Sunday, June 28, 2009

Crococun Zoo Cancun Mexico

No trip to the Cancun area of Mexico can be complete unless you make a side trip to the famous Crococun zoo. This is especially true if you happen to be traveling with small children.

The park was primarily established as a crocodile farm 20 years previously. Its specific purpose was to farm bred crocodiles for commercial purposes. During the 1988 hurricane Gilbert which struck the area Crococun was practically destroyed however as they rebuilt the reserve it started to take more of a nature preserve shape then that of a farm. Noticing this ex-farm slowly drifted from a commercial venture to that of a conservationist project the owners decided that this was a good thing and changed the complete concept of the organization. It was no longer a commercial venture but rather more of a conservation preserve. Today the zoo acts as a means of promoting and protecting many of Mexico’s endangered species. Some of the species of crocs which are raised here are eventually released back to the wild as part of the zoos conservation project. Not only does the location foster area animals but it presents a vast selection of marine and plant conservation as well.

The zoo’s mission is to inspire and to educate people towards making intelligent choices when it comes to the environment and conservation of the various animals, the habitat and the creature’s natural environment. Their major goal is to increase the dwindling croc population while at the same time teaching the next generation of citizens why this
Species is important for our way of life. Instructions are provided so that people can see how these animals should be properly cared for. The zoo desires to eventually become the areas leader in the conservation and protection of the various local wild species found in the region.

A visit to this zoo will likely provide some very lasting impressions for you and your family. These memories will become treasured moments fro your children as well as for you. This animal sanctuary has established several excellent tours that provide some great insights into the life and actions of the animals which they care for. In some cases, it is even possible for the children to actually touch and hold some of the smaller zoo creatures.

The zoo has been credited with saving many of the countries crocodile population that would normally have been killed as a result of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some of their croc residents have been transferred from the Sian Kaan Reserve as well as those that have been discovered and caught wondering around in residential areas.

As one rides the bus on route 307 towards the zoo a watchful eye can readily catch one or two of the large Yucatan Howler Monkeys gracefully playing at the top of the trees along the highway. These large animals leap from tree to tree as if they had wings. It is interesting to think about these wild creatures being a mere 50 from a major highway.

The monkeys found in the zoo represent those species that have been rescued by the authorities from private homes or those that were captured illegally. One can not merely place wild animals back into the wild after being taken as babies into ones home. The zoo serves as a half way house where these monkeys can be protected and nurtured until such time as they can return to their natural habitat.

So if you are interested in the wonders of nature then a visit to the Crococum Zoo is just what you need.

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Tips for Traveling with Children

I have personally made many trips both across the great American continent as well as to Europe, Asia and the Caribbean with children. Each trip was really an enjoyable adventure but if not planned properly it can become a living nightmare. The key is basically how well you as the adult can prepare before hand for the upcoming trip.

Being a lifelong traveler gave my family a rare opportunity to tour extensively. We have traveled by just about every conceivable way possible. Auto, motor home, airplane and ship. Initially we made many mistakes and we naturally learned from those mistakes to prevent them from reoccurring. I would now like to tell to you a few of the tips that we picked up over the years.

If you plan to be traveling any long distances by car you may wish to keep the following information clearly in mind... get as organized as you possibly can. If your travel itinerary calls for motel stops overnight you may wish to provide each child with a separate overnight bag of their own. This simple act encourages the child to develop a little responsibility for their own possessions as well as making them think they are grown up. My wife keeps a heavy duty plastic bag specifically for the dirty laundry. You don’t want to place the dirty clothes on top of the clean ones.

The amount of time you will be traveling will actually determine the number of clothing outfits that you should take with you. Sitting in a car for any length of time is certainly a reason to have a daily change of clothing. You should ensure that each member of your party has plenty of extra clothing in the event of accidents.

I have a 12 volt cooler that we always take some snacks, sandwiches and drinks with us. This keeps us from having to eat the fast foods along the way. In addition, we can eat smaller quantities and not feel as bloated as we travel. You save money and eat healthier. If we are traveling for an extra long distance we will try to have a good, balanced meal at the end of the days travel.

Our Garmin GPS is programmed to tell us when to take a rest break and believe me there are many times that we look forward to those breaks. When traveling with children you must plan for rest stops every couple hours so that they can visit the bathrooms and also to allow them and the driver to get out and stretch their legs a bit.

When we came back from California several years ago we drove our motor home all the way. It was a real enjoyable trip since we made sure to plan our evening stops before dark. This provided us with ample time to get the RV setup and to actually enjoy the areas where we stopped. A swimming pool and play ground are essential if you are traveling with kids. The average driving time for long trips should not exceed 8 to 10 hours.

Keep plenty of games, books and movies in the car for the children to enjoy. We always take the laptop or GameBoy for the kids to play with as we travel. If the battery gets low we merely plug it into one of the inexpensive power converters that converts the 12 volt car battery to 110 volts AC. It doesn’t take long for the laptop battery to get recharged.

So as you can tell with the proper planning you can enjoy traveling with children and have a pleasant vacation yourself to boot.

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Time to Visit Jolly Ole London England

As my aircraft completed its final approach to Heathrow Airport, I glanced out of the porthole to scrutinize this area of London prior to making our landing. The grass below was a very green shade such as I no longer visualized in America. It tended to endow a calming impact as we descended the cloud cover of the airport.

If you have never traveled to England and London in particular you are in for a pleasurable surprise. Not only are the people exceptionally friendly and cordial but the city itself presents a majestic attitude. Whether you are married with a family or a single young person there are always many events to keep you occupied.

If you happen to be married and bringing your family to London for the first time there are several family orientated areas that are always at the top of the children’s list of “To Do’s”.

The first item is the London Zoo. This biological collection has over 12000 species of mammals, reptiles, birds, insects and fish. Here at the zoo you can witness the world’s largest lizard in existence, the Komodo dragon. During their feeding time you will be amazed at how they rip their food apart in an effort to eat it as fast as they can. When you visit the zoo at feeding time the keepers will enlighten you many interesting facts concerning the various animals on display. It tends to keep children occupied for hours at a time.

Within the city of London you can visit the Bethnal Green Museum of Childhood. This house maintains a collection of various toys, a large collection of dolls plus the dolls' houses, many children's dress-up costumes and a vast selection of antique nursery items. On the weekend they host a selection of programs specifically geared to young people. It is well worth a visit with your children.

The Science Museum located in London proper holds one of the world's most comprehensive collections of science, medicine and technology memorabilia. The major features include the Space Gallery where future astronauts can witness the US Apollo 10 command module. Nearby in the Welcome Wing you can enjoy “Digitopolis”, an interesting and entertaining glance at the state of modern technology with the IMAX cinema. The interactive Launch Pad is always popular with children of all ages.

The various activities and events could go on endlessly for London as this is truly a city of activity and enjoyable activities at that. Don’t pass up the opportunity to take your children to London with you on a vacation as there are plenty of things for them to do.

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Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Australia Visit the Zoo Down Under

If you have never traveled to Australia then I would like to recommend that you visit this wonderful and exciting country. Australia happens to be a country of contrasts. The scenery in Australia is completely different then what one finds elsewhere around the globe. Once you landing Australia you will quickly discover that there exists and endless supply of exciting places for you to visit. One particularly popular attraction is the Australian Zoo.

If you have never heard of the Australian Zoo then you should really research it as this is one of the finest zoological attractions in the world. The Australia Zoo is located in Queensland near Australia’s Glass House Mountains. This is actually a private zoo owned by Terri Irwin. Terri Irwin is the widow of the late Steve Irwin better known as the Crocodile hunter.

You would be hard pressed to locate anyone who has not heard of the Crocodile Hunter television series. Steve Irwin was commonly known as the crocodile hunter on this popular television series which appeared not only in Australia but was a popular series here in America as well. The Crocodile Hunter is what made the Australian Zoo so popular. The Zoo was first opened in the year 1970 by Lyn and Bob Irwin when at the time it was commonly refered to as the Beerwah Reptile Park.

In 1991 Steve Irwin took on the management responsibility for the zoo and in 1992 the zoo was renamed Australia Zoo. If you are an animal lover then you are certain to enjoy this beautiful collection of Australia animals and reptiles. Amongst the collection of reptiles in captivity at the Australia Zoo you will discover iguanas, bearded dragons and different types of monitors, snakes and a vast assortment of other reptiles. In addition you will find the zoo is home to Kangaroos, monkeys and other native Australian animals. Nor can we forget to include the crocodiles which make their home on the grounds of the Australia Zoo.

At one time the Australia Zoo was the home to a Galapagos Tortoise who’s named was Harriet. Harriet was claim to fame was that she was known for being the oldest chelonian in existence. Harriet died on June 23 of 2006 and at the time of her death she was 176 years old.

We firmly believe that one of the reasons that Australia is such a great place to visit is because of the famous Australia Zoo. However, don’t expect to spend all your time at the zoo since after your visit there you are certain to want to enjoy the additional attractions found around the country of Australia. You and your family can readily count on your visit to Australia as being fun and exciting.

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