West Palm Beach -  West Palm Beach presents the ideal setting for a weekend escape. Enjoy a game of golf at a number of pristine local courses or hit the beach for a day of tanning and catching up on your reading. See African chimps and endangered species like the Southern White rhinoceros wander free in a natural habitat at the Lion Country Safari. You could spend an entire day on Peanut Island, a popular tourist attraction that houses a bunker built for President John F. Kennedy during the Cold War. The island includes the bunker, a museum and plenty of picnic areas, plus biking and walking paths. The ferry ride to the island cruises past the opulent mansions of the city's wealthy residents. From designer boutiques to big name department stores, West Palm has it all.

Peanut Island  West Palm Beach

Peanut Island WEST PALM BEACH Palm Beach County's Peanut Island, a man-made island created from the sand that was dredged to create the Palm Beach Inlet in 1918, is now home to a full-service recreational park. Seventy-nine acres house a walking and exercise path that circles the island, boat slips, overnight camping accommodations, picnic sites and a fishing pier, to name just a few of the amenities. There are also swimming beaches and a snorkeling area. The best part of this recreation island is that it also preserves both the plant and animal habitats that now make it home, including many species of sea grass beds and macroalgae, corals, sponges and oysters.

In addition to its natural habitats and recreation facilities, this small island offers lessons in modern history. Explore the Maritime Museum housed within the old Coast Guard station and boathouse, which was built in 1936. For history that may hit closer to home, check out the nuclear fallout bunker built to protect President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

If you are a family of divided interests, an escape to a place that offers a variety of distractions makes for a perfect getaway. Peanut Island is the destination your whole family will agree on. Peanut Island is accessible by ferry from Currie Park. -- Sara Chauhan

2400 North Flagler Drive West Palm Beach, Florida  561-845-4445

Hours  Open year round. Sunrise to sunset.