The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary is located south of Tarpon Springs on Alternate US 19 in Palm Harbor, Florida, 24 miles north of St. Petersburg, It has been an area landmark for over 50 years. The Sanctuary is located at the site originally occupied by Bob and Mae Noell’s Chimp Farm. Their dedication to helping primates [...]
The Suncoast Primate Sanctuary is located south of Tarpon Springs on Alternate US 19 in Palm Harbor, Florida, 24 miles north of St. Petersburg, It has been an area landmark for over 50 years.
The Sanctuary is located at the site originally occupied by Bob and Mae Noell’s Chimp Farm. Their dedication to helping primates live out their lives in peace and dignity is being carried on in today’s modernized facility. The Sanctuary is visited by many on their family vacations because it is both fun and educational for the kids.
Most of the sanctuary’s animals were rescued from life-or-death situations. Some faced euthanasia; others were simply abandoned by callous owners. Some of these former pets had been seriously abused in misguided attempts to bring them under domestic control.
Project Rebuild is a current project to renovate and expand the sanctuary’s physical plant and enclosures. The Great Ape habitat, a stimulating and safe environment for the chimpanzees and orangutans, includes a sheltered night house and four outdoor enclosures where the animals may engage in activities such as climbing, running, foraging, and socializing.
Incorporated as a non-profit corporation in the state of Florida, the sanctuary is volunteer run, and donations are fully tax deductible. Funded entirely by the generosity of business people and concerned animal lovers, it receives no local, state or federal assistance. All monetary gifts provide funds for animal care, rehabilitation of local wildlife and equipment and supplies to maintain the Nature Park area.
Memberships are:
Family: 6 MONTH: $125–ANNUAL: $150
Individual, 6 MONTH: $90–ANNUAL: $100
Senior (over 55), 6 MONTH: $85–ANNUAL: $90
Youth (under 18), 6MONTH: $75–ANNUAL: $80
The Sanctuary is now reopened to the public. Check the website for details: www.suncoastprimates.org/ .
Amtrak’s Orlando southern station is a beautiful building in the southern colonial style. Located at 1400 Sligh Boulevard, the station is served by two main lines: the Silver Service/Palmetto from New York, and the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles. The station hours are generally from 7:30 AM Eastern Standard Time until 9:30 PM. Ticketing and [...]
Orlando Amtrak
Amtrak’s Orlando southern station is a beautiful building in the southern colonial style. Located at 1400 Sligh Boulevard, the station is served by two main lines: the Silver Service/Palmetto from New York, and the Sunset Limited from Los Angeles. The station hours are generally from 7:30 AM Eastern Standard Time until 9:30 PM. Ticketing and checked baggage times also begin at 7:30 AM but end fifteen minutes earlier, at 9:15 PM. All ticketing is done at the ticketing window. There are no QuickTrak machines currently available at this location. Passengers will find that this is a full service station in all other regards. During operating hours, baggage help, an enclosed waiting area, restrooms and payphones are all available. Passengers with special needs should call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) for accessibility information.
Conveniently located near the interchange of the Florida Turnpike and Interstate 4, accessibility is one of the great advantages of Amtrak’s Orlando Station. Passengers traveling to Florida who wish to have their cars available when they arrive can ship their vehicles (car, van, motorcycle, Sport Utility Vehicle, jet-ski, small boat or Recreational Vehicle) to the Auto Train terminal at 600 Persimmon Avenue in Sanford, a suburb northeast of Daytona. Bus and Motor-Coach service is also available from the Orlando Station for passengers continuing on to Tampa, St. Petersburg and Ft. Meyers. For those visiting the local Orlando attractions or staying at one of the hotels or resorts, shuttle van service from door to door is operated by Coach USA and arrangements can be made by calling 407-826-9999.
At Busch Gardens-Tampa Bay, Florida it’s all about the roller coasters. Sure, the Gardens boast an impressive wildlife preserve and spectacular entertainment. For the Gen X-ers and teenagers that crowd the park, however, it’s all about the coasters. The variety makes this a great vacation spot. There’s SheiKra, a brand new monstrosity with a 200 [...]
Busch Gardens Tampa
At Busch Gardens-Tampa Bay, Florida it’s all about the roller coasters. Sure, the Gardens boast an impressive wildlife preserve and spectacular entertainment. For the Gen X-ers and teenagers that crowd the park, however, it’s all about the coasters. The variety makes this a great vacation spot.
There’s SheiKra, a brand new monstrosity with a 200 foot drop, branded “terrifying” even by coaster fans. There’s Gwazi, with its creaking wooden tracks. There are the corkscrew tracks of Python. And so on and so forth, ad nauseam (for real).
Younger guests are likely to be too short to ride the coasters, most of which have height requirements of 48 to 50 inches. They will probably want to head to Dragon Land, a child oriented area with kiddie rides and shows. Other benign attractions include the Serengeti Railway, a steam locomotive, and King Tut’s Tomb, a fascinating recreation of the opulent final resting place of Egypt’s boy king, complete with golden coffin.
As its sister park, Sea World, Busch Gardens offers a wide variety of in depth tours and interactive experiences. The Saving a Species program ($44.99 plus tax, no children under 5) affords visitors the opportunity to meet animal conservation specialists and get up close and personal with a variety of endangered species. Proceeds from this special tour benefit the World Wildlife Federation.
During the month of July, Busch Gardens caters to night owls with special promotions. For $55.95 visitors can enter the park after 3pm and receive a complimentary dinner. The Summer Nights festival offers free live entertainment.
Busch Gardens is open from 9 am to 10 pm during the summer. The park, located at the corner of Busch Boulevard and 40th Street, is accessible from Orlando via Interstate 4/Interstate 75 (exit 265) or the Busch Gardens Shuttle Express bus ($10; or free with the purchase of certain park tickets. Information at 1-800-221-1339). The drive from Orlando takes about an hour.
Single admission tickets to the park start at $55.95, but a wide range of combination tickets and discounts are available. The park’s extensive accessibility guide and other information is available at http://www.buschgardens.com .