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4 Florida Destinations That Bring Road School to Life

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Beaches and theme parks aren’t the only things Florida has to offer RVers. Florida’s rich history and culture offers an opportunity to get your kid’s nose out of the text book and experience the lesson first-hand. Whether your kids are studying history, science or art, here are some fun Florida destinations to supplement their road schooling curriculum.

Seacamp

Take it from me, Roadie, as a pelican, I know from experience that the best way to learn about marine life is to dive under water. Seacamp on Big Pine Key is a boat ride away from a living coral reef where campers ages 12-17 receive a hands on marine science education. Seacamp teaches kids how to conduct field observations through activities like kayaking, snorkeling and  hands-on lab experience (They teach the kids dissect a fish!). The best part? The kids can stay in the capable hands of the Seacamp instructors, while the parents go off and enjoy a week of camping on Big Pine Key. Imagine having the RV all to yourselves… It’s a win-win for everyone!  

Link: http://www.seacamp.org/program.htm

EPR1 Edison Guest House copy

Edison/ Ford house

Fun Fact: In 1891, Henry Ford worked as an engineer at the Edison Illuminating Company where he and Thomas Edison became close friends.

Thomas Edison and Henry Ford built their winter estates right next to each other in Fort Myers, Florida. Here you can tour their estates, work shops where they tinkered with inventions  and visit Edison’s botanical lab. The garden, which boasts 1,700 plants representing more than 400 species from around the world, is where Edison grew the bamboo he used to make the lightbulb. The Edison / Ford Museum contains an extensive collection of their inventions and sketches. 

Morean Arts Center

St. Petersburg, Florida is rapidly gaining a reputation as an artsy city. This is probably due to the fact that it is home to the Dali Museum, Chihuly Gallery, The St.Petersburg Fine Arts Museum and a growing arts district. Instead of purchasing some art to commemorate the trip, why not take the kids to the Morean Arts center for an art lesson? Classes are taught for all ages and skill levels and include painting, ceramics, glass blowing and more. Make sure you do this at the beginning of the trip, especially if you do ceramics or glass blowing, that way you have time to pick up your pieces.

 

Dali Museum Florida

Salvador Dali Museum

Salvador Dali is one of the most famous and eccentric painters of all time. His work is highly technical,  and yet surreal. The best place to see it is at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. Designed by architect Yann Weymouth, the building itself is an enigma. We recommend touring the Dali with a docent or audio headset, to gain better insight into Salvador Dali’s life and paintings. Tours are offered in English or Spanish, so you can knock out art history and Spanish class in a day.  

We only covered a few of Florida’s historic land marks and museums. Does your family have a favorite destination that we missed? Parents, how do you make road school fun?  Share your tips in the comments below.

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