I can't even tell you how lovely this place is! 25 nature destinations walked in a loop that goes a…read moremile long, with bridges, waterfalls, bamboo parks, pagoda-styled buildings. Big bright green iguanas prancing around the property. It is a wonderful day trip, you can have lunch at the cafe on the outdoor patio and enjoy a variety of Asian dishes, boba tea, and other cold treats. There is a short movie that tells visitors about the inspiring life of George Morikami, the man who created this place and dedicated hundreds of acres back to Florida. There was an exhibition on Japanese Bridal Kimonos, Japan's efforts in American wars, and a model 16th century tea house with a very informative diagram explaining the traditions and build out. The gift shop had so many cool things bookmarks, Japanese candy, art, keep sakes, clothes, and so much more. Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens is unforgettable.

We came here on Mother's Day -- a Sunday in May. As you can imagine, it was quite busy. So busy, in…read morefact, that we only saw a peak at the inside museum and a quick visit to the gift shop. We spent our time visiting the Japanese gardens. It was excruciatingly hot the day we visited. We were glad for the frequent benches to stop and rest. We enjoyed the beauty of the various gardens. Especially liked the bamboo grove as my husband got to explain to a few folks a bit about bamboo and the ingenuity of his grandfather using bamboo on his farm in Georgia as irrigation conduits. The sign saying don't carve the bamboo next to a carved stalk was ironic... In addition to the various plant gardens, there were the rock gardens, the waterfalls, and the pine forest. Liked seeing the koi fish and turtles. Another highlight was the bonsai exhibit. Throughout the winding path, there were stone lanterns and small wooden huts. At the entrance to the area with the original 1977 museum is a laughing Buddha statue of Hotei, the god of happiness. Smaller than expected, you might miss it the first time you pass by. As a caveat, prepare for lots of walking. Wear comfortable shoes, a hat or carry a parasol, sunglasses. They have a couple areas with steps, but there is an alternative "easier" path for strollers or handicapped. And if possible, come when it's cooler. I'm glad we walked the entire perimeter. But for someone very much out of shape, I know I'll be feeling my achy muscles. I'm glad we got this brief glimpse into the history and culture of the Japanese in South Florida. It's one of the most distinctive tourist attractions in our area.

It was our first time visiting while we were on our trip. It's a small museum but it had a lot of…read moreinteresting things to see. My kids had a great time learning and exploring. They enjoyed watering the plants outside. The good thing about it is it's located right next to Sugar Sand Park.

What an amazing place for children that can walk to tweens explore science exhibits. The youngest…read morewill enjoy the motions and hands on. The older kids will get a good idea of how things in our world work. A $5 donation is accepted at the entrance. Bring a stool for the littles. The exhibits aren't sized for them.

Prismatica is a free new art installation located along in Plaza Real in Mizner Park in Boca Raton…read more The art installation is 25 six-foot pivoting holographic prisms. Prisms have flat, polished surfaces that are designed to refract light. At least one surface must be angled to be considered a prism. I think of prisms as being glass but they can be made from any material that is transparent to the wavelengths for which they are designed. The panels of these prisms seem to be made out of some kind of plastic which reflect various rainbow colored lights that change color depending on the angle you view them. The installation is the creation of RAW Design, a Toronto-based architectural firm who had 30 architects and designers from the fields of applied science, technology, art and architecture come together to create Prismatica.. The installation is sponsored by Quartier des Spectacles Partnership of Montreal. After Boca Raton Prismatica will continue to tour the United States. The prisms are set up on the sidewalk in front of the shops. The interactive part of the art is you can spin them to see the colors change. You can also look through them to see the street change color. I tried to take a few pictures shooting through the prisms. At night the prisms light up making even more colors. I used to use a prism as a kid to make rainbows around my bedroom. Playing with these large prisms brought back those childhood feelings of wonder and discovery. I love what is happening in Mizer Park. First we get the world famous Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibit at the Boca Raton Museum of Art and now that they have packed up these fun and colorful prisms made their debut on March 3rd in time for spring. If you want to see and play with the prisms though you will have to hurry. There are only here for one month and will be departing on April 3.

Our party of 11 was turned away yesterday for Father's Day by Another Broken Egg Cafe in Delray, so…read morewe went to Silverball for lunch instead. We had planned on going there for games afterward anyway. I didn't play any of the games, but I must say we were VERY impressed with the reception staff, wait staff, and food. They were kind do us and very attentive. There was a lot more on the menu than I had originally thought. I had the Chicken Caesar Wrap with the Jersey fries, and they were both very yummy. The thin-crust pizzas had a great crunch, spicy marinara, good cheese, and a nice char if you like that sort of thing. The kids enjoyed the quesadillas and mozzarella sticks. My husband enjoyed the wings, though he would have liked more sauce. You DO need to pay to park, but that is to be expected in that high-traffic location in Delray. I was surprised it was only $4.75 for two hours. We would definitely return to Silverball if we're in the area and want to grab cocktails and good quality bar food.

Super fun experience! On this particular night, they had a live band playing so it was a great…read moreplus. I was impressed with the amount of pinball machines. Some of them are very old and still working. So you pay a price at the door and they give you a wristband for unlimited plays. The price changes depending on time and event so check it out or call before going. They have a full bar and some food items. I only got a few beers and spent my time playing and dancing. It is a unique place so it is worth visiting it if you are in town.

I absolutely love that Deerfield Beach has this free gem of a museum. The South Florida Railway…read moreMuseum is located in the historic Seaboard Airline Railway Station built in 1926. The Mediterranean Revival structure was designed by Gustav A. Maass, an architect from Louisiana. I am a historic train station enthusiast. Some of have been left abandoned to rot away while others have been restored and are still in use today. A select few have been turned into museums. It warms my heart to see that this station is still in operation today for Amtrack and Trirail while honoring the railways past with this charming museum. Henry Flagler first laid railroad tracks to South Florida in 1894. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad put down tracks between 1921 and 1924. The Seaboard Air Line Railroad was an American railroad which existed from April 14, 1900, until July 1, 1967 when it merged with the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. AIr Line does not refer to air travel but instead is a common term for the shortest distance between two points. The railroad operated 4,000 miles of track running from Richmond, Virginia down through Jacksonville and ending in Jacksonville. Solomon Davies Warfield, chairman of the Seaboard Air Line Railroad at the time, extended the railroad further into South Florida to Miami in 1925 and to Homestead in 1927 where it ended. Solomon Davies Warfield was the uncle of Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson, the woman whose love affair with King Edward forced him to abdicate the throne in 1942. The Army Air Corps took over the warehouses to store materials for building the Boca Raton Army Air Field where FAU now sits. In 1990 and 2010 the station underwent restoration. The goal of the South Florida Railway Museum volunteers is to preserve the history of railroads in southern Florida and to educate the public about the importance of railroads in the region, past and present. You enter the museum through a full sized mock up of the tail end of a Pullman observation car. While visiting the museum I caught up with a Ford Model A and Model T club event. They were visiting the museum to see former club member Sylvio Cote's 3/4" scale steam engine which is on display. The museum has two operating model train layouts, the South Farmington Rail & Mule Railroad and South Florida. I love examining all of the miniature buildings and people as the trains race past. There is also bells, whistles, model locomotives, apparel, tools, literature, and other objects dating from 1901 to present on display. This is a great economical afternoon for families with children. Take the kids to see the trains and then walk next door to the Krispy Kreme or Tropical Smoothie Cafe for refreshment when you finish. A big thank you to the volunteers of the Model Railway Museum for sharing their passion and keeping this unique museum open for free but by all means please drop a donation into the box on your way out.

We came here today because we'd never been... and they were participating in the Smithsonian…read moremagazine (free) museum day. The Smithsonian has been doing this for about 14 years and we've been to a number of venues in south Florida -- museums are added and subtracted every year. The "Seaboard Airline Railroad station" is attached to the TriRail station. If coming from I95, ignore your GPS and go over the tracks then turn south into the parking lot. You want to be on the northbound tracks side. You enter the museum through a small door in the wall of the station. Our museum day ticket said it was open on Saturdays from 10 am to 2 pm, but their brochure says 12 pm to 4 pm. Also they are open on Wednesday evenings from 6pm to 9 pm. There was no phone number listed to call and check these times, so be forewarned. The museum is also the home of the Model Railroad Club. They make money from membership dues and donations. We were sure to leave some cash in their donation jar on the way out. The station itself that houses the museum was built in 1926. And is listed in the historic places registry. It was remodeled in 1990 and again in 2000 when Tri Rail began using it. The museum is in what was once an old freight storage room. Around the walls of the room are various display cases with lots of memorabilia and artifacts from the seaboard railroad and others. Clothing, uniforms, souvenirs, programs, advertisements, timetables... anything related to a railroad or with a railroad logo imprinted on it, is crammed into the cases. In addition, in the middle of the room are two operating model railroad layouts. There's also a small toy railroad track with Thomas and James railroad cars that kids can play with hands on. It's basically a self guided experience. You walk around the room looking into the cases to find something that may intrigue you. Watch the little trains racing around the tracks. Look at the tiny houses and animals on display, etc. Unless you are a real enthusiast, you might need to allow, at most, 30 minutes here.

If you are a bird and butterfly lover this is a place you need to make a pilgrimage to. Beautiful,…read moretrees, plants, flowers, an open aviary with birds and butterflies free to fly everywhere. A bridge and waterfall are integrated into the property to make this place as whimsy and as tropical as a fantasy island. The lorikeets have their own house, where you can feed them honey nectar and they will land on you. Really cool experience! There is a cafe for lunch, plants for sale, and a lovely hallmark-type giftshop that has any and everything related to butterflies.

This is a great place to spend a few hours!! The butterflies, birds, and gardens are…read moreso,well,taken care of! So much education about butterflies , the aviary section was so neat! The larakeet feeding was very cool The indoor spider exhibit was fascinating! My 16 month old granddaughter was in awe over the butterflies, birds and just really was enjoying walking around! I look forward to returning to see more through her eyes and to allow her to experience it when she is a bit older!! They also have a wide variety of plants (some available at their garden center!). The people we encountered there from the grounds, to the exhibit to,the gift shop were all helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. Great place to visit! Don't miss this if you're visiting Pompano / Ft. Lauderdale!

The Cornell Art Museum is located at Old School Square off Atlantic Ave. in downtown Delray Beach…read more They ask for a $5 donation. There were 2 floors of beautiful crafts & art. The large gift shop had a lot to choose from at different prices. We came for the Wine Down event happening right in front of the Delray Affair in April. Wine, beer & soft drinks were available for purchase & I got to unwind & explore the exhibits. The WineDown will be open Friday & Saturday from 12-6 PM and Sunday from 12-5 PM. Proceeds benefit the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce & the Cornell Museum.

I have wanted to come here for ages, but the timing never seemed right. We were in Delray too…read moreearly or too late or on the wrong day. Last week, everything came together and we were finally able to stop by the museum after a nearby lunch. The museum is located on the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Swinton. We've passed by many time going east on the avenue. There is metered parking on the side streets. The museum is in the hundred year old plus Delray School House. We entered and were greeted by the docent/volunteer. She told us a little about the building's history and which classrooms were originally located where before the remodeling was done. She also told us that they have no permanent exhibits, and that all the art work in the building was for sale. If you were interested in buying something, you should inquire about the price of the piece in the museum store. The first floor was occupied with works by the American artist, Dorothy Gillespie. Although she was a painter, she also worked in many different media. She was well known for her creative, colorful metal works of art. One quote compares her level of metal craft and skill as equal to Chihuly and his glassworks. On the second floor -- yes, there is a big staircase, but we took the elevator from inside the gift shop/store -- are works by Chilean-born Gustavo Novoa. Approximately 30 paintings show colorful, luxurious jungle scenes with animals. The volunteer said his art reminded her of the lushness of Gauguin's paintings. On second floor, there is also an exhibit of mosaics from a Mexican school. They are portraits of famous people -- actors, singers, etc. You will recognize most of them. The tiny pieces are put together in intricate patterns to form the faces. In some of them, they incorporate other materials -- like a piece of jewelry as a broach, leather as clothing, etc. They are fascinating to view up close first and then step back to see the overall portrait. The exhibits rotate periodically. The museum entrance is free, but there is a suggested donation of $5 per person which we happily paid. I'm glad we finally got a chance to visit.