American Dive Center
8092 West Sample Road
Coral Springs, FL 33065
954.346.0174
800.310.0174
Email

To reach the airboat tours, take I-75 north to the exit for Fla. Highway 27; turn right at the end of the exit ramp and proceed 2 miles. Follow signs for Sawgrass Recreation Park.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge - U.S. 441, north of Atlantic Ave. • Delray Beach • (561)  734-8303

This national park is a nature lover’s paradise. and one that is very close to home.  Reclaimed land that was flooded into marshland, Loxahatchee features a boardwalk trail through a cypress swamp and marsh trails.

This area is among the best in Florida for bird watching. In addition to the usual herons, egrets, ibises, limpkins, pileated woodpeckers and red-winged blackbirds, birders occasionally see a great-horned owl nesting high in a cypress, migratory waterfowl, wood storks and the rare Everglades kite.

The park is open 8 AM to sunset daily.

Deerfield Beach Municipal Beach - Fla. Hwy. A1A at the pier, Deerfield Beach • Contact: Deerfield Beach • Parks and Recreation • (954) 480-4423

This city-owned beach has 5,700 feet of frontage — the entire length of the Deerfield Beach city limits. The facilities and “amenities” are vast: grills and picnic tables at the covered pavilion, restrooms, tiki huts along the beach, cabana service and a popular fishing pier. North of the pier is the “active” area where folks can play Frisbee or paddle ball, surf or get a pickup game going at the volleyball nets.

The beach is open from 7 AM to 11 PM, and lifeguards are on duty from 9 AM to 5 PM. Metered parking is available.

Deerfield Beach Pier - 200 N. Ocean Blvd. • Deerfield Beach • (954) 426-9206

This pier is open 24 hours daily. Admission to fish costs $3 for adults and children, and sightseers can hang out on the pier for $1. Gear rental is $6 per day.

Jungle Queen Riverboat - 801 Seabreeze Blvd. (Fla. Hwy. A1A at Bahia Mar Yacht Basin) • Fort Lauderdale • (954) 462-5596

Catch the ambiance of the “Venice of America” while cruising the historic New River. A sightseeing tradition in the Fort Lauderdale area since 1945, the Jungle Queen features daily cruises at 10 AM and 2 PM as well as a nightly dinner cruise that departs at 7 PM. The price for the sightseeing cruise is $9.95 for adults and $7 for children younger than 11. The dinner cruise includes a stop at an island along New River where an all-you-can-eat meal and entertainment are provided. The cost is $22.95 for adults and $11 for children younger than 11.

The Jungle Queen also offers a day-long cruise from Fort Lauderdale to the Bayside Marketplace at Miami’s Biscayne Bay. It’s a relaxing, scenic way to travel to Miami for a day of shopping and sightseeing. The cost is $13.95 for adults and $9.50 for children younger than 11. Departure time is 9:15 AM; return time, 5:15 PM. Please call for specific travel days. 

Lion Country Safari - Southern Blvd., 15 miles west of I-95 • West Palm Beach • (561) 793-1084

Lion Country’s 500-acre preserve hosts about 1,200 animals. It opened in 1967 as the nation’s 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.

Metro Zoo - 12400 S.W. 152nd St. (Coral Reef Dr.) • Miami • (305) 251-0400

This cageless zoo lets animals roam in settings that are similar to their natural habitats. Among the animals that come from the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe are chimpanzees, orangutans, elephants, antelope, Siamese crocodiles and even rare white Bengal tigers. 

The zoo is open daily 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM, and the ticket booth is open from 9:30 AM until 4 PM. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 3 through 12.

Miami Seaquarium - 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy. • Miami • (305) 361-5705

The Seaquarium is probably southeastern Florida’s best known tourist attraction and is the home of Flipper.

The Seaquarium is open from 9:30 AM to 6 PM daily, and if you wish to see everything, plan on spending about four hours. Admission costs $18.95 plus tax for adults, $13.95 plus tax for children ages 3 to 9.

Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens - 4000 Morikami Park Rd. • Delray Beach • (561) 495-0233

Revel in the excitement of Japanese performers, a feast of ethnic foods, the street fairs, arts and crafts displays — all set in a tranquil oasis of pine forests, nature trails and lakes. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens offer an authentic taste of Japan in the tropics.

The park grounds and gardens are open everyday from sunrise to sunset, and admission is free. The museum and gift shop are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM; admission is $4.25 for adults, $3.75 for seniors 65 and older and $2 for children ages 6 through 18 and college students with school identification. On Sundays from 10 AM to noon, admission is free.

Pompano Beach Pier - 222 Pompano Beach Blvd. • Pompano Beach • (954) 943-1488

The pier features a bait shop, offering rod-and-reel rentals ($10.18 per day plus $5 deposit, including admission and “first bait”) and an on-site restaurant. Fishing prices are $2.34 for adults and $1.01 for children younger than 10. Spectators pay 91¢. The pier is open 24 hours daily year round.

Red Reef Park - 1400 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton • (561) 391-5014

The 67-acre city-owned beach park has lifeguards on duty from 9 AM to 5 PM daily and is the only city beach open for parking after dark. This beach is a favorite for snorkelers because of its near-shore reef. A scenic boardwalk gives visitors wonderful views of the ocean and some of the subtropical coastal vegetation. The park features a children’s play area, picnic facilities and barbecue grills and is adjacent to the city-owned Red Reef Executive Golf Course.

The park is open 8 AM to 10 PM daily.

Sea Mist III  - Sea Mist Marina (off Ocean Ave.) • Boynton Beach • (561)  732-9974

The 72-foot all-aluminum Sea Mist III offers year-round fishing excursions for the entire family. There are three trips daily; each trip lasts four hours. The cost is $22 per person, which includes bait, tackle and license.

Sawgrass Mills - 12801 W. Sunrise Blvd. • (954) 846-2350 • Sunrise • (800) FL MILLS

Sawgrass Mills, the “world’s largest discount outlet mall,” boasts 270 outlets, including 10 anchor stores. You’ll find plenty of designer-name products at less than designer prices at places such as Saks off Fifth and The Last Call. There are also two international food courts, three restaurants, automated teller machines, a currency exchange and an 18-screen movie theater complex.

Mall hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 9:30 PM and 11 AM to 8 PM on Sundays.

Spanish River Park - 3100 N. Ocean Blvd. • Just south of Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton • Contact: Boca Raton • Recreation Services • (561) 393-7806

This large city-owned park, which spreads from the beach west to the Intracoastal Waterway, features 1,850 feet of beach frontage. You get to the beach by walking from the parking/picnic area through short tunnels under Fla. Highway A1A. The western sector is densely covered with native vegetation and crisscrossed with nature trails. There are plenty of picnic tables and grills as well as five covered shelters that are ideal for birthday parties and company picnics. The children will enjoy the 40-foot, two-level observation tower that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway.

The park is open 8 AM to sunset daily.

Town Center at Boca Raton -  Glades Rd. at St. Andrews Blvd. • Boca Raton • (561) 368-6000

Town Center mall is an adventure, drawing shoppers from throughout the South Florida region. The center’s anchor stores are Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, Burdines and Lord & Taylor. 

Town Center is open from 10 AM to 9 PM Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 PM on Sunday.

The Shops of Las Olas - Las Olas Blvd. between S.E. Sixth and S.E. 12th Aves. • Fort Lauderdale • (954) 487-6260

Among the world’s most charming streets of dreams, Las Olas Boulevard certainly holds its own. On a par with Boulevard St. Germain in Paris, Las Olas was named for “the waves” on the beach at its eastern end. The broad divided downtown boulevard runs almost parallel to the New River, with the city’s Arts and Science District on its west flank. Also borrowing architectural accents from the city’s Spanish heritage, Las Olas mixes in the mood and mystique of New Orleans. A landscaped median with flowers and tall shade trees separates the north and south sides of this shopping destination that also wines, dines and entertains visitors.

Vizcaya - 3251 S. Miami Ave. • Miami • (305) 250-9133

Built in 1916, Vizcaya, an Italian Renaissance-style villa, was the winter home of Chicago industrialist James Deering. 

Restored to its original opulence and superbly maintained, Vizcaya is an artistic and educational resource. Its gardens, overlooking Biscayne Bay, are a wonderful spot for quiet reflection.