Fudpuckers

We are now in Destin, Florida for a few days and heard of a must do restaurant called Fudpucker's. The draw of the restaurant is feeding live alligators!

There is also a restaurant attached which we did eat dinner but you do not have to eat dinner to feed the alligators.  It was definitely an adventure....you go and buy pellet food and put on a fishing pool before dropping it down into the water.

It was a bit unnerving when they would latch on the pole and tug the bait from you-of course my daughter thought it was the best thing ever! We did go at night so I can imagine during the day your would be able to see the alligators coming up for the food a bit better and it may not be as suprising.

We did eat at the restaurant and it was ok- food wasn't horrible just typical "bar food". Our daughter did get a pizza and was very happy with her surprise guest:

I would say that eating at the restaurant is a fun experience for the kiddos and the drinks are good. They do have alligator on the menu but we did not try it-they may be a great time to try something new. All in all I would say don't miss feeding the alligators but the restaurant can be a miss.

Fort Walton Beach, Florida!

We have made our way down to Florida. On our hunt for something between New Orleans we came across a pamphlet for Gulfarium Marine Adventures. At first I expected an aquarium with a few large animals and a quick couple hour trip but I was wrong! Upon arrival we found that they offer animal encounters-we chose two swimming with the stingrays and training the dolphin.

I was a little skeptical at first because the encounters seem so short on paper but we had plenty of time.  My daughter and I were each able to feed, do a few commands, and play catch while learning about the body of dolphin. It was interesting to learn more about certain features and how they use the training to prep the dolphins for vet care.

Our next stop was swimming with the stingrays and I would say this is a must do!

We given wet suites and flippers before meeting up with our guide. She showed us the baby stingray pool and taught us more about each of the species and sharks. Next it was time to feed the stingrays:

We were given a smiley face because the stingrays had learned to eat from their target. I was amazed at how the guide recognized each stingray and knew who should eat what. It was an incredible feeling as they swam over you to get the food.  This was an experience we will treasure forever.

After drying off we went on to explore the other exhibits and learn more about each animal. We even got to see the amazing touch pool! We ended our day with a snack  and a smile-so far this is has been the highlight of all our state travels.

Where will our next adventure be?

We are on next adventure! Be on the look out for posts next week.

Final Stop Mardi Gras World

So I saved my favorite for last- Mardi Gras World! We were not really sure what to expect pulling up to a large warehouse in an industrial side of town but were ready for another adventure. Upon entering you go into the gift shop and get your ticket (which is a fun necklace) for the tour.  When it is time you are met by your guide and escorted into a room where you learn the history of Mardi Gras, try on some great costumes, and try some king cake.  After a few minutes it time to visit the warehouse:

Who knew so much went into making the floats for the many parades! We were able to go each station and watch how a drawing really comes to life. I liked seeing how they are able to reuse and recycle some of the pieces each year for other floats. The amount of dedication we say and lifelike designs was incredible. This was my favorite piece:

We continued our warehouse tour and saw the many floats the different groups use during the parades. It was interesting to learn how much time, money, and thought goes into each float. My daughter found it crazy the floats even have bathrooms since you can be on there for 7 hours!

The detail was beyond incredible. If you are traveling to New Orleans with your children this is my top pick of things to do and not miss!

Next Stop Creole Queen

Our next stop was of course to explore a local river boat dinner cruise. My daughter was in love with the whole design of the boat and wanted to sing the down the river like Tiana from the princess and frog.

After doing a bit of research we settled on the Creole Queen.  The food served on the cruise was going to be just the right amount of spice and authentic cuisine while serving things we knew our daughter would eat as well. Upon boarding the boat we were greeted with jazz music and dancing: it did not take long for my daughter to drag my husband out to the upper deck to dance-

We had so much good food to eat and the view of the city at night was breathtaking. It was definitely a different spin on the streets we had explored during the day. I would say if you have the time to do one of the dinner cruises on the river. It really gives you the feel what New Orleans is like and the overall history of the city.