Floridianestates

Orlando – Off The Beaten Path: Discovering Central Florida Without Visiting Any Theme Parks… Can It Be Done?

One of my husband’s favourite places is Florida, since he is an avid golfer and likes to get away from the cold Canadian winter for his birthday in early December.

For a while now we had planned to visit Orlando, but neither one of us are into theme parks. So there was the challenge for me: would we be able to visit Orlando without setting foot into Disney or Universal Studios? For someone as curious as me this was a suitable challenge and I had been doing weeks of searches on the Internet and communicating with the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau to find out about interesting destinations off the beaten path.

Well, I am happy to say, we arrived back safely yesterday from our trip, and the trip itself was quite an adventure since we decided to drive from Toronto to Orlando, about 2100 km each way! Actually, the drive was not as painful as I expected. The drive through Pennsylvania and West Virginia was nice and hilly, and I particularly enjoyed coming over the ridge of the Appalachians, right where Virginia and North Carolina meet, where you get a beautiful view of the piedmont area around Winston-Salem that spreads out towards the Atlantic in front of the mountain chain.

And I am even happier to say that in the 14 or so days that we spent in Orlando, not only did we get to play a lot of golf (to make my husband really happy…;) – including Mystic Dunes, Champions Gate, Royal St. Cloud Links, Hawk’s Landing and Timacuan Golf and Country Club, not to mention the Walking Hall of Fame experience of the PGA Father Son Challenge at Champions Gate, but I also got to explore some really interesting places, destinations I would not have expected in Orlando and its surrounding region. I also had a chance to do an interview with GolfOrlando to get a much better idea of why Orlando is called “The Ultimate Golf Theme Park”.

We started off our first week with a visit to the Orange Country Regional History Center, which gave us a suitable historic background of Orlando and Central Florida. Then, for some sociological and cultural insights, we visited the Well’s Built Museum for African American History and Culture in Orlando. To top off our first day of exploration we enjoyed a walk around picturesque Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.

The next item on my off-the-beaten path agenda was a discovery of the City of Winter Park, a beautiful suburb of Orlando, reminiscent of Old European towns. I also went on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, which was an entertaining, informative and visually appealing excursion.

The adrenaline revved up significantly on our next outing: a very high-speed airboat ride at Boggy Creek, that was followed up by a much lower speed swamp buggy ride in a custom-built monster truck that took us through authentic Florida landscape.

After our golf outing at the Royal St. Cloud Golf Links we enjoyed a wonderful picnic by the waterfront in sunny downtown Kissimmee. Then, on a beautiful Sunday morning we drove about an hour outside of Orlando to reach the quaint town of Mt. Dora, where I hopped on the “Herbie Express”, part of the Mt. Dora – Lake Eustis Scenic Railway.

From midweek in the second week onwards the weather took a turn for the worse. While planes were sliding off runways in Chicago and record temperatures were registered in the mid-western states, we were freezing in Florida where the mercury hovered around 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (around +20 degrees Celsius). So I bought a rain jacket, and determined not to let the freezing cold interfere with our plans, we headed out to continue our explorations.

On a day that was forecast to be rainy, but just ended up being a bit grey and clammy, we went out to discover Loch Haven Park, Orlando’s center of science, art and culture. We then continued our explorations further south to discover some of Orlando’s historic neighbourhoods and parks such as Lake Cherokee and Lake Lucerne.

As the drizzly weather continued, we went on to visit Florida’s Natural Visitor Center in Lake Wales, about an hours drive south of Orlando, where I got a really good understanding of Central Florida’s citrus industry. I spent the afternoon in another famous attraction in Lake Wales which holds two National Historic Landmarks: the Historic Bok Sanctuary, where I got to see the beauty of the Bok estate and its historic carillon tower, combined with a tour through the historic Pinewood Estate, which was decked out in full Christmas decorations.

During these 2 weeks in Florida, we got exposed to a lot of its plants, flowers and wildlife, much of which you run into casually even while playing golf or picknicking by the waterfront. Florida has a surprising amount of natural diversity and I enjoyed watching the various types of birds, lizards, and squirrels. The only thing we didn’t get to see was a live alligator (with the exception of the well-hidden rear end of a small alligator during our swamp buggy tour – unfortunately I couldn’t even get a good picture of that one..). Apparently winter time is too cold for these creatures to come out of the water…

On our drive home, on a bright sunny day (of course…), we stopped off in St. Augustine, a historic town founded by the Spaniards in the 1500s, and the oldest continuously inhabited town in the United States – a mighty photogenic place, I should add.

So, you ask, is it possible to spend 2 weeks in Orlando without even setting foot inside a theme park and still have a good time? Well, based on the above itinerary I’d say that my plans to explore Orlando off the beaten path came to full fruition.

Mission accomplished.

This entire article including photos is located at http:www.travelandtransitions.comstories_photosorlando_off_the_beaten_path.htm

If theres one place on earth where almost everyone wants to go at one point in their lives whether theyre newlyweds, college students, families with small children, or even retirees its Orlando, Florida. Why? Because its the home of Walt Disney World! It doesnt matter how young or old you are when you travel to Orlando and head to Disney World, youll always feel like a kid. The excitement, adventure, and just plain fun atmosphere almost guarantees a perfect vacation in Orlando.

In fact, Walt Disney World first opened in 1971, and since that opening day, it has expanded to include an immense amount of features! It includes four theme parks, a sports complex, race track, two water parks, six golf courses, twenty family or resort hotels, and many, many more restaurants, shopping, and entertainment options than you could ever experience in just one visit. Literally, Walt Disney World takes up over 20,000 acres of space in Orlando, making it the largest amusement part in the world. Think that still isnt enough? Believe it or not, Disney actually has its own adjacent community in the Orlando suburbs, called Celebration.

Since there are four separate theme parks in Orlandos Walt Disney World, it can sometimes get a little confusing as to what each part really represents. Heres a quick overview of each theme park inside the Disney World property:

1) The Magic Kingdom: This theme park has seven countries, and each focuses on a different and unique theme. Inside the Magic Kingdom, youll travel to Main Street USA, Mickeys Toontown Fair, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, and Fantasyland each with their own set of themed rides to enjoy!

2) Epcot: The Epcot park was initially built as an homage to technological innovation, and as such, focuses more on exhibits rather than rides. There is also a large focus on learning what it means to live in harmony with international culture, and therefore many of the exhibits are very informative and culturally-related.

3) Disney MGM-Studios: This Disney World part has five separate themed area, each attempting to focus on a different part of the studio production process. These areas include: Hollywood Boulevard, Mickey Avenue, Sunset Boulevard, the Animation Courtyard, and the Backlot!

4) Disneys Animal Kingdom: The park here is dedicated to animal conservation, and as such, has seven small lands that focus on different species from these areas sometimes real, and sometimes imaginary! The sections include: Oasis, Camp Mickey & Minnie, Asia, DinoLand USA, Discovery Island, Africa, and Rafikis Planet Watch.

A trip to Orlando, Florida would simply not be complete without at least a day in Walt Disney World after all, its the place where dreams are supposed to come true!

North Florida — Full Of Culture, History, Sports, And Outdoor Adventure

North Florida is comprised of such large cities as Tallahassee, Panama City Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville and Pensacola. Tallahassee is largely popular for being the state capital as well as home of Florida State University. This school’s mascot is the Seminoles and has an exceptional athletics department consisting of a basketball, baseball and championship football team. While in Tallahassee you may want to visit the Governor’s Mansion, the eclectic art districts or one of the more than 60 parks that make up this gorgeous city. Hike, bike or walk and see why this area is so beautiful.

Rivaling Florida State University is the University of Florida Gators which is located in Gainesville. This city, joking called the swamp because of the Gator mascot, bleeds orange and blue! This city is also home to Shands Hospital which is one of the leading employers in this area and on cutting edge of medical research. Santa Fe Community College is also located here and has the distinguished honor of being the only community college that runs its own zoo in the nation. Students serve as guides while you visit monkeys, reptiles and more at the 14 acre facility.

Panama City has over 27 miles of beach which has become a sun lover’s paradise. Six historic wrecks have made this area abundant for snorkeling, fishing and scuba diving. It has exotic sea life which helps these restaurants to provide you with the best seafood imaginable. What was once a hidden treasure is now a spring break hot spot. Almost year round you will find people sunbathing, splashing in the water, or just visiting one of waterfront restaurants.

Jacksonville is the 14th largest city in the United States and is home to the NFL Jacksonville Jaguars. It’s year round climate provides the perfect playground for residents and visitors to enjoy golf, boating, fishing and tennis. With miles of water from the St. John’s River and the Atlantic Ocean, this area is a great place to be.

No matter where you visit or live in North Florida you are sure to have superb weather, and plenty of activities. These cities have preserved their cities charm, while growing and changing with the times. It is said that this area of the state is known for its gorgeous weather and southern charm. Come to North Florida and see for yourself!

New York Rivals Florida As Favorite Homeport for Cruise Lines

As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, New York is a sought after vacation spot in its own right. In recent years, however, cruise lines have discovered the benefits – for their guests and themselves – of calling New York home.

Norwegian Cruise Line was one of the first cruise lines to temporarily homeport a ship (the Norwegian Dawn) in New York during winter. According to Andy Stuart, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Executive Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Passenger Services, docking in New York started as a result of travel agent requests. What was then considered a wild card location soon became the permanent residence of the Dawn in 2003. What has resulted is a small fleet of ships from varying cruise lines that have chosen to move several of their vessels further up the Eastern Seaboard.

The Queen Mary 2 followed suit when it named New York as homeport on April 22, 2004. This distinctive vessel was received amid a huge fanfare including a Mayoral welcome complete with a U.S. Coastguard and Fire Department of New York escort. Bands, dignitaries and hordes of people attended the festivities.

Holland America has announced New York to be the homeport of its cruise ship, the Noordam, which will take up residence February 22, 2006. Norwegian moved the Spirit from Florida to her new home in New York, making a total of two year-round vessels in that port. Most recently, however, Princess Cruise Line joined the lineup with the positioning of their newest fleet member, Crown Princess, in New York starting June 14, 2006. But why move? And why to New York?

Ports in Florida have become almost full while cruise lines are continuing to build ships to add to their fleets. This supply and demand dilemma has all but forced cruise lines to look for alternative avenues of serving guests while maintaining costs. At the same time, cruise lines need to be able to continue providing viable access for vacationers to the most popular ports of call. Because of New York’s central location and popularity, it offers local attractions equal to or better than those of Florida. With three airports – JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International – New York also provides more accessible travel accommodations for those flying in to meet their ship.

Vacationers benefit with exciting pre- or post-cruise holidays in a town that literally offers everything imaginable. From five-star, celebrity-owned restaurants to entertainment that sets a worldwide standard to a shopping experience unmatched in any other city, New York has a heavy draw with cruisers. Plus the presence of nearby hotels that fit every budget makes finding and booking accommodations simple.

Cruise lines appreciate the fact that they can now offer departures from a second desirable location. Plus, because of New York’s proximity, cruise lines are still able to offer competitively priced packages to the most popular destinations including the Caribbean and Mexico while, at the same time, offering added flexibility for their guests.