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We visited LeHigh Acres Florida this summer on our vacation. When looking for places to visit and things to do with the kids while we were there I found a place called the Shell Factory.

It’s located in North Fort Myers Florida so it’s not a long drive to reach it. I found a Groupon for the tickets so it was a bargain price for an all day adventure for the kids as well as the adults. They have an absolutely amazing Christmas store with rooms full of Christmas ornaments and one of the largest Christmas Village displays I’ve seen in a long time.

When we visited they were having Christmas in July so the kids got a chance to visit Santa Clause. The Santa was very entertaining and told jokes and had the kids singing and laughing. We had children ranging from six to ten years old. They all had a great time visiting with Santa. He engaged with each child according to their age. He was probably the best Santa I’ve seen in a long time and I think the kids believed he was the real deal. Well, the younger ones did, the ten year old seemed like he was on to the whole thing but he didn’t let on to the little ones.

The Shell Factory has a petting zoo, as well as a zoo full of animals for the kids to view. The visit starts with an aquatic exhibit filled with fish and turtles that were interesting to view. We visited the petting zoo and the kids had so much fun feeding the animals and learning about them. Some of the animals on display seemed a little distressed in my opinion but the majority of them seem to be well cared for and comfortable in their surroundings. They have a Dinosaur park with raptors peaking out of the bushes and a T-rex that the kids could view along with a Triceratops and Brontosaurus. There is a park in the middle of the zoo with a jungle gym and swings for the kids as well as picnic tables for the adults to rest. We needed that rest as the trip through the zoo was long. The end of the walk through the museum has a reptile exhibit with a large variety of snakes and lizards.

There was an aviary in the zoo where the kids could enter and feed the birds. There were turtles in the aviary that were fighting. The boys enjoyed watching them but it was a little disturbing for me to watch them fight. One of the turtles seemed to be very aggressive and chased the others when they wouldn’t fight back. The kids fed the birds inside the aviary and the little ones enjoyed having them eat from their hands.

The Shell Factory also has a miniature golf course that was included in our Groupon. We managed to play the full course in speed mode as the weather man said it was going to rain. It rained buckets on us so we abandoned the golf course for the dryer interior of the gift and Christmas shop. The have a small Halloween store inside as well as the usual tourist gift shop items. The kids found cars made of shells that they could climb on and into and a talking buffalo head. The gift shop has a museum of sorts with displays of Pirates and Military uniforms for guest to view and learn about. They have a food court of sorts where we ate lunch and an ice cream eatery where we had desert. They have a seafood restaurant and a bar for the grown-ups outside.

The Shell Factory is the kind of place that everyone can find something to enjoy, even on a budget.

I have just returned from a long, long, road trip from Florida to California. This has become an annual event at our house. This year was different though. It was my mother’s 80th birthday celebration. She enjoyed the celebration and has at long last told the truth about her age. I finally learned how old my mother is after all these years.

This year’s trip was different as the grandkids and I flew to Florida from California. It was an adventure for all of us. My first trip with the kids and no other adults to interfere (I mean help) with them. It was the oldest grandchild’s first time truly understanding what was happening and not just being pushed along by an adult. It was the youngest grandchild’s first ever airplane ride.

The plane trip was an adventure from the beginning. Hubby drove us to the airport and mom came along as well. Hubby pulled up to the curb and we all exited the car. Hubby took the luggage out of the car and placed it on the curb. I got the attention of the skycap (they still call them that; don’t they?) and asked about checking the largest bag with him. I turned around after our conversation to see hubby pulling away from the curb. Geez, not even a good-bye hug? I turned back to the skycap and he handed me the boarding passes for the three of us.

The kids were all ready heading into the terminal and walking towards the security checkpoint. We left from LAX airport which is not known for having short lines. I asked the kids if a bathroom trip was in order and they agreed we should stop and use the facilities. After the bathroom we found the entrance to the security check point. The nice man at the entrance stated that we were at the wrong security checkpoint and directed us to the other end of the terminal. He assured me that this was a good thing, so we headed off to the other end of the terminal. I was just glad we had allowed for two hours to reach our gate.

We traversed the length of the terminal and found an escalator heading up. The kids, with their vast knowledge of airports, assured me that we were going the right way. We headed up the escalator and were met at the top by a female security person who checked out boarding passes before allowing us to go further. She asked the kids some questions that seemed friendly. I think she was checking to make sure I wasn’t kidnapping them. They were happy to answer her questions and she let us go on to the next security point. The man behind the podium asked the kids questions about their boarding passes and then asked me for my ID before allowing us to continue to the next check point.

At the next check point we placed our backpacks and carry-on luggage in the plastic bins and sent them down the metal rolling things. The security guy waived the kids through the metal detector and they were looking for the luggage on the other side. I walked through the metal detector and it sounds that loud beeping thing that means you have metal on you. I’m standing there looking at the security person. He’s standing there looking at me and the kids on the other side trying to get the luggage. He brings up the wand and starts towards me. The only thing I’m thinking is; how do I get to the kids? Then I remember that I have a metal barrette in my hair. I point to it; the security guy sees it and waves me through.

We get to the gate and have an hour to wait for the plane. It’s late of course so we waited more than an hour. Once on the plane I discovered how to get the internet on each of the kid’s tablets, found everyone a headset, and downloaded movies for them to watch. The flight crew came around and asked what we wanted to eat; and of course, the only thing that the kids would eat had been sold out. We opted for the snack box because everything else was disgusting; even for an adult.

We get to our next stop and must change planes. Our connecting flight is late. The reader board says that it’s going to be two hours late. Two hours of waiting in an airport. With two small children. At midnight.

Our connecting flight shows up after three hours and everyone gets onboard. The captain comes on the speaker and says that there is an issue with the flight. They make us deplane and have no further information. I’m stuck at an airport with two small kids at 2 AM. No snack bars are open. All the electrical outlets are in use. Some passengers have demanded and received a hotel room for the night. Did I mention that I am traveling with two small children?

Thankfully the kids entertained themselves well and in doing so entertained some of the other kids that were waiting with us. They are good kids and take everything in stride. The person at the podium announces that the captain is being escorted to the plane. The only thing the kids remember is that everyone at the gate cheered. We finally get on the plane and arrive at our destination only three hours late. The pilot knew how to make up some time. The kids got to meet their great-uncle for the first time at 3:00 AM in an airport.

In my next post I’ll discuss some of our adventures on the trip home.