One of the things I love the most about Central Florida is that there are so many things to do. While the theme parks may be open now, Hubby and I were still a bit nervous about going back. (I wonder if Mickey misses me as much as I miss him?) It was time to get creative for our date night escapade. We wanted to get out of the house but remain socially distant. We wanted an adventure, something that would allow us to see a different side of this incredible place we get to call home and not have to wait in lines while doing it. And that was when Hubby suggested we go on an airboat ride.
I admit, at first, the idea of sitting on a loud boat, elbow to elbow with strangers, dredging through murky waters was not very appealing. But then, Hubby found Airboat Rides Melbourne, where we could do a private tour that they promised would be “totally personalized, leisurely interactive, and an unforgettable experience!” They offered a one-hour private charter with up to 12 of your family and friends for $195, so we made a reservation and decided since we had the boat anyway, we might as well invite the kids to join us on our date. To my surprise, they were excited to go, and my son even brought his girlfriend along. Since the regular rate is usually $45 per adult, booking the private tour saved us $30! Winner, winner, chicken dinner! (We found out later that they also offer sunset and night tours for an additional cost, if you are looking for adventure and ROMANCE!)
It took us about 45 minutes to get to Lake Washington Park, which was where our boat and Captain Dexter were waiting for us. We signed a basic waiver, boarded our six-passenger boat, donned the ear protection they had waiting for us, and set off down the river and marshes into the 120,000 acres that make up the Upper St. Johns River basin. What was awesome was that because the boat was smaller, we really were able to go into areas that bigger boats cannot. That allowed us to get an in-depth look at the wildlife, birds, trees, plants, and GATORS that make up our beautiful wetlands. And once Captain Dexter realized just how interested my kids (and Hubby) were about seeing those gators, he got us even closer. A little too close for my taste. Captain Dexter was entertaining and knowledgeable, and we all learned so much about our unique river system. We also learned that booking a 1 p.m. tour in the middle of summer may not have been such a great idea. It was HOT! We disembarked our airboat sweaty but with lots of smiles and great memories!
Since we were already in Melbourne, very HOT, and had the extra $30 we saved to spend … we decided to take a 20-minute drive over the causeway to Indialantic Beach to try a great little ice cream place we had read about (with both soft serve and hand scooped). Moo’s Soft Serve bills themselves as “udderly” incredible, and after trying out a few items on the menu ourselves … we agree! The place also is known for their Coney Island style hotdogs and shakes. While it was empty when we went (around 3 p.m.), we were told lines can get long because even the locals line up for this place. Or you can wait in the comfort of your own car because they offer an adorable drive-thru as well.
Cooled off and happy, we headed home – all of us in a great MOOOOOd! I guess you can say that Moo’s Soft Serve set the STEAK for all other ice cream places for us. Don’t worry, my family was not aMOOOsed either with all my cow puns on the ride home!
Airboat Rides Melbourne – https://www.airboatridesmelbourne.com/
Phone: (321) 288-3997
Email: info@airboatridesmelbourne.com
Moo’s Soft Serve – https://www.facebook.com/MoosSoftServe/
930 N Highway A1A, Indialantic, FL 32903
Phone: (321) 723-4990
