"Yes, American flamingos are considered native to Florida. Though they were hunted to…read morenear-extinction by the early 20th century, new research confirms they are returning, with growing populations in the Everglades, Biscayne Bay, and the Florida Keys." My Yelp friend, who was recently in Mexico at a park there, took a lovely photo of the Flamingos there. I liked the photo & said; "Great photo, my favorite OuiOui!" He asked me if I had been to that park to see them. I told him I had, and I had seen them in many many different places & parks. However, it was my wish that they would come back to the Everglades. He wrote me back & said, "I didn't know they left." I was very surprised by this statement. I thought everyone knew that American Flamingos were native to Florida & they have been pretty much extinct since the early 1900's. In the early 1900's, flamingos in Florida were nearly hunted to extinction for their meat AND their pink feathers, which were highly valued as fashion accessories for hats and fans. La vie en rose OuiOui. "Historically, large flocks lived in South Florida, but they vanished around 1900 due to the plume trade." They were also over hunted for food as they are considered a delicacy. So is the Blue Heron & the Sandhill Crane. The Sandhill Crane is known as "the filet mignon of the sky." If you look in very old cook books you will find recipes for all these birds. Thankfully, they are now protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) of 1918. This law prohibits the hunting, killing, capturing, selling, or transportation of protected migratory birds without a federal permit. I love all the Flamingos, American Birds. I'm always traveling around trying to get photos of all of them, especially in the wild. I write about this all the time OuiOui. The best place to see the American Flamingos up close right now, is at Flamingo Gardens. Flamingo Gardens is a 60 acre botanical park that was built in an old Orange orchard. It's an incredible place filled with beautiful tropical plants & flowers. There are orchids everywhere, gorgeous tropical birds everywhere, it sounds like you're in a jungle when you're there. It's a truly magnificent, magical place OuiOui. I'm so thrilled that the American Flamingos are coming back to their native Florida. The recent storms blew some of them in, all up and down the east coast, from the keys to upstate NY. You can see some small groups of them in the wild right now, however, it will take some time for their flocks to multiply back to where they should be, as Flamingos reach maturity slowly (6-7 years) and typically lay only one egg per year. In the meantime, you can see them up close & personal at the Fabulous Flamingo Gardens. Moi fave Botanical park in America. As always, I will keep searching for them in the wilds, always & forever, "1000 wild flamingos" la vie en rose OuiOui. Highest Recommendations.

Flamingo Gardens was established in 1927, and is one of the oldest botanical gardens and…read moreattractions in South Florida. It was originally founded as an orange grove, but has now become a nonprofit botanical garden. My wife has always told be about this place when we first started dating. Over the years I'm finally started going. I think she understated just was magnificent it truly is. They have hundreds of unique trees, some of which are the largest trees of their species in Florida. This is home to some of the largest collections of naturalized orchids, cycads, and heliconias. They have over 3,000 species of rare & exotic, tropical, subtropical, and native plants and trees. The Wildlife Sanctuary which is a home to permanently injured or non-releasable Florida native wildlife. Some of these animals include alligators, bobcats, eagles, otters, panthers, peacock, and of course, flamingos! I have to say that the tram tour, is my favorite part of this place. It takes you around the property showing many of the unique plants and trees. If you like birds, you can also head into the aviary and walk around with birds that are free flying. All through the year Flamingo Gardens offer different events. One of the eagerly anticipated events is the Party in Pink. This is to raise money for Flamingo Gardens. They have food and drink vendors come in, they have a silent auction and so much more. I would highly recommend this event. It is a great way to learn about Flamingo Gardens, meet some of the residents and have a great time and great food!

As a fellow manager would like to highlight the treatment by Alex. He was welcoming patient and…read moreensured that my guests and family were treated well. He went beyond to make us all feel at home for being there the first time. They also looked into matching specific rider levels. Adults are separated from kids so plan accordingly if you are a going as a family and want to ride together.

Why the two stars? The facility has two tracks one for kids and one for adults. Track was nice…read morehowever, brought my grandchild and wanted to race with her but not allowed because the track she was on was for kids only. If I wanted to ride, had to go on the adults track. So, she rode, by herself, while we watched. What a drag! Won't be back.

My 14 month old ABSOLUTELY LOVES this place. The inside of the playground is tall for adults to…read moreaccompany their little ones. I wish I had this growing up. It is big for kids and small enough for parents to sit on a table and keep an eye. And best of all it is SPARKLY CLEAN. Absolutely love, will keep coming here until she can't

I think this indoor playground is a decent size and has a good variety of activities for kids. They…read morehave bikes, a mini trampoline, slides, and a ball pit, which keeps children entertained. It's also very clean and usually doesn't get overly crowded, which I appreciate. The downside for me has been the customer service. Since they opened, I've mostly seen male staff, and unfortunately some of them seem to lack patience and communication skills when interacting with both kids and parents. Working in a kids environment definitely requires a lot of patience and friendliness. Another thing I didn't like is that they charge for an extra adult. So if both parents come with one child, one parent has to pay extra. I've been to many indoor playgrounds and have never had to pay for a second adult, so that's honestly one of the main reasons I stopped going. The location is convenient, but I do think it's a little pricey for what it offers. Memberships or punch cards would make it feel less of a rip off.

Had my kids birthday party at Spo-cha and everyone enjoyed themselves. Management didn't let us in…read morefive minutes earlier to decorate though. You have to make sure everyone attending signs a waiver prior so you get enough wristbands. If they don't it's a whole problem where you have to be leaving your party to make sure they can get in. That and not getting enough drinks when needed was the downside. There were many positives such as a nicely decorated room, the karaoke music, friendly server, and the whole place is a good time for all, young and old. Everyone who attends needs to pay the same fee even if they will just sit in the room.

My daughter and I just casually visited today because we're on vacation this week. We came to the…read moremall to exchange some post Christmas gifts and figured that we could spend some time here since we had nothing else planned. A nice spot with plenty of new games to play, bowling, food, and the Spo-Cha up stairs with trampolines, skating, and other activities. The game cards are not too pricey. It's a nice spot to visit for leisure time.

This park is always so clean and full of fun for our family. We recommend with 5 stars…read more ¹inexpensive ²clean ³convenient location and they allow outside food and plastic contaned drinks. Best place for many ages.

I was there today with my school for a field trip..and I have to say that I really liked it. The…read morekids loved it, it was a good 3 hours entertainment for kids from 6 to 12 years old. I ll probably go with my family during the weekend. The entrance should be around 6$