Countrys 500-acre preserve hosts about 1,200 animals. It opened in 1967 as the nations first drive-through cageless zoo. Each section has a theme, and the animals are matched to the sections that best represent their natural habitats. Among the animals here are giraffes, zebras, ostriches, water buffaloes, chimpanzees and more.
Lion Country Safari is open daily from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. The cost is $13.95 for adults and $9.95 for children ages 3 through 15.
Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens - 4000 Morikami Park Rd., entrance on Jog Road just south of Linton Blvd. Delray Beach (561) 495-0233
The Japanese gardens are a delight to walk through and there are many fine photo ops of flowers and other exotic plants.
Admission is $10.00.
Wakodahatchee Wetlands - Less than one mile from Green Cay Village Located on the east side of Jog Road just a few blocks south of Flavor Pict Road.
Fifty acres of unused utilities land have been transformed by Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department into a wetlands ecosystem and over 140 species of birds have been spotted here. A railed boardwalk with frequent rest stops, some of them shaded, traverses this wildlife habitat.
While I have not seen over 140 species of birds here, there are a lot of Herons and other wading birds. And they are easy to photograph as you can get a lot closer to them than the birds at Loxahatchee. Yes I know, it's like shooting fish in a barrel. But it sure is a great place to try out a new lens or a new shooting technique or just fill a card with 100s of keepers because you can.
The boardwalk is open 365 days a year from dawn to dusk. Admission is free.
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