There
are trips that come about because of an interest in a certain
culture. Other vacations start because of a picture or an article in
a magazine. Others still, friends recommend. But for this past summer's holiday, our adventure began
during a rainy day in Cannes,
France
three years ago.
My daughter (then six years
old) and I had gone to the closest cinema to escape the weather. She
chose a film based on a true story entitled L'incroyable Histoire de Winter,
known in America as Dolphin
Tale. I hadn't yet realized in
that dim lit room, while watching this heart-warming story, that we
were actually venturing on a new journey fuelled by the passion of a child (the best renewable energy that exists). My daughter walked out
of the cinema with an empowerment, a love for dolphins, and a mission
to save them.
 |
| Winter! |
From
that moment on, in every book shop, she bought books on dolphins. At
the school library, she checked out books about dolphins. And on the
website of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, www.seewinter.com,
she checked up regularly on the famous dolphin Winter. But she also learned about other
sea life throughout her research and about the other residents of the aquarium.
Eventually, she adopted a dolphin named Hope for a year. Her older sister also got
“hooked” (in a good way!) on the aquarium and adopted a sea
turtle named Molly.
 |
| Hope! |
 |
| Not Molly because she was resting (doctor's orders) |
And
finally, last month, we made the journey to Clearwater.
 |
| The evening the turtles hatched. |
Besides home to this fascinating aquarium, in 2013 Clearwater was voted the best Florida beach town in USA Today. I agree and for many reasons. To name a few: the whitest, softest sand leading into the warm water of the Gulf of Mexico. The fun atmosphere, delicious seafood, and breath-taking sunsets from numerous bars and restaurants, and along Pier 60. The friendly, accommodating, and generous people who offer boat tours, jet-ski tours, sailboat rentals, and any other activities a visitor would want to try.
So
when my daughters now proclaim that they want to work at the
Clearwater Marine Aquarium when they get older, I'm all for it. And,
I'll be happy to join them in this family-friendly beach town. But
while they work their way through elementary school first, we will
continue to look out for Winter and her friends. And of course,
Winter's newest film L'incroyable
Histoire de
Winter
2 (or
Dolphin
Tale 2)
is already in our agenda – coming out in Europe on September 24,
2014 (September 12 in America).
My recommendations:
 |
| Rooftop views from our rental |
Accommodation: VRBO http://www.vrbo.com
Restaurants: It seems every other place is called Frenchy's, we enjoyed (twice) Frenchy's Rockaway Grill right on the beach. But most of the eateries along the beach are fun with good food, drink, and live music.
Restaurants: It seems every other place is called Frenchy's, we enjoyed (twice) Frenchy's Rockaway Grill right on the beach. But most of the eateries along the beach are fun with good food, drink, and live music.
Boat tours, parasailing, scuba diving, etc.: Just walk along the marina where all these services are literally lined up along the pier. Otherwise, we met Finn at the end of our street who took us jet-skiing and also offers paddle boarding.
Tip: While booking the children into camp, I went ahead and bought a family membership to the aquarium. Although we are too far away to visit regularly, the membership gave us a discount on the camp, in the gift shop, and the flexibility to come and go as we pleased (without a long line) every day during our vacation. It was well worth it!
