The wonderful world of Justice and Mommy aka Mary!

Friday, February 22, 2008

How To Make A Dollar Out Of Fifteen Cents

We’ve been kind of homebound for the last two weekends with the exception of a trip to the library and some local parks, so I really wanted to do something fun this weekend. The only problem was I had no money. Of course we could go to some of our favorite free or very cheap local haunts; but, I wanted to do something new.

I have always wanted to take a tour of one of Florida’s infamous orange groves, so I decided to do some internet research and find a nearby grove to explore. To my utter disappointment the first place I called informed me that tours of the groves were no longer allowed under Florida state law. Apparently this was due to the citrus canker problem we have had in the state which doesn’t damage the flavor of the oranges, but does create dark spots on the outer skins, thereby decreasing the value of the fruit.

After that bit of bad news I started to think outside the box. Then it hit me. Maybe we could tour a farm. I began to look for working farms to visit and happened to stumble upon something I had never thought of, U-Pick farms. You can go to a farm, get a basket, then go pick your own fruits and vegetables. This is perfect, I thought. We needed to go food shopping this weekend anyway, so instead of buying produce off of the shelves, we could go pick them ourselves and have a great time while doing so.

I found a place called The Girls Strawberry U-Pick Farm in Delray beach. They grow all of their produce hydroponically and had a-lot of little extra‘s, such as carefully placed swings, swans, miniature donkeys, goats, fish and a small store. Positioned strategically next door was The Boys Farmer’s Market, boasting great prices and the freshest produce in the area. What more could I ask for?

I decided that the 35 minute drive would be worth the experience and we would probably make up the cost in fuel by catching a few bargains. Then the wheels in my brain started moving. If we were already going to be that far south maybe we could check out one of the local parks and make a day of it. That’s when I stumbled upon Tradewinds Park in Davie. It was only 20 minutes further south and had playgrounds, cheap pony rides, a miniature train, nature trails, a free disc golf course and more. I knew I could make a really great day of it with a little bit of planning and a few small dollars.

When you are a single mom you really need to become skilled in the art of making a dollar out of fifteen cents!


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posted by Mary Gerber at 2/22/2008

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