Beautiful Bok Tower

With all the rain lately, we decided to get out of the house and enjoy something a bit different.  Bok Tower really hit the spot.  Located in a rather remote area of Lake Wales in Central Polk County, it was a picturesque place to relax and unwind.  The cost is $14 per person, although children a a bit cheaper.  We were able to use our AAA discount to knock off about $2 per person.

The welcome center is located right next to the park lot, and has a gift shop and cafe.  We did not eat at the cafe, but we brought our own picnic lunch instead.  They have plenty of tables set up outside around the cafe, and there is no eating in the actual gardens.  The welcome center has a neat little movie to watch and has several exhibits about the natural wildlife that lives in the area and the tower.

We went on a Sunday, so there was no concert, but they do play recordings of the concerts from the tower everyday and we were able to witness that.  It was extremely neat.  The kids thought the tower was pretty cool, but I think they were rather bored, because you can not enter the tower, all you can really do is walk around and admire the gardens.  They do have a really cool "Window" that allows visitors to sit inside an enclosed shed and look out at the wildlife that inhabits a pond, and the boys did enjoy that.

All in all, my husband and I really liked it, but it is definitely not for the older kids.  Babies might find it relaxing to walk around and nap, but the lack of action might be a bit too dull for most children.  This would make a great "date spot" though, if you can get away from the kids!
http://boktowergardens.reachlocal.net/

Tampa Bay MOSI

This one does not fall under the under $50 for four people.  We went and saw the limited engagement of the Sea Monster Exhibit.  It cost us close to $88 for parking and admission to the museum and  sea monster exhibit. The museum is really cool.

The Sea Monster exhibit is a must if a member of your family loves sea creatures.  The animals are done much like the controversial Bodies exhibit that came through about 7 years ago.  The bodies of several of the animals are positioned and dissected so that you can the different layers of the body.  My kids thought it was pretty cool, but it may be a little scary for the younger set (4 and under).

The rest of the museum is pretty neat!  it opens up with two large sauropods guarding the stairway.  Up the stairs , and you enter in the permanent exhibits of the museum; Disasterville, Your Body, and the Bay News 9 Experience.  Disasterville has visitors experience natural disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and wildfires. The bodies exhibit is relatively safe for kids.  It has exhibits on everything from the beginning of life (stages of the fetus), to the stages of death.  They had and interesting exhibit on aging and cancer.  It was aimed for the older crowd, so my kids really didn't get it.

The last place we hit was "Kids in Charge" or the children's museum.  My boys loved it.  They had something for everyone.  My oldest loved the journey to the moon exhibit that simulated a space flight to a moon colony.  The youngest got a kick out of the Publix exhibit where kids picked "oranges" took them to the processing barn and then moved them to the super market.

It was a fun trip.  I'm definitely going to be keeping my eyes and ears peeled for a discount day!

Circle Bar B Reserve

Ready for a hike?  Then head on over to the Circle Bar B Reserve in Lakeland.  This county run reserve is located on Winter Lake Rd. near the intersection of US 98 and the Polk Parkway.  The park has several different trails, and each are marked with their difficulty and their length.  We opted for the Shady Oak, Alligator Alley, and Heron Hideout. 

Shady Oak Trail

The trails were very well taken care of and we were able to view plenty of wildlife on them. 

A crane that we saw on the Alligator Alley trail.

I would not suggest the Alligator Alley and Heron Hideout trail for those with a stroller or unsteady walkers.  The trail was rather bumpy with exposed tree roots.  I would also suggest bringing sunscreen and bug spray.  We used deep woods Off and did not have any issues, but I did notice several others on the trail smacking bugs.   The trails we picked were rather shady, but there were spots where the trail was not covered and lets face it, the Florida sun is brutal. 

Alligator in the lake that we spotted on the Alligator Alley trail

There were plenty of place in the parking lot to picnic, with several covered areas with tables and a grill.  There is also a discovery center onsite that teaches kids and adults about the local wildlife and environment.  The kids really enjoyed the tree house and fox den that they could crawl in.  There was also a video running that discussed ways to help conserve our natural resources.  

The park allows for horseback riding, bikes, and of course hiking.  There is no playground, but the indoors discovery center makes up for it.  They offer several different events through out the year, so be sure to check it out if you are ever in the area.  I know we will be back soon to try some of the other trails.  

For more information, check out their website: Circle Bar B Reserve

A turtle sunning itself on Alligator Alley trail.