Our plan Saturday was to go snorkeling at Pennekamp State Park, which combines with a federal sancutary to protect the only living coral reef in the continental U.S. The protected grounds extend three miles out into the ocean - I think it's the only underwater park in the country.
Not the only, although they lay claim to being the first. There are actually a bunch of underwater parks in the US, and more likely if the current push to establsh more Federal Marine Reserves survives the Bush administration. Here are some others; a google on "underwater park" will give you loads more. Just in case you two liked the experience (and it sounds as if you did) enough to want to make it a travel theme ... (-:
In practice, the ones I know about vary from "fascinating experience" to "Way too popular" (Catalina Island, frex) to "kinda tacky but fun" ... Some of the most interesting ones are associated with old shipwrecks.
Just seizing on a rare opportunity to share some knowledge acquired through my Day Job in the communications office of one of 30 state Sea Grant programs across the country ... which, come to think of it, is a fairly cool job to have. (-:
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in the continental U.S. The protected grounds extend three miles out into the ocean - I think it's the only underwater park in the country.
Not the only, although they lay claim to being the first. There are actually a bunch of underwater parks in the US, and more likely if the current push to establsh more Federal Marine Reserves survives the Bush administration. Here are some others; a google on "underwater park" will give you loads more. Just in case you two liked the experience (and it sounds as if you did) enough to want to make it a travel theme ... (-:
http://scilib.ucsd.edu/sio/ocean/uwpk/
http://www.ci.edmonds.wa.us/parks.htm
http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/bar/uap/
http://www.saintbrendan.com/cdnfeb/catalin2.html
http://www.wildernet.com/pages/area.cfm?areaID=HISPHB&CU_ID=110
In practice, the ones I know about vary from "fascinating experience" to "Way too popular" (Catalina Island, frex) to "kinda tacky but fun" ... Some of the most interesting ones are associated with old shipwrecks.
Just seizing on a rare opportunity to share some knowledge acquired through my Day Job in the communications office of one of 30 state Sea Grant programs across the country ... which, come to think of it, is a fairly cool job to have. (-: