Nature, pet love, and the vastness of the Florida sky – enjoy a staycation this summer that includes all three.
Beaches
Florida is known the country over for our beautiful beaches. Why leave Florida to have adventures when you can enjoy the beauty of the Florida coast? It’s simply gorgeous here, especially on days when the sky blends with the ocean in an impossible shade of blue. Whether you visit Hollywood Beach, Fort Lauderdale Beach, or Miami Beach, enjoying South Florida beaches opens you up to shell searching, kayaking, or tasting the salt of the ocean, all in your own backyard.
Dogs
South Florida is also wonderful for dog lovers and one of the benefits to a staycation is that you don’t have to leave your fur-kid home while the two-legged family members leave town. Explore your backyard with Fido and visit some of Broward or Dade’s pet-friendly parks, including The Bark Park in Fort Lauderdale’s Snyder Park. The rules at Broward’s dog friendly parks are fair: keep your pet leashed and keep pet baggies on hand. Combine your beach staycation with a treat for your pet by visiting Hollywood Beach’s Dog Beach of Hollywood, located between Custer and Pershing Streets. Beach charges depend on Hollywood residency: residents with I.D. pay $5; non residents pay $10. Hours vary and all friendly, nonaggressive dogs are welcome.
Stars
Get away from the city lights and view the stars by visiting Broward College’s planetarium. The huge domed ceiling/projector will sweep you away into the vastness of the solar system, or stay after the show to stargaze through one of the college’s telescopes. Looking for the real thing? Visit the South Florida Amateur Astronomers’ Association at Markham Park’s observatory. The SFAA makes its permanent home inside the park. For more information, including times and a calendar, go here. Stargaze in Miami with the Southern Cross Astronomical Society. Active since the early 1920s, they meet every weekend at the Bill Sadowsky Nature Preserve in Palmetto Bay.
Beaches, dogs, or stars? How will you spend your summer staycation?
