2 Best Sights in Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast, Florida

Drive your own vehicle along 4 miles of paved roads through a cageless zoo with free-roaming animals (chances are you'll have an ostrich tapping at your window), and then let loose in a 55-acre fun-land with bird feedings, games, and rides. Audio included with admission narrates the winding trek past white rhinos, zebras, and ostriches grouped into exhibits like Gir Forest, which is modeled after a sanctuary in India and has native twisted-horned blackbuck antelope and water buffalo. (For obvious reasons, lions are fenced off, and no convertibles or pets are allowed.) Aside from dozens more up-close critter encounters after debarking, including a petting zoo, kids can go paddleboating, play a round of minigolf, climb aboard carnival rides, or have a splash in a 4,000-square-foot aquatic playground (some extra fees apply).

At this 23-acre wild kingdom you can admire more than 700 animals, from the Florida panther to the giant Aldabra tortoise. Kids enjoy the zone that honors Central and South America with jaguars, capybaras, and tapirs, plus Mayan structures, stone sculptures, and foliage that make it seem like you're not in Florida anymore. A sizable Australian section with koalas, emus, and wallabies is also popular as are the daily animal and bird shows. On sweltering afternoons, kids can cool off at the large play fountain and catch a breeze on the carousel. A concession serves burgers and snacks.