Travel

Unique Animal Experiences at the Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society

🌿🐅 Ready for an adventure that makes a difference? 🌿🐅

We had an unforgettable day at the Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach, Florida! Nestled within 23 acres of lush, tropical landscapes, this incredible zoo is home to hundreds of animals, including many endangered species.

This zoo has made many memories with children, families, and adults and is a popular spot to get up close with the animals with their unique animal experiences.

Here’s what you can expect while visiting including amenities, animals, where to eat, gift shop, and more.

Exclusive Animal Experiences:

During our zoo tour we got up close and personal with koalas and Aldabra tortoises through their amazing animal experiences — definitely a highlight! 🐨🐢

Exclusive Animal Experiences & Minimum Ages Below :

  1. Otter - 10 years old

  2. Giant Aldabra Tortoise - no minimum age

  3. Capybara - 8 years old

  4. Koala - no minimum age

  5. Panther - no minimum age

  6. Tiger - 10 years old

  7. Bear - 10 years old

*Advance registration is required. Walkup registration closes 30 minutes before the start of the program.

We found that tortoises LOVE shell massages and koala are such gentle creatures. Our tour guide was so informative and explained different animal facts to us.

For example, koalas can safely eat eucalyptus leaves, which are poisonous to most other animals, due to their specialized digestive system and gut bacteria that break down the toxic compounds

Did you also know that, an Aldabra tortoise lifespan can reach ages of more than 100 years?!

To put this experience into perspective, my son is 3 years old and loved interacting and seeing both animals up close. These experiences allow for curiosity and exploration for little kids.


More Fun Highlights/Useful Information:

Wildlife Carousel:

The zoo also has a carousel for a little fun. This Wildlife Carousel gives back, the cost is $3 each or 2 for $5 with all proceeds benefiting the Zoo's animals

Dining/Marketplace:

Visit Latitude 26 for delicious full-service marketplace dining.

Enjoy salads, burgers, sandwiches, kids’ meals and more. Beer and wine is also available for age appropriate guests.  

Lorikeet Loft

Lorikeet Loft, is an enclosed aviary where dozens of happy lorikeets fly freely. 🦜✨

Purchase a small cup of healthy juice and marvel as they land on your hand, arm, shoulder and even your head to get a drink of that sweet nectar.

Nature Play PavilioN:

This hands-on, interactive natural play space, located in the Florida Wetlands area, engages children of all ages in imaginative and creative outdoor play. Climb like a cat, balance like a monkey, crawl like a tortoise, splash like an otter and play with nature.

Amazon Marketplace & Wild Things Shop:

Don’t forget to swing by the gift store for unique souvenirs.

The shops offer a variety of eco-friendly options, from responsible sourced apparel & accessories to plush and toys made from recycled materials.  You will even find amazing merchandise that directly supports conservation projects and local artisans.

Rentals:

Safari Wagon (Seats 1-2 children) & Wheelchairs are available to rent for $10/ each. Highly suggest you bring a stroller with little ones but if you forgot either options they do have wagons and wheelchairs available to rent.

Palm Beach Zoo Mission:

To inspire action for wildlife conservation by connecting you with these incredible animals. Immerse yourself in the zoo’s interactive experiences and stunning environments, and leave feeling motivated to help protect wildlife.

Our tour guide shared that even using reusable water cups to conserving water all makes a difference in protecting wild animals, and the best way to get involve is to start small. Pick an animal you love and learn more about them and ways you can get more involve.

More information about the zoo, ways to donate/volunteer, purchase tickets, and learn about their mission can be found here on their website.

Let’s make a change, one visit at a time! 🌍💚

Where to Eat in South Florida

I’m a born and raised native South Florida girl. Recently, I spent a week visiting family in Florida and here’s everything we ate and our top recommendations on where to dine.

Many of these spots include a mix of breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner (fast casual and sit down), bakeries, desserts, and cafes and coffee. We’ve been coming to some of these spots for years, as well as some newly opened restaurants and businesses. We’ll continue to add to this list as we come visit.

Feel free to add your recommendations for where to dine in the comments so we can check them out next time!


Boca Raton

Tomasso’s Pizza & Subs

1229 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton, FL 33486

I’ve been coming to Tomasso’s since I was little, it’s family owned and a must stop for every visit. The pizza is great, so are the subs, pasta dishes, and I always try to get an order of salad pizza (secret menu item), and take home their brownies for my trips back to NY.


Mo&Mo Cookies & Pies! - (Dessert)

21302 St Andrews Blvd #103, Boca Raton, FL 33433

Specialty bakery dishing up artisanal cookies and custom pies, including keto-friendly options.

We ordered the Lux Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Chip, Apple Pie Crust, and Alfajor Cookies. Really enjoyed all the flavors, everything was so good.


VI Coffee Bar - (Coffee, Breakfast, Lunch)

1159 S Federal Hwy, Boca Raton, FL 33432

Destination for craft coffee, mocktails, and specialty coffee drinks. Enjoy unique seasonal beverages, local beer, and wine. They are a family run business and here they have a viral chicken Caesar salad wrap that sells out everyday.


Bolay - (Fast Casual Healthy Bowls)

If you’re looking for some fast casual healthy bowls, come to Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen. I love that you could customize your bowl with healthy options like sweet potato noodles, kate salad, teriyaki chicken and more. And they have chef inspired bowls, juices, and healthy kids meal options.


Deerfield Beach

Pilar Coffee Bar & Iced Treats - (Cafe/Coffee/Brunch)

1500 SE 3rd Ct #104, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

An elevated coffee shop that serves specialty brews, house-made gelato & beautifully crafted dishes.

Went here for brunch, and got the classic avocado toast and berry bliss parfait. Really enjoyed the food here but will say that the portions are on the smaller side. Overall seemed like a very cozy cafe to grab coffee and a bite to eat.


The Sticky Bun - (Breakfast & Lunch)

1619 SE 3rd Ct, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

A local favorite since opening in 2015. This brightly colored eatery serving up all-day breakfasts & lunches, plus house-made desserts. They are best known for their sticky buns, but all their breakfast entrees are very delicious. I always need to order the pulled pork arepas.


Little Havana Restaurant - (Cuban Restaurant)

721 Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

No trip is complete without Cuban food, and my go-to spot is Little Havana in Deerfield Beach. This cozy restaurant specializing in Cuban cuisine, including whole fried snapper, mojitos, and other classic dishes. My favorites have been the empanadas, ham croquette, and cuban trio with a tasting of ground beef, shredded beef & roast pork.


Delray Beach (Downtown)

Beswick’s & Co. - (Cafe & Brunch Items)

817 NE 6th Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33483

Beswick's & Co.'s menu offers diverse, wholesome, nourishing, freshly prepared, all-day brunch items which have been carefully curated by chef and in house


Two Fat Breggfast - (Walk-up Window Breakfast)

32 SE 2nd Ave, Delray Beach, FL 33444

Walk-up style window for breakfast sandwiches, cookies, and pop tarts, and coffee located in Downtown Delray. Everything was so delicious and was pleasently surprised at how good the cracked mocha latte was.

We ordered the:

  • The Burri”two”L Soft Scrambled Eggs, Cheddar Cheese, Home Fries, Zesty Aioli, Choice of Bacon, Sausage or Veggie in a Flour tortilla

  • The Fat Biscuit: Egg Soufflé, American Cheese, Choice of Bacon or Sausage on a Buttermilk Biscuit

  • Strawberry Pop Tart

  • Cracked Mocha Latte - Dark chocolate coated cup with Ethiopian espresso, your choice of milk over ice.

Delray Beach (West)

Death by Pizza - (Detroit-style Pizza)

WEST Delray Location: 15065 FL-7 BAY 400, Delray Beach, FL 33446

DOWNTOWN Delray Location: 528 NE 2nd St, Delray Beach, FL 33483

We went to the West Delray location because it’s dine in and met family there for dinner. Sat outside in the beautiful sunshine with drinks on hand. Ordered the meatballs with whipping ricotta and Caesar salad as starter. For pizza we got the “The Enemy” (mozzarella and sweet sauce) and “GANDOLFINI” (sweet Italian sausage, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, mozzarella, sweet sauce, basil & honey).