Pay homage to modern-day heroes
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a police officer? At the American Police Hall of Fame and Museum, a 50,000 square foot tribute to the history and profession of law enforcement, you can recreate a crime scene, step in a jail cell and learn about evidence, from fingerprints to DNA. A permanent Memorial, as well as a “North Pole” toy workshop, pay homage to police officers killed in the line of duty and their families. In hands-on “Junior Investigator” and “Kids Corner” sections, kids can try on uniforms, play with puppets, and make their own police badges. Next door, at the indoor Shooting Center, you can take a class in self-defense, or try your skills on a supervised 24-lane high-tech range. A combination admission package, which includes range activities and museum entry, is available daily except Monday.
Tiptoe in the sand on a summer time trek to see a sea turtle at Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge, North America’s most significant nesting site for endangered green
Green Sea Turtle. Credit NPS.
and threatened loggerhead sea turtles. If you’re one of a fortunate few, you’ll have the opportunity to witness the miracle of multiplication that occurs when a mother loggerhead drops her eggs into a nest, then leaves the nesting site and makes her journey from beach to water’s edge. Evening Sea Turtle Watch tours depart from the Barrier Island Center in Melbourne Beach, and include an introductory slideshow presentation. Reservations for June and July tours are accepted beginning in May. Call 321-723-3556 for reservations. A donation fee of $10 per person applies. Each tour is limited to 20 participants.
During daytime hours, you can trek to the Barrier Island Center exhibit hall, where you’ll enjoy interactive games and displays which demonstrate the story and plight of endangered and threatened sea turtle species. Before you leave, stop by the gift shop, where you can adopt “Mayorita”, an adult loggerhead raising awareness about sea walls and coastal development in the current Tour de Turtles migration marathon race. A $25 adoption fee includes a one-year membership to the Sea Turtle Conservancy.
By Jackie Perrin for PeterGreenberg.com. Writer Jackie Perrin has covered the best of central Florida travel for over a decade.
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