Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Ever since I saw the “Dolphin Tale” movies, I have wanted to visit and see Winter the dolphin (the star of the movies) in person. For our first family trip to Florida in 2019, I made sure to plan a day to spend at Winter’s home, Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA). It is located in Clearwater, FL, which is about a 35-minute drive from Tampa, FL, and about a 2-hour drive from Orlando, FL. So if you are visiting Disney (like we did), it is a quick day trip to the Aquarium.

We recently went back to visit CMA in May 2021, and I am so glad that we did. After 16 years, Winter passed away after fighting an infection on November 11, 2021. I’m so thankful we got to see her twice and so recently. I had been wanting to write a blog post to document our two visits, and now it seemed like the perfect time to honor Winter’s memory.

Remembering Winter the Dolphin

For those who don’t know, Winter is a bottlenose dolphin who was rescued as a baby off the coast of Flordia after being caught in a crab trap. Her tail was so badly injured from the entanglement she eventually lost it. No one thought she’d survive, but she did. She had to relearn how to swim in a side-to-side motion as opposed to the up and down tail motion that is normal for dolphins and she eventually got a prosthetic tail and became an inspiration to amputees and people with disabilities across the country.

September 2019 Visit

At the time of our first visit in 2019, CMA was still in its original building – the same location where the two Dolphin Tale movies were filmed. They were in the process of construction to expand. After parking in the parking structure, we had to purchase tickets in a small area at the bottom of the parking garage and were given stickers for entry. We walked around outside of the parking garage to reach the small Aquarium side entrance.

There were a lot of construction areas around the building; the restaurant was closed at the time, and the bathrooms were small trailer buildings outside. We got some photos taken upon entering and got to hold one of Winter’s prosthetic tails. We got a schedule of the shows, etc. for the aquarium that day and then set off to explore the aquarium.

The original dolphin pool for Winter, Hope, and PJ was inside a small area with minimal seating. Most of the walkways were small and hard to navigate through with a stroller – which we had for our 2-year-old and 1-year-old kids in tow. On their outside deck, resident male bottlenose dolphin Nicolas lived.

Despite the small walkways, we all had an absolute blast! We got to watch a demonstration with Nicolas outside and watch Winter exercise with her prosthetic tail. We got to see some of the filming locations and props, shop in the gift shop, pet stingrays, see many kinds of marine life, and learn all about CMA’s Rescue, Rehab, Release mission to help marine animals.

My favorite memory of this trip was watching the female dolphins swim in the underwater window. The windows were small (and there were only three), so you had to take turns with other visitors – but we had an amazing encounter with the dolphin Hope. While I stood at an underwater window holding my just-turned 1-year-old son, Hope swam by and hung out, watching us. She would go up for air and come back and just stay by our window over and over. She did this for at least 10-15 minutes. She never stopped to visit any other guests at the other windows while we were there, only us. My son loved watching her, and I was in awe (dolphins are my favorite animal). I could have stayed there all day. We took many photos and videos to document the special moments with Hope.

Every team member we encountered went above and beyond. They answered any questions we had about CMA’s animals, and they were so friendly and helpful! After this amazing visit, my kids fell in love with Winter and Hope (as much as I did), and I just knew that whenever we visited again, we would have to stop by CMA again to see them and check out the renovations.

May 2021 Visit

With my love of dolphins, my kids’ obsession with Winter and Hope, CMA’s newly renovated building, and their new resident dolphins since our last visit – there was no way we weren’t going to make CMA a stop on our May 2021 family trip to Florida! The kids were so excited to visit the dolphins. The CMA renovations are just amazing!

CMA still has its original building and areas we visited in 2019. The outside Rescue dolphin deck that used to house Nicolas now houses two male rough-toothed dolphins, Rudy & Rex. There are only two aquariums in the US that are home to rough-toothed dolphins, and CMA is one of them. All of the bottlenose dolphins are now in a new addition to the aquarium in giant tanks with huge underwater windows. Nicolas also now has another male companion, Hemy.

The new additions to CMA are bigger, roomier, and open. When you park in the parking structure, you enter through the garage and make your way to the big-ticket booths. There are cool displays of the animals and props from the Dolphin Tale movies. I noticed how much bigger everything was right away. The original small shop is still there, but they also have a bigger main store upon entering. There is also a restaurant and indoor restrooms. There is a top floor where they have different displays. When we visited, they had a whale display and giant inflatables. It was really neat.

There is an outdoor deck area you can sit and eat on, as well as an indoor eating area. On the outdoor deck, you can get a look at all of the new dolphin pools from the top/above the water. The walkways are bigger and more accommodating for strollers, wheelchairs, etc. now. There are stairs and elevators to move from floor to floor.

There are giant underwater viewing windows and areas for the dolphin pools. There are also really cool educational exhibits and games along the walkway around the dolphin tanks underwater. You can hear and see each dolphin’s unique sounds up close on one of the sound machines. There is an educational board that shows you where the dolphin’s organs, etc are on their body.

CMA also offers special packages and experiences for you to get up close with some of their animals. We haven’t done any yet, mainly because my kids are too young, but I definitely plan to one day because they have so many cool options. They also have daily boat tours. I wanted to do a boat tour on our last visit, but they were sold out. So I would recommend booking boat tours ahead of time because they have limited seating and they only do a certain number per day.

The restaurant was good, and all of the employees we encountered were so helpful. I have loved interacting with everyone working at this aquarium each visit we’ve had. It doesn’t matter if they are working in the gift shop, the photo center, the service desk, or one of the animal trainers – they are all very helpful and willing to take the time to talk and answer any questions we had. They also had trainers stationed at the underwater dolphin windows to help tell guests which pools the dolphins were in/which windows you could see them at all day. This was so helpful!

Both of our visits were so much fun, and I’m definitely planning on going again on our next Florida trip. CMA has also partnered with a hotel on Clearwater Beach and renovated it to feature Winter and her CMA pals. The hotel is called Winter the Dolphin’s Beach Club. The photos are gorgeous, and it is on my to-do list to stay there on our next trip.

  

CMA is definitely a bucket list stop! Even though Winter is gone, her memory lives on; her friends are still there, and CMA is still a must-see aquarium. The staff is phenomenal, and the memories will last a lifetime. I encourage you to visit for yourself; you won’t regret it!

Baby Proofing Essentials

Congratulations, your baby is now crawling and on the move! Now you need to baby-proof the house to keep them safe. It only takes a second for your baby to get into something they shouldn’t. Accidents are inevitable, but trying to prevent any unnecessary incidents before they happen is worth your time.

One of the best ways to do this is by babyproofing and making things safer for your little one. To help, I have collected some of my favorite baby-proofing tips and things I did to baby-proof my house.

Outlet Plug Covers

My number one go-to is outlet plug covers. I’m sure you’ve seen them and know what I’m talking about. They are plastic plugs you put into the electrical sockets of your outlets so that your little ones can’t stick fingers or toys in them. You can buy them cheaply with many plugs in a package. I put them in every single outlet in my house. I only take them out if I plug something else in.

Kitchen Cabinet Locks

Little ones love to explore and get into things. Kitchen cabinets are no exception. You can find simple locks in the baby department in most stores. They go around (or through) your cabinet handles to keep kids from opening the doors. I put them on our cleaning product cabinet and even our pot and pans cabinet because my kids kept pulling out the pans every day.

Doorknob Covers

This has been another lifesaver for me. The covers are plastic, and you clip them around the doorknob so kids can’t open the door. They have a gripping section so an adult can squeeze and twist the cover to open the door. I put them on closets I didn’t want my kids to get into and pull items out of.

Baby Gate

Once your baby is on the move, you will want to invest in a baby gate. We used a gate for our stairs to prevent falling down our giant staircase. Even now that my kids can do stairs safely, we still use the baby gates every day. I put them in my kids’ doorways now that they are in toddler beds during nighttime and naptime so they don’t go exploring while I’m asleep.

Carpet/Foam Play Mat

If you have mostly hardwood floors, you can get some affordable foam play mats. I had a cute Paw Patrol one for my daughter as a baby for her to play and crawl on. After having my son, we set up a designated play area with toys and used some play rugs for them to play on.

Corner Covers

These are a common item for families with coffee tables that have sharp edges. They are typically rubber covers you place over the corners of tables, shelves, etc. They help to prevent head or other injuries in case the child falls and hits the corner.

Breakable Things Out of Reach

Move all breakable items to high places where your kids can’t reach them. Not only does this prevent a treasured item from getting broken, but it also prevents an injury if a glass object breaks with a baby nearby.

Baby Toys Within Reach

Make sure to have Baby’s toys down low where they can reach. This will help them to focus on things they can play with and also encourage independent play.

Gate Off Areas

You can find baby playpens and bigger gated items. You can create a baby-safe area for your child to play inside the gate and/or you can use the gate to gate off areas you don’t want your child playing in (such as a Christmas tree, etc.).

Grippy/Nonslip Socks

Last but not least, if you have hardwood floors, you will want to invest in some grippy socks/slippers. In the winter, my kids get cold and want to wear something but would slip and slide. Once we got grippy socks, the problem was solved.

I hope that these baby-proofing essentials are helpful for you to create a safe home for your little one to grow and play in. What is your number one baby-proofing item? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanksgiving Bucket List Activities

Thanksgiving has always been a big family get-together holiday for me. Growing up, we had so many family Thanksgiving traditions that we’d do every year. There are so many fun things you can do with the whole family to make Thanksgiving a bigger holiday.

Are you in need of some Thanksgiving activity ideas for your family? I have compiled this list of fun fall activities to add to your Thanksgiving Bucket List!

Decorate for Thanksgiving

Break out the turkey and Thanksgiving décor. Think fall leaves, pilgrims, and pumpkins. Change out your garden flag and door wreath. Switch your mantle décor to Thanksgiving items and put out the grateful hand towels.

Make a Thanksgiving Craft

Craft time is always a great activity to do something new. Search Pinterest and find some fun Thanksgiving DIY crafts to make. I love making turkey crafts with my kids.

Watch Thanksgiving Movies

Now’s the time to enjoy those fall and Thanksgiving-themed flicks! I personally love the Hallmark Harvest movies.

Make a Thanksgiving Treat

Time to make a Thanksgiving-themed treat. There are so many options out there. Look around for ideas on Pinterest and then get creative with a turkey-themed treat or Thanksgiving cookies.

Do a Gratitude Challenge

The best way to stay thankful is to do a gratitude challenge. When I went through a tough time, I did a 30 Days of Thanks challenge. Listing something every day I was grateful for really helped me to refocus on all the positives of life and count my blessings.

See a Turkey

Sometimes we would see a wild turkey on my farm growing up. My son loved seeing the turkey at a petting farm for Fall. Find a turkey and maybe pet or feed them for a fun adventure with kids.

Spend Time with Family

As a kid, Thanksgiving was my family’s big get-together holiday. To this day, when I think of Thanksgiving, I always picture family and getting together with loved ones.

List What You’re Thankful For

One of my favorite Thanksgiving traditions is to go around the table and say something you are thankful for. You could also write down a list of what you are thankful for or put it into a craft like a thankful tree.

Read the Thanksgiving Story

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than by reading the Thanksgiving story? It is the perfect way to help kids understand it and to remember where the holiday came from.

Watch a Parade

My favorite thing to do on Thanksgiving (besides visiting with family) is to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. As a kid, it was my highlight of the day. You could also try to find a local parade near you.

Have a Thanksgiving Meal

Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without the traditional Thanksgiving meal. That doesn’t mean you have to do all of the traditional Thanksgiving dishes (turkey, stuffing, etc.) – in fact, I don’t like most of the traditional dishes – but having a meal with family is a memory you will cherish.

If you’re looking for some more generic fall activities, then check out my Fall Bucket List Activities. What are your favorite Thanksgiving activities? Let me know in the comments below. Happy Thanksgiving!