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One IRL Race + One Week = An Unforgettable Family VacationBy Iain Shankland
Going To The IRL race at Miami/Homestead?
With less than 3 weeks to go until the IRL season-opening race, why not check out our travel article from last years race and treat the family to more than just a race - make it a race vacation they'll never forget!
Our Race Vacation to Homestead Florida
At the beginning of March I had the opportunity to attend a race and to enjoy a family vacation – what an amazing combination! Truly one of the best holidays I’ve ever had. I’m sure there are many men (and maybe some women too) out there that feel the "need-for-speed", who love motor racing and would love to take a race vacation … am I right?
I’m also sure that there are at least a few out there that have family responsibilities, and they need to accommodate family members who don’t share their enthusiasm about motorsports.
My suggestion …why not plan a family vacation to a beautiful holiday destination like Florida and include racing in your holiday? You’ll have the admiration of your family for planning a terrific holiday, and will fulfil your own selfish desire for auto racing! Heck, if you’re lucky and follow a few of my suggestions, maybe you can get your whole family hooked on racing.
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 | Our 2005 race vacation was to Homestead Florida for the Toyota Indy 300 - the season opener for the IRL. Homestead Miami Speedway is also host to numerous race events throughout the year. In addition to their season opener, the IRL had their pre-season practice there in February. NASCAR holds a number of events in Homestead every year, and to name a few more, the Performance Drivers Club, Penguin Motorcycle Roadracing School and the Richard Petty Driving Experience also stage events at this popular southern track each year.
Our race vacation was to Homestead Florida for the Toyota Indy 300 - the season opener for the IRL. Homestead Miami Speedway is also host to numerous race events throughout the year. In addition to their season opener, the IRL had their pre-season practice there in February. NASCAR holds a number of events in Homestead every year, and to name a few more, the Performance Drivers Club, Penguin Motorcycle Roadracing School and the Richard Petty Driving Experience also stage events at this popular southern track each year.
If you’ve never been to south Florida, I highly recommend a trip. Who needs Disney when you’ve got dolphins, alligators, swimming, camping, snorkelling and many, many other tourist attractions to keep you busy! We made our base in Cutler Ridge. We’d never been there before, but it turned out to be a perfect location – about 20 minutes from the track, 20 minutes from the Miami airport, and about 40 minutes from Key Largo. Or, you could chose to stay right in Homestead, which has a number of nice-looking hotels/motels. There is also a new Best Western that is almost complete, and it’s about 5 minutes from the track on Hwy. 1. Another great option would be to stay in Key Largo - you’re still only 20 minutes from the track. We found the traffic around the area very light – to the extent of none-existence – even on race day it was hard to imagine there was an event!
We arrived on the Tuesday to get a little holiday-ing in before the racing festivities began. We took the Old Cutler Road from Miami all the way down to Cutler Ridge where our hotel was located. This gave us the opportunity to see a lot of the beautiful Miami homes that are probably missed by the majority of tourists since they’re off the beaten path. If you have the time and want a relaxing drive, it’s a great way to start your holiday. We spent the afternoon and evening in Miami and South Beach/Miami Beach and wandered the art-deco district admiring the fascinating buildings. The sunset wasn’t as spectacular as we had expected, but it was nice and relaxing to watch the sun sink into the city skyline, bringing and end to a very hectic day.
Deciding we should start our vacation off with a splash, we had reservations for Wednesday morning to swim with the dolphins in Key Largo. What an amazing experience – completely unforgettable! I promise that your family will love you forever if you take them to this unique encounter at Dolphins Plus – Dolphin and Marine Mammal Education Facility (www.dolphinsplus.com).
We chose to partake in the ‘Structured Dolphin Swim’ where we got to interact and play with the dolphins. The morning of our swim, we were pleasantly surprised to find that we were the only ones registered for the structured swim, which is an extremely rare opportunity (Dolphins Plus is very popular, and reservations are always required if you wish to partake in their swim programs). We gladly embraced this opportunity and were pleased to spend some extra time with the trainers asking questions and learning even more about these amazing mammals … not to mention listening to some great stories about the escapades at Dolphins Plus. We were told that we wouldn’t be playing with the Dolphins that day, but rather, that they’d be playing with us!
The trainer explained that humans are considered the dolphins’ "toys" and that if they did not complete their behaviours correctly, that we would removed from the water for a few moments … a bit of a Dolphin "time-out" if you will. It was completely obvious to us that these people love their jobs, and have done some serious bonding with their aquatic counterparts. When we asked our "tour-guide"/trainer why she thinks Dolphins Plus is the best place to work, she beamed with enthusiasm and explained how much she enjoys working for this family run organization. She described how the government regulates all such programs and that their facility has an excellent reputation. Additionally, she told us that while there are many Dolphin Swims available in South Florida, that Dolphins Plus offers you the unique opportunity to swim and interact with these mammals up close and personal in enclosures that are natural – non-chlorinated, deep pens that are teaming with life. You actually get to swim with them in their environment, it’s not just a quick splash in a concrete wading pool.
Dolphins Plus also offers a ‘Natural Dolphin Swim’ alternative where you spend time in the enclosure snorkelling and interacting with the dolphins – it was truly amazing to watch as individuals gained the trust of the Dolphins, and were able interact more and more as their session went on. The whole experience is very educational and truly is fun for the whole family! As for the ‘Plus’ in Dolphins Plus, the centre also houses two California Sea Lions that you could chose to swim with in a separate session. Or, if you’d prefer not to get wet, the public can enter Dolphins Plus as an observer for a nominal fee.
After our swim, we spent a couple of additional hours just watching the dolphins play … it was so relaxing and entertaining that we were in no hurry to leave. Finally, if you decide to schedule a swim at Dolphins Plus, we would highly recommend purchasing a CD and/or video of your adventure. Even though my wife and I are professional photographers, and managed to get a few good shots on our own, we missed a lot too. We gladly purchased the photo CD that the Dolphins Plus photographer produced … their experience and skill with these slippery critters was invaluable to us, as they captured some priceless memories for us.
Although our initial plans for our Florida vacation did not include a visit to Key West (we thought it would be too far), we continued our journey through the Florida Keys that afternoon to see how far we could get. Approximately 2 ˝ hours after leaving Dolphins Plus in Key Largo and we arrived at the most southerly point of North America in Key West… and were very glad we made the trip. The remainder of our afternoon was spent wandering through the streets of Key West and browsing in shops, feeling more like we were on a lush tropical island than in South Florida. The streets were cramped and parking was at a premium, so many tourists choose to roam the streets on scooters or fancy golf carts done over to look like regular vehicles. (TIP: If you can find a parking lot, pay the $10 or so and park there, it’s not worth the hassle or time driving around narrow streets looking for street parking). After covering most of the town by foot, we relaxed with a happy hour drink or two, had a bite to eat and made our way to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration in plenty of time. Unfortunately, the sunset was mediocre that night but the street performers were fantastic and we happily gave them tips for their amazing performances. Although we didn’t make any stops along the way from Key Largo to Key West, the scenery was beautiful and I’m sure there’s plenty more to enjoy if you have the time.
Day three of our adventure provided us with more great entertainment … a must for anyone visiting South Florida … a touch of The Everglades! on Thursday we visited the Everglades Alligator Farm – a real, working, commercial alligator farm (www.everglades.com).
This attraction is located in Florida City/Homestead, very close to the track, in fact, it’s only about 10 minutes away, and very easy to find. The farm claims to have thousands of alligators that you can see up-close, and I have no reason to doubt it … they were everywhere! The facility provides it’s visitors with fascinating snake and alligator shows, including an alligator feeding where you get a real feel for just how many alligators are in those ponds! During the shows, visitors have the chance to hold baby alligators or snakes and to have their pictures taken. Included in your entry fee is an airboat ride into the Everglades where you’ll see Florida’s river grass up close. It’s not uncommon on the tours to see alligators, fish, turtles and several species of birds. Be warned though … you just might get wet on this ride when the captain performs his amazing 360-degree spins! Don’t worry though, you’ll have plenty of time to dry out while you watch the alligator feeding, wander the perimeter of the alligator ponds, and view alligators in pens at various stages of life - from very young right through to early adulthood. So, if you’re still itching for some excitement after watching spins at the track, why not take a short trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm for a few spins of your own ... in an airboat ride through the everglades?! You’ll have a blast! Admission to the farm is reasonably priced and we’d definitely recommend a visit.
Thursday evening we drove to Coral Gables – a very chic and trendy suburb of Miami, for the evening events at Indy Fest. It was wet that evening, so attendance wasn’t the best, but none-the-less we enjoyed ourselves and thought it was a fun night out. There were a few race cars on site, a concert, and plenty of interactive events such as the pit-stop competition – test your skills against the clock, and the IndyCar Challenge Simulators - an in-car video game where you sit in an Indy car and ‘drive’ it around the course racing against 3 other drivers (thanks to the rain there wasn’t a huge line up and I got a chance to play … it’s much harder than it looks). The highlight of the evening was the autograph session – 17 drivers showed up and stuck around to sign autographs, talk to the fans and have their pictures taken. Everyone that wanted an autograph or an opportunity to talk to the drivers got just that … they are a very fan-friendly bunch and are extremely accommodating. To top it all off, throughout the evening, they were throwing free stuff from the stage … I managed to get 2 Indy hats and a Speedway T-shirt - Woo Hoo!! There was plenty to do for families, and you’ll be #1 with the kids yet again. The best part … it’s all free!
Friday, Saturday and Sunday – Race track days! Delays due to inclement weather meant for a long day at the track on Friday, but it didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the drivers who wandered about chatting with one another, signing autographs and having their pictures taken with fans. Several drivers from the other race series’ in attendance were Cristiano da Matta, Gil de Ferran, Bruno Junqueira, Mario Haberfeld, Kenny Brack and ‘Mad Max’ Papis … and we’re pleased to report that they too were just as accommodating. The scheduled autograph session o;n Saturday afternoon was a thrill! It was fabulous to see the drivers interact with their fans … especially the kids! You couldn’t help but smile as you walked through the paddock area … the atmosphere was filled with excitement and enthusiasm as fans hurried from one table to the next, getting autographs of their favourite drivers, and of course, the ever-popular Firehawk mascot.
Now, back to the family vacation … for our last day in Florida, we were scheduled to spend a full afternoon with Keys Diver Snorkel Tours (www.keysdiver.com) for a three location mini-cruise where we snorkelled the shallow water reefs of John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo. We left the dock at about 12:15p.m.and got back around 5p.m., thrilled and completely exhausted. The Florida Keys claim to be the scuba dive capitol of the world – I didn’t get time to check that out, but the snorkelling was outstanding! We’d previously snorkelled in Hawaii, and I’d have to say this was better in many ways because of the variety and quantity of fish. We saw a sea horse, giant sing ray, reef shark, small and huge barracudas, huge lobsters, squid, cuttlefish, tiny jellyfish, and schools of fish of all sizes and colours. The quality of the snorkel locations was truly outstanding. The boat was spacious and clean, and the captain and mate were great with both beginner and experienced snorkellers. Keys Diver is one of the few snorkel tour boats that include all of your (quality) gear in the price. Additionally, they cater to snorkellers only, so there’s no conflict with scuba divers who take up a lot of room and would require much longer stops at deeper locations. Keys Diver Snorkel Tours offer three different snorkelling tours – a morning tour with one stop and a sunset tour with one stop (each providing 1 hour in-water), and the afternoon tour with 3 stops (35- 45 minutes at each site, a total of 2 hours in-water). We found the cost of tours with Keys Diver to be very reasonable, and the value is exceptional. If we get the chance to return to the Keys, we’ll be sure to head back to Keys Diver for more underwater adventures.
So there you have it - a race vacation and family holiday all in one! You, and maybe the family, get to the race, and the whole family gets to vacation in a fabulous location. The weather is always good, if not great in south Florida in early March, and there aren’t any Spring Breakers there yet. As a bonus, if you live in the north, you’ll go home with a nice tan that you picked up at the track (you don’t even have to waste time sunbathing). Can it get any better than that?
While we got to do a few wonderful things in the Miami/Homestead area, there’s so much that we missed because we just didn’t have more time. The biggest problem you’ll have attending a race at the Homestead Miami Speedway is deciding which wonderful attractions to see. So, while we hope you’ll visit the attractions we recommended, there is plenty more to keep you and your family busy for a week, even two … Camping in the Keys, John Pennekamp Marine Sanctuary, glass-bottom boat tours, everglades tours and hiking, Parrot Jungle Island, Monkey Jungle, Tropical Gardens and much, much more.
(For more tourist information check out www.homesteadflorida.comwww.fla-keys.com)
Now, what are you waiting for? Why not start planning for next year’s IRL race at Homestead? Or, if you simply can’t wait until then, check out the Homestead Miami Speedway web-site (www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com ) for a full list of their high-speed events.
And our final recommendation to you … Why not view all races as potential holiday destinations? Spend an extra day or two in the area and see what they have to offer. Include the family and keep everyone happy! Maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to attend more races each year.
Please check out the online photos of our vacation and the wonderful attractions we visited at: http://snipurl.com/HomesteadVacation
Photo Credits: Iain & Gail Shankland
PaddockTalk Perspective
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