alligators Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips

Alligator Life Cycle Learning Kit Printables

Paula — Sat, 24 Oct 2020 12:38:00 +0000

No matter where you live, you simply have to agree that alligators are very cool creatures. This alligator life cycle learning kit is four pages and can help reinforce a love of science and literacy as well as learning about living things in general. Free Kids Alligator Life Cycle Learning Tools and Games That, right now, is something we can all use. More activities that are free and easy to use for the kids. I mean I am fully aware that we are all scrambling to fill the extra time at home with meaningful activities for kids. In my opinion, remote learning and in person learning have both been a bit of a let down. So, that leaves parents to pick up some of the slack yet again during the pandemic. So, happy to tell you that I have many fun and educational activities here. In fact, if your kids are in elementary school and studying life cycles then there are numerous ones located here on Thrifty Mommas Tips. There are even more pinned to my Free Printables page on Pinterest. How to Get This Alligator Life Cycle Learning Activity Did you know that an alligator bite is more powerful than that of a great white shark? It’s true. This and more alligator facts are here in this popular post about a trip I did to the Florida Everglades. It also contains 11 Alligator Facts that you will enjoy learning. What’s in the Alligator Life Cycle Kit? Here’s what’s included in this cute and free learning tool for school aged kits. Page 1 is a Help the Baby Alligator find his way out of the maze activity. So, a fun themed maze printable work sheet. Page 2 is a Self Correcting Puzzle. Use the scissors to cut this out and help reinforce hand eye coordination and fine motor skills too. The third page is Cut out the images of the life cycle stages and place them in the right order then glue them each on the page to get the correct sequence. Trace the Letters activity page is page 4. Want to Keep the Learning Going? I suggest you check out my Solar System Learning Unit. Also, I have a turkey life cycle activity, a Seahorse Life Cycle activity and finally a Bee Life Cycle activity.

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A Refreshing Visit to Louisiana Northshore

Paula — Tue, 24 Dec 2019 14:08:10 +0000

So close to New Orleans, and yet a world away in spirit, Louisiana Northshore is a little slice of something spectacular and a very refreshing soft adventure reprieve after our busy 3-day girl’s trip to New Orleans. Across the Shore, a World Apart Louisiana’s Northshore, St. Tammany Parish, is just a 45-minute drive from NOLA. With access to the same fresh seafood, cultural influences and chefs inspired by Acadian cuisine, Northshore Louisiana has a lot in common with The Big Easy, but without the hustle and the raucous streets of New Orleans. This makes the Northshore a charming spot for a soft adventure, romantic getaway or family vacation. I recently took a 12-day girl’s getaway Gulf Coast hosted media fam trip. We started in New Orleans and then drove to Louisiana’s Northshore. North of Your Expectations Louisiana’s Northshore drapes across the coast of Lake Ponchartrian, less than an hour away from the New Orleans French Quarter. New Orleanians have been using the Northshore as a getaway since the 1880s, way back when steamboats were the common mode of transportation leading people across the lake to stay in stately resorts shrouded by tall trees. The air in Northshore Louisiana was cooler and cleaner than it was in New Orleans and the deep-spring water was reputed to cure ills and calm nerves. Northshore Louisiana consists of: Madisonville, Old Mandeville, Lake Ponchartrain, La Combe, and Abiti Springs as well as Folsom, Pearl River, and Sun. Where to Stay in Northshore Louisiana As soon as we arrived in Louisiana Northshore, we checked into the stunning De La Bleau Bed and Breakfast in Old Mandeville. The decor in every room is themed according to colour. I stayed in the orange room which also had a bit of a safari feel with giraffe art on the wall. There was a small seating area, a large, private, well-appointed bathroom and reliable wifi. With a window seat that offered a view of the water from my room, and a very funky handmade headboard, the suites were all about the unique atmosphere. A Bit About this Charming Louisiana Bed and Breakfast De La Bleau was a passion project in retirement for husband and wife team Cindy and Clyde Touchstone. The bed and breakfast is spacious and clean and welcoming, with the sweetest personal touches. Located on Lafitte Street, you can easily walk to the boardwalk and water. Also, the Bed and Breakfast has bikes to borrow. De La Bleau can accommodate weddings and pets can stay in a lower level suite. High ceilings and a gorgeous breakfast bar, with fresh coffee always on hand, makes De La Bleau Bed and Breakfast cheery and bright, even for those who are not morning people. It’s hard to choose just one favourite feature here because it’s clear Cindy, a retired school bus driver, and husband Clyde, who both did some property flipping in their spare time, are genuinely talented at renovations and decorating. The space has character, but it also provides a lot of privacy for those who prefer that kind of stay. However, of all the endearing elements that make this such a great choice for a stay, the most memorable one is the food. The breakfast bacon here in this adorable Bed and Breakfast is worth the visit alone. It is the best bacon you will ever taste. Take a stroll along the water every morning. Grab a bike and go for a ride. A Sunset Pontoon Tour After checking in, we headed out to meet up with Louisiana Tours and Adventures for a pontoon boat tour. While the night was a bit cool when we were there, that pontoon boat ride was a fantastic way to get a good look at some of the prettiest spots on the water. View this post on Instagram We took a pontoon boat out on the Ponchartrain and watched the 🌅sunset, then we spied this swamp bar on the way back and asked the Captain to make a stop. When I came out of the restroom, @downshiftingpro was dancing with a real character. #hosted #lanorthshore #travel #wanderlust #tammanytaste #northofyourexpectations #travelling #canadalovesgulfshores #canadalovesgulfcoast #water #food #fun A post shared by Paula Schuck (@inkscrblr) on Nov 21, 2019 at 7:25am PST As the sun set, on the Tchefuncte River, the captain of the boat, Mike, showed us around and timed the ride perfectly so that we were right in front of the lighthouse as the sun lost its grip on the day. So glorious and appreciated! We spied a couple of our first tiny alligators of the trip out on the water. We had snacks and warm beverages on the boat and then a Northshore Louisiana swamp bar caught our eye. After circling around for a bit our amiable captain and PR guide Christina waltzed right in to T Rivers Bar and Grill with us. Because, when in Louisiana and you see a swamp bar, I mean, how can you resist? I left the room for five minutes and returned to find Margarita Ibbott dancing with a total stranger in a swamp bar in Louisiana. That’s something you don’t see every day. Of course, we had to try the swamp punch too, which was green and, while worth trying, not my kind of drink. I saddled up to the bar, where football was playing on multiple smaller screen TVs fixed to the walls behind the bar and asked for a cocktail. But literally, after running through maybe three possible drinks, I realized that I was clearly at a swamp bar. So, local beer it was then. Pizza Night Later that night, after returning to the shore and thanking Mike for an amazing pontoon ride, we drove to Duman Pizza. I had a wood oven fired pizza featuring shrimp and it was superb. In fact, I ate about four pieces, which for me, is unheard of, so but this point of our girl’s getaway I was all in on the gulf coast shrimp dishes. This would be a theme for me and I committed fully. After I finished some work back at the quiet B and B, I called it a night and woke up in time to meet everyone for breakfast. Liz’s Where Y’AT Diner on Florida Street in Mandeville is a must visit and a winner. The walls are all covered with bright beach colours and the bar, counter area is set up to resemble a Tiki Hut. But the cutest part of the restaurant is all of the fun sayings, quotes and witty anecdotes painted on the walls. The Bennies One of my personal favourite things here was that there’s a breakfast dish where you can mix and match the Eggs Benedict or the Bennies. So I had one crabby Eggs Benedict with Nawlin’s Eggs Benedict on a fried green tomato. The crabby bennies were rich and moist and such a southern Gulf Coast treat. Where Y’At? Are you ever on a trip where the restroom wows you so much that you have to take photos? Liz’s Where Y’at Diner is that kind of place. It’s a neighbourhood diner featuring scratch New Orleans cuisine. The vibe is beach mixed with 60s Hippy Flower Child Surfer Girl Vibe. Service was exceptional. Traveler Tip – > Try the Debris. Also the crabby Eggs Benedict was scrumptious. Debris is beef ends that are scraped off the end of the pot and are extremely flavourful. Grits and scramblers are also popular dishes here. Kayak with Alligators The four of us split up after breakfast. Both Margarita Ibbott and I were keen to try kayaking in the bayou. Again, I felt like how often in life do I have the chance to kayak in a bayou in Louisiana? So, for me it was not even a question. Whenever you have a chance to kayak on the bayou with alligators, embrace that opportunity. The paddling was leisurely and we spied two small alligators as we headed all the way to the lake. While you should always have a healthy fear of alligators, we heard repeatedly here that people and gators coexist. If you don’t feed them and leave them alone, they will leave you alone. Check Out Bayou Adventures Kayaking Bayou Adventures Kayaking, a family-owned business with bait shop and restaurant in the back, is a great place to rent what you need in order to do watersports in the area. They offer bike rentals, stand up paddle boards and kayaks as well as swamp tours. Bayou Adventures Kayaking delivers your kayaks and rental gear to the bayou, making your job the paddling and picture-taking. Take a Tour – Historic Mandeville QR Tours Explore the 31-mile Tammany Trace, on the Rail-to-Trail Hall of Fame project. You might also consider taking a fishing charter. Nuvolari’s In walking distance of De La Bleau Bed and Breakfast, Nuvolari’s is Italian food in a casual fine dining atmosphere on Girod Street, moments away from Lake Ponchartrain. We had dinner here on our second night in Old Mandeville and service was flawless. The oysters appetizer was scrumptious, but the Genoa Shrimp with candied pecans and fettuccini was exceptional. Candied pecans added texture and a dash of something sweet, making the Genoa Shrimp one of the best shrimp dishes I have had ever. Covington Browse the Shops in Covington There are dozens of adorable antique shops, a legendary hardware store, a cute shoe store and a few boutiques in downtown Covington. Founded in 1813, Covington is the seat of the parish of St. Tammany. It’s also quaint and walkable and it’s home to the Southern Hotel. Traveler Tip – Shopping Here in Covington? You will find many of the galleries and shops on Lee Lane and Columbia Street. The English Tea Room WOWZA. From the second we set foot inside this adorable Covington tea room we were all charmed. Sit in the Churchill room, surrounded by gigantic cardboard cutouts of Downton Abbey, and be transported. Order the high tea and by all means ask for suggestions! The servers are incredibly well informed about all of the teas here. It was insane how many different varieties of teas this restaurant had. Crafty DIY Ideas The day we left for Coastal Mississippi we drove over to Hammer and Stain Covington. The perfect Covington girl’s getaway activity for Northshore Louisiana and so affordable too! We spent a good three hours painting our Christmas snow globes. A similar activity costs about $35 each. Of course, there are dozens of projects to choose from at various price points. Hammer and Stain Covington also offers private DIY paint parties and Mini Makers parties too for the younger set. Louisiana Northshore Has A Quiet Southern Charm The northshore is full of character and opportunities for soft adventures. Consider it a quieter alternative to New Orleans, or do New Orleans for a couple of exciting days and then retreat to Louisiana Northshore to relax and start planning your next vacation.

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11 Things You Did Not Know About Alligators – The Things You Learn When You Travel

Paula — Fri, 11 Mar 2016 00:40:44 +0000

Not so long ago I had the chance to visit The Florida Everglades. I was there for a travel writer tour and conference. After the tour we watched a show inspired by The Gator Boys, one of my kids’s favourite TV shows. Now everybody knows that Florida and alligators just simply go together, but sometimes when you travel you learn the strangest things. I mean did you know that alligator bites are more powerful than the bite of a great white shark? Yikes! These are 11 Alligator Facts I did not know until I took an airboat tour of the Florida Everglades. 11 Alligator Facts Let’s just say it’s better off knowing a few things about alligators in the event you ever come face to face with one. So here are a few things you need to know. Alligators are dark and crocodiles are green. Alligators lay between 40 to 50 eggs. Of the 40 to 50 eggs that alligators lay maybe 2-3 survive to become alligators. Raccoons eat alligator eggs and so very few actually make it. Can you imagine if all the alligators did make it? Yikes. Alligator breeding season is April and May and the babies hatch in August. Some people think that if an alligator is chasing you the best way to get away is to run in a zig zag pattern. That’s not accurate at all. In fact if one is chasing you then you are better off tripping the person in front of you. Hey now, listen, I didn’t make that up. That came directly from the captain of our airboat at Holiday Everglades Park outside Fort Lauderdale. The gender of baby alligators is determined by the temperature of the nest. Alligator bites are three times more powerful than a great white shark bite!! That’s frightening! Alligators have a homing ability. At Everglades Holiday Park there is a Gator rescue centre. The Gators that are brought there are actually all alligators that were nuisance alligators. So they might have been hanging out in someone’s backyard, or lounging in their pond, or hanging at the pool. They cannot be released into the wild again because of their natural homing ability which means they would return to the spot again and again. Never approach or feed an alligator. Some of these alligator facts seem like they should be common sense but really apparently a lot of people don’t know this because every years someone is in the news in Florida for feeding a gator and meeting an untimely death as well. Alligator wrestling is an ancient technique perfected by Seminole Indians. You can see a display of this at Everglades Holiday Park. Under the water alligators can seal off their ears and their nose. Alligators are osteoderms – that literally means bone skin in Italian.[tweetthis]The Things You Learn When you Travel #Travel[/tweetthis] Visiting the Florida Everglades Did you know any of these alligator facts? These are the things I love about traveling. Sometimes you get unexpected lessons on topics you never ever thought you would learn much about at all. I was a guest at Everglades Holiday Park. My opinion is all my own and the things I write about here are matters I believe in, use, or enjoy talking about.

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Eco-Tour by Airboat in the Florida Everglades #Travel

Paula — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 10:34:40 +0000

I am whipping through the Florida Everglades by airboat. Up until now my closest experience with an airboat and an alligator was in the movies, as in me watching them race by on Miami Vice, or in the movies. Or me laughing or scoffing at TV shows like The Gator Boys. In all honesty, this is a tiny bit of why I decided to do this today. My kids are massive fans of the show The Gator Boys. I know they will be impressed with this adventure and I have never been in an airboat, so this feels like it will be an exciting way to spend a Fall day. Also, why not? Despite half a dozen trips to Florida this year, and a couple of family trips to Orlando area over the years, I have never seen the Everglades. At least not until now, up close and personal inside an airboat which is at once both bigger, and strangely more fragile looking, than I ever pictured. There really isn’t that much to this thing they’ve dubbed a state of the art boat. I am the tiniest bit nervous at the start of this adventure because the boat seems so light and open and honestly I know nothing of alligator behaviour. Aren’t they man-eating monstrosities? Earlier in the morning I joined a group of travel bloggers from around the world who descended on Fort Lauderdale this weekend to do excursions and meet with travel brands at a conference called TBEX (Travel Bloggers Expo). Together we took a bus trip from Broward County Convention Centre to Everglades Holiday Park. We take a quick group picture and capture a few individual shots and selfies and then line up ready to board the boat. There are signs all over comically reminding people not to feed, or molest, the alligators. I had to take a picture near one of the signs, of course for Instagram. It boggles the mind sometimes when these things are not obvious. Since then, I have also recently spotted a sign reminding people not to stick their hands in a shark tank. Seems like that’s a no brainer, right? Wrong. I am a little relieved when the boat starts slow and we glide across the water. There is a bit of a roof over the boat and it’s raining slightly so the roof makes a difference, just as it would if it were a super sunny day. Our driver is dressed like Crocodile Dundee and he’s sporting a Gator Tooth on his light khaki clothing. He starts with a strenuous reminder about keeping all body parts inside the boat at all times and paints a bit of a picture of alligators potentially lurching into the boat. I am nearest the side of the boat and I begin to wonder if that was a wise choice, but I am hoping to snap some decent pictures and I know this is the location for that. I’m sitting next to Sandi Allen from Canadian Blog House, based out of Ottawa. Beside me, she periscopes the tour, but the motor of the boat is extremely loud and it’s challenging to talk over the whirring sound. Our first alligator sighting is exciting. The boat slows to a crawl and the alligator gets up close within five feet of the boat. We circle him and he circles us back. Eyeing us up for dinner, I think. The captain of this particular boat fuels the fire of my overactive imagination spinning stories about alligators. Another blogger reaches over the side to adjust her GoPro. I envision it falling into the water and being consumed by a gator. But she seems unconcerned, adjusting it several times. When my kids both got wind of this Everglades Holiday Park excursion they almost tried to stowaway in my suitcase. They love the Animal Planet show, also available on Youtube, called Gator Boys. They know every type of gator behaviour. My kids both can identify when the gators are spinning into a death roll. But oddly there isn’t much authentic to find about the Gator Boys inside this natural preserve. For that one reason my kids would have been disappointed with this excursion. The tour is educational, entertaining and fun on its own. But The Gator Boys are really nowhere to be found despite promise of a show after the one hour tour. Gators really aren’t that interested in humans according to several people at Everglades Holiday Park. Not really the man eating monstrosities I anticipated. Mostly gators would like to keep to themselves. But occasionally people do foolish things like jumping into water at feeding time ( dusk ) when gators are known to live nearby. Or feeding gators occasionally. When you feed a gator they come to expect it and will return to that area looking for food. If they don’t find food then you or your small pets and children could be in trouble. Common sense, people. The Everglades in Florida is a sprawling area of open wetlands, with over 1.5 million acres of land that is home to many interesting species of birds and marine life. Alligators, manatees, dolphins and crocodiles can be spotted in the Everglades. At Everglades Holiday Park we spy at least one dozen American alligators and several species of unique plants and birds too. It’s educational and a tour worth doing. My only disappointment was the Gator Boys Animal Rescue show after the airboat tour. There are no Gator Boys here. This is the alligator rescue facility where nuisance alligators are brought and cared for. So alligators found in someone’s backyard where they should not be, might have been rescued and brought here. They are not forced to perform and seemed to be quite content to rest in the sun which is nice to see. There are more gators here than I would have imagined. This alligator Gator Boys inspired show is informational mostly, which is great, but I anticipated seeing the Gator Boys and even getting autographs. That was not the case. This is a volunteer who helps out at the rescue area show above. She was totally brave and fierce to step into a space with 18 or so live alligators, many of which were huge!! There will be some time to pose with a baby alligator and get a picture after for $5. So Everglades Holiday Park tour was educational and enjoyable and worth it so you can say you have done the Everglades and that you rode in an airboat. But the show part after might not be what you expected if you are hoping to see Gator Boys. [tweetthis]Have you ever taken a tour of the Florida Everglades by airboat? #travel[/tweetthis] I was a guest of Everglades Holiday Park while visiting south Florida, Fort Lauderdale area. This is my honest opinion.

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