Is it possible to have fun and learn while on vacation?

American kids lag in science. A 2009 report put out by the National Center for Education Statistics found that U.S. students trailed behind children in industrialized Asian and European countries such as Canada, Japan and the Czech Republic.

My 8-year-old daughter didn't have a single science lesson during the first half of second grade. Her teacher decided that he didn't have enough time to fit it into the day. That teacher is gone and a new one has stepped in and she has found time for a weekly science lesson. Now my daughter looks forward to Friday afternoons when the kids do things such us make their own musical instruments to learn about vibration and sound.

In fact, it's science that interests my kids most when it comes to learning. They want to know why hot lava spews out of volcanoes, beluga whales like icy cold water, and flowers come in a rainbow of colors. They have hundreds of questions about the world and how it works.

And so we've decided to incorporate some learning into our spring break road-trip along the Gulf of Mexico.

We're starting in Miami, tracing the edge of the Golf to Fort Walton in north Florida. We'll be covering 700 miles in eight days. We plan to focus on marine ecosystems. The kids are only 6 and 8 so our lessons will be simple. They'd like to learn how beach sand is made. They want to know more about the oil spill and how it's being cleaned up. My son wants to see an alligator. I'd like to see a manatee. And my husband, whose job is to restore rivers, is looking forward to visiting Everglades National Park.

Our lesson plan doesn't include drills or dittos or tests or homework--after all, this is meant to be a vacation. But we will take a little more time to talk with park rangers, read interpretive signs, and seek out attractions that offer a fun educational experience over pure amusement--i.e., a state park over a theme park. We hope that the kids will be interested and excited and won't even notice that mom and dad are sneaking in some learning while we're traveling.

What do you think? Is it possible to have fun and learn while on vacation?