WHAT TO DO IN DELRAY BEACH

The Super Bowl is over – almost everyone has cleared out of Miami but before going back to the freezing cold – check out Delray Beach. It’s an hours drive north and is a great alternative to the hustle and bustle of South Beach. Here’s a list of some things to do (besides going to the beach and dining at the tasty restaurants).

WHAT TO DO IN DELRAY
There’s a lot more to do in Delray Beach then going to the beach and dining out. I won’t even mention the art galleries and night clubs on Atlantic Avenue, because most people know about them. Instead, here are some little-known places to find some culture.

SANDOWAY HOUSE
Just a few blocks from the Marriott along Ocean Boulevard is the Sandoway. It’s a historic 1936 beachfront home – and in South Florida, 1936 is old! (European readers, try not to laugh). This nature center provides a living history lesson through its exhibits and activities. Kids love this place (my nephew had his birthday party here two years ago and still talks about it) because they can view nature up close. The main attraction is the pool out back, with daily feedings to the nurse sharks. On my short visit I learned that lobsters shed their shell -- as do cockroaches. Who knew? Cost: $3. The Sandoway House, 142 S. Ocean Blvd.; tel.: 561-274-7263.

HISTORIC TROLLEY TOUR
Once a month the Delray Beach Historical Society offers a Historic Trolley Tour. I was on the very first group to take this 90-minute tour, which focuses on five historic districts. Narration is done by locals who grew up in Delray. Stops include the Spady Cultural Heritage Center (which highlights the city's early black history and culture), Cason Cottage (a house museum established to depict Florida lifestyle circa 1915 to 1935), the Marine Villas and the Colony Hotel (it’s very colorful, and would be a great place to stay if it was near the beach). This year’s remaining Historic Trolley Tour dates are February 10, March 10, April 14 and May 12. Tickets cost $15; the trolley departs at 10 a.m. from the Bungalow, 3 NE 1st Street. My tour was filled with senior citizen women. They really got into it. I’m glad I did it once, but it was a little too slow for my ADD mind so I won’t be doing it again anytime soon. Information and reservations are available at 561-243-2577, or through the DBHS website at DelrayBeachHistoricalSociety.org.

MORIKAMI MUSEUM AND JAPANESE GARDENS
Here’s a place I recommend to everyone. The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is incredible. If someone hit me on the head and I woke up in the middle of this place, I’d swear I was in Japan. Who knew that South Florida had such a hidden gem? Walking around this 200-acre sanctuary is very peaceful. It’s a perfect place to go on a lazy afternoon, or the beach is too windy. The Museum houses 5,000 Japanese art objects and artifacts, including a 500-piece collection of tea ceremony items, and more than 200 textile pieces. There are rotating exhibitions in its galleries, monthly tea ceremonies performed in the Seishin-an tea house, and Japanese traditional festivals celebrated for the public several times a year. Don’t miss it or the inexpensive delicious lunch out back! The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, 4000 Morikami Park Rd., Delray Beach, FL; tel.: 561-495-0233. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission: $10 adults; $9 seniors; $6 children.