Florida Vacation Rentals, Information and Travel Articles

Finding restaurants outside of Disney in the Orlando area can be tricky.  Most won’t be able to accommodate your gluten free diet even if they say they can.  You have to be very careful.  Unfortunately, you will find that most restaurant staff will be uninformed about proper handling of gluten free food and there is a risk with foods that are normally considered to be gluten free selections because they could be contaminated in preparation. 

Of the chain restaurants, the Outback and Carrabbas Italian Grill are the preferred choices as they both offer a special gluten-free menu  unlike many of the others.

The following is a list of  local establishments that do offer gluten-free options:

Azteca D’oro

Ethos Vegan Kitchen

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro

Drunken Monkey Coffee Bar

Nona Sushi

Bonefish Grill

Thai Blossom Restaurant

Bonefish Grill

Tijuana Flats Burrito

Though the restaurants listed are gluten-free friendly, most celiacs find it easier to just prepare their own meals.  There are gluten-free products available at the local grocery store chains, especially at Publix.  My friend found Chamberlin’s Natural Foods to be a particularly good resource.  They not only sell gluten-free foods (and other foods for those who suffer from food allergies or lactose intolerance) but also organic products, vitamins, beauty products and books.

They have the best steaks that I have ever tasted and you can see the cuts all displayed to help you make up your mind.

At the same time there is a happy hour from 4pm to 7pm - great value draft and bottled beer including wine for the ladies.

There are also special offers during the week, e.g., Wednesday night is 2 for 1 fajita night they are delicious. You get bottomless salad and sweet yeast rolls with most meals.

It has a great atmosphere but you need to make sure that you call in advance as there is always a queue to get in - so that tells you a story.

So give it a try you will not be disappointed.

We found Walmart (www.walmart.com ) excellent for all kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and tableware items, and also baby items.  Local stores to US192 are:

Walmart Super Center                    Walmart Super Centre

4444 West Vine                             3250 Vineland Road

Kissimme, FL 3474                        Kissimmee, FL34746

Tel (407) 397 7000                        Tel (407) 397 1125

(near marker #15)                          (near marker #9)

Target (www.target.com ) stores were also useful for kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and baby items.  Local stores to US192 are:

Target                                         Supertarget

3003 W Vine St                           4795 W Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy

Kissimmee, FL34741                  Kissimmee, FL34746

Tel (407) 846 6611                     Tel (407) 594 0029

For outdoor furniture, the difficulty was matching the existing furniture.  Palm Casual have a showroom full of patio furniture (including sling style), and cushions, etc.  By looking at their website (www.patiofurnitureinc.com ), we were able to match up our cushion fabric prior to our visit.  They are located at:

Palm Casual
11701 S. Orange Blossom Trail
South Orlando, FL32837

Tel (407) 438 2330

(Not far from the Florida Mall)

For furniture, we found Furnitureland USA (www.furnitureland.org ), who have a large showroom full sitting room, dining room and bedroom furniture, and often next day delivery is available.  They are located at:

Furnitureland USA
2345 Orange Blossom Trail
Kissimmee, FL34744

Tel (407) 847 8518

For sports equipment for the games room, we visited the Sports Authority (www.sportsauthority.com ), and found everything from billiard cues to table hockey.  They are located at:

Sports Authority
The Loop
3214 N John Young Parkway
Kissimmee, FL33741

Tel (407) 846 6844

For bedding we visited Sears (www.sears.com ) at The Florida Mall (www.simon.com ) – they have an end of range aisle which is always worth a look at to get a bargain.

The Florida Mall
8001 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32809

Tel (407) 851 6255

Many items in our villa had a palm tree theme, and we found everything from table linens to doormats in the FloridaMarketplace range at Bealls (www.beallsflorida.com ).  They are located at:

Bealls
4081 W Vine Street
Osceola Square Mall
Kissimmee, FL34741

Tel  (407) 847 4301

(near marker #15)

We are still searching for a window valance company…….

This article focuses on themed dining - there are many different themed restaurants in the Orlando area, covering many different themes.  Two of the most popular are themed around the entertainment industry - Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Cafe.

Planet Hollywood

Planet Hollywood is located on Downtown Disney, and is easily spotted by its distinctive shape - the large blue ‘globe’ (similar to the chain’s logo) is visible from some distance.  With plenty of free parking, it is easy to get to, and offers theming around the movie industry.  With large screens showing excerpts from films new and old, there is always plenty of entertainment on offer, be it from the classics or more recent blockbusters.  But the real star of Planet Hollywood is the massive collection of memorabilia and props from the movies.  Everywhere you look inside the restaurant, you will see items collected over the years - many are instantly recognisable.  There is also every opportunity to buy the Planet Hollywood merchandise, be it shirts, glasses etc.  Oh, and the food - it is easy to forget that the reason for a visit to Planet Hollywood is for a meal.  The menu has a reasonable choice, largely built around burgers, steaks and pasta.  It may be true to say that better food is available elsewhere (and the bill may be less), but perhaps the real reason for your visit to Planet Hollywood is for the theming.

Hard Rock Cafe

If Disney offers Planet Hollywood, Universal provides the Hard Rock Cafe.  Hard Rock’s theming leans more towards the music industry than movies - but there are similarities.  The memorabilia includes gold discs, posters, artwork, costumes - from a wide range of international artists.  Whether your musical tastes are from the 60s, 70s or more recent, you will recognise many of the items on show.  Hard Rock also offers occasional live concerts, and is situated just outside the two Universal Parks (free car parking applies in the evenings only).  The food at Hard Rock tends to have many similarities to Planet Hollywood - accompanied by music throughout the meal.

Summary

It’s difficult to pick one of these restaurants above the other - they both have fabulous theming, and your choice may depend on your entertainment preference (music or films).

During our holiday in 2007 we visited the Florida Keys. We booked in advance for a 3 night stay at the ragged edge resort on Islamorada.

We chose the keys as we wanted to be somewhere peaceful and quiet on the actual day of our wedding anniversary rather than the hustle and bustle of New York (which we had visited a few days earlier) and somewhere we had not visited before.

We drove from Miami to the keys and had been used to the 2 and 3 lane Highways and Interstates now we were on US 1 a single lane road behind a slow moving truck loaded with construction materials.

It was our own fault. We hadn’t taken much notice of the distances involved in driving too and through the keys.

We just assumed we would drive out of Miami, cross a few bridges and arrive at our destination shouldn’t take us long, wrong.

It’s like most things in America everything is on a big scale and the distances between the keys and therefore the bridges linking them are no exception.

 When we arrived at our destination a feeling of dejavu came over us both (not for the first time on this holiday). Before we got the Florida bug our annual family holidays were to a Greek island and that’s were we felt we were, on a Greek island. The buildings looked as though they belonged in Greek holiday resort.

Our accommodation, the ground floor of a 2-story villa, was no more than 30 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. The view was breath taking and instantly reminded us of a small Mediterranean village fishing port.

The tranquillity was a world removed from New York and the theme parks you associate with Florida. We spent a lot of our time talking to vacationers and taking walks around the island.

We visited Key West not a short drive but well worth the journey.

 We had intended to find a restaurant on the day of our anniversary but as we had spent the day relaxing and had one or two drinks by the time we decided to take ourselves off to a restaurant neither of us could be bothered to drive.

We decided to walk to the nearest bar and check out the menu.

The pub we came across had the un-reassuring name of Chilly Willies and appeared not to fall into the category of the type of venue Carol had intended to celebrate her wedding anniversary.

How wrong we were. The food was excellent, some of the best we had ever eaten and the service was second to none.

 If you want to see a totally different side to Florida and want nothing more to do than relax and chill out then I can thoroughly recommend the Florida Keys.

Brian Pearson

For new visitors to Florida, it is a hidden Gem away from the hubbub of the Parks, bright lights and glitz.

It has all of the tranquillity you could ever want to enjoy, with a quaint Main Street, Custom Shops, Cinema, a gorgeous Lake, complete with Alligators  and a variety Dining places to sit and enjoy the unique ambiance. Our favourite is The Tavern, with it’s New England Fish menu an absolute must, snow crabs, Maine lobsters are the best.

Throughout the year the Towns folk have Special events for each & everyone and it is all free.

We always make an effort to go down, especially on Sundays to sit in the Rocking Chairs on the promenade to chill for a little while and get our energy back for the next attack at The Parks with the Grandchildren. We thought that some visitors would find the time to venture down so we have the events due for this year. We can really recommend the Great American Pie Festival in April. We were fortunate to be here 2 years ago with our two grandsons and they had a fantastic time. Firstly making their own Cherry Pies, then joining in the Fastest Eater competition, we still enjoy the video. 

CELEBRATION TOWN CENTER 2010 SPECIAL EVENTS 

MARCH 27TH & 28TH.           SPRING ART FEATIVAL

APRIL 16TH & 17TH.             CELEBRATION Exotic Car Festival

APRIL 24TH & 25TH              THE GREAT AMERICAN PIE FESTIVAL

JULY 4TH.                              A FLASH BACK 4TH. JULY (Live music, parade, fireworks & 50s theme)

JULY 23RD – 25TH.                SUMMER SIDEWALK SALE (TV SHOW “SURVIVOR” WINNERS & CAST)

OCTOBER 8TH & 9TH.            OKTOBERFEST (Autumn German Themed Street Party)

NOVEMBER 6TH.                   ALFA ROMEO CAR SHOW

NOV. 27TH – DEC. 31          NOW SNOWING NIGHTLY (Snow Falls every hour, Strolling Santa, Photos etc)

DECEMBER 11TH.                  RADIO DISNEY CONCERT (Jump, Jingle & Jam to your favourite Disney Artist)

We hope you are luck enough to catch one of these shows, it really is worth it for a Family Day out.

Have Fun

Mary & Larry

The only surprise here is that this beautiful quiet oasis is situated in downtown Orlando just a few minutes from the I4 and is only a stone throw away from the theme parks, shopping malls and other visitor attractions. The easiest route we have found is to leave the I4 at exit 85 taking Princeton Street east to the intersection with Mills Avenue. Turn right here and then left on to Virginia Drive at the next major intersection. The road curves to the left into Forest Avenue and the entrance to Leu Gardens can be found on your right.

Harry P Leu Gardens is set in fifty acres of land backing on to Lake Rowena. In a previous incarnation it was the lakefront estate of a local citrus entrepreneur before being bought by Harry P Leu in the late 1930s. He then scoured the world for exotic plant species and dedicated the next twenty-five years to completing the transformation of the grounds into the wonderful gardens to be seen today.

Originally the grounds were designated as a drive-through garden but over time it became more obvious that the visitor would rather take their time and get closer to nature. As a result numerous foot trails were laid to complement the existing paved walk-ways and a gazebo together with additional seating areas were provided, all encouraging a more sensory experience to the garden lover.

The paths lead through a canopy of giant oaks, camphors and palms, all of which protect the dazzling displays of camellia from the burning heat of the Florida sun. There is a formal rose garden, home to seventy-five different varieties, as well as separate collections of orchids, azaleas and perennials.

Also, don’t miss the herb and butterfly gardens or, for that matter, the impressive fifty foot high floral clock.

In the Garden House  there are light refreshments, a library full of gardening books and a well-stocked gift shop.

Admission at around seven dollars is extremely good value for money, and if you should be planning a trip to Central Florida then a visit to Harry P Leu Botanic Gardens comes highly recommended.

The Boca Grande Causeway links the island to the mainland and the toll $4 per car is well worth it. Driving down the island a few miles will bring you to the village center  which apparently has hardly changed in 100 years, it is home to upscale boutiques , art galleries and fancy restaurants with prices to match. In some respects it is a carefully preserved place and indicative of Old Florida, condominiums and some lovely modern homes have been built but there are no high rises.  It is a quiet community where the locals are keen to maintain this beautiful environment and there quality of life, it is said that the Billionaires now outnumber the Millionaires. Although you may not think it when see plenty of people making there way around the island on there electric golf carts.  

If you happen to be in Boca Grande in the spring the normal relaxed atmosphere is disrupted during  tarpon season culminating in the annual tarpon run each July when fisherman descend in their droves from across Florida. The island is considered to be the best tarpon fishing spots in the World.  I am not a fisherman myself but to see some guy catch a 4 foot or so tarpon whilst stood on the beach was some sight.

Which brings to the beaches which are simply superb, the pristine white sand beaches stretch for miles on the Gulf side.  The best places to access the beach are having gone through the village centre you continue along with the gulf to your right and you will shortly come to the car park and public access to the beach. There are Beach Pavilions and

BBQ, s and toilets, and then there is the beach and the clear blue sea where you will often see Dolphins swimming close to shore. A word of warning there are no lifeguards on either of the beaches mentioned

Another beach close to the lighthouse is at the southernmost tip of the island again there are beach pavilions and this area offers lovely view of Boca Grande pass, this is the principle area for fishing and you will see numerous boats on the water. However swimming is not recommended at this beach due to the fast moving currents in the pass itself, which is a gateway to Charlotte Harbor

You can charter a boat and there is every chance you will see Dolphins, Manatees, Ospreys and if you here in the winter months White Pelicans.  Whatever you do enjoy.

There are literally HUNDREDS of gators of all shapes and sizes in different enclosures around the park. There were all sorts of other animals, snakes, birds and a petting zoo which our grown up kids loved!

Unfortunately it was such a cold day that some of the exhibits had to be kept indoors so we didn’t get to see them all. It was beautifully sunny and clear though so it was nice to walk through the trails.

I don’t know what it is about gators, they don’t really do much but they are amazing to look at are some of them were huge, including one old boy who had to be kept seperate from the others. There were some white alligators too which we have never seen before.

The shows were very entertaining, we watched gator wrestling, every time I see someone with a gator which doesn’t have it’s snout taped up I think they must be mad, these guys obviously know what they are doing though.

One part of the park is a trail through a completely undeveloped area which is the beginning of the everglades. We were thrilled to actually spot a snake off to the side. In the centre of the park is a viewing tower on different levels, if you go right to the top you can see for miles.

The last thing we did was to watch the gator show, feeding the gators and trying to get them to jump out of the water, they seem to take some motivating maybe they were too well fed or just a bit cold!  The trip took a good half day and was really interesting.

By car, take Interstate I-75 to Exit 131, Daniels Parkway, and then West to Summerlin Road to the Sanibel Causeway ($6.00 toll road).  Then take the small bridge which crosses at Turner Beach.

Captiva Island will captivate you with the serene paced lifestyle, family activities to enjoy, beautiful sugary white sand beaches sprinkled with pastel colored seashells and glistening tropical azure blue seas.  In the village of Captiva Island there are quaint shops to explore and a variety of restaurants to experience.  Golf courses in the area where you can test your mettle on the green, and the fishing and boating are unequalled.  To end a perfect day witness breathtaking brightly colored sunsets.

You will be enchanted by beautiful, alluring Captiva Island, where once, it is said, pirates roamed, conquistadors explored and Calusa Indians called home.  The mystery and adventure is still here.  Treasures to be found in the way of a good life, spectacular white sand beaches scattered with “treasures from the sea”, pastel colored seashells and breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.  There are superb accommodations, restaurants and shopping.  Golfing, tennis, fishing, boating, children’s activities.

Captiva Island, is sister to larger Sanibel Island, and is just over a small bridge which crosses at Turner Beach.  Turner Beach is a great place for catching that prize fish and also for finding the colorful shells that these islands are famous for.  The beach stretches 5 miles to the northern tip of Captiva Island at Redfish Pass.  From the bridge at Turner beach, Captiva Drive is a scenic drive past giant cactus, colorful bougainvilleas and other tropical flora along a stretch of sea and sand ending at “downtown” Captiva, which is more of a village than a town.

A truly fun vacation, holiday, memorable wedding, honeymoon or just a get-a-way awaits young and old alike on Captiva Island.

Captivating Captiva Island is the perfect place for you and your family to spend a day or two of your vacation.  With Florida’s sub tropical climate Captiva Island has sunshine all year round.  Sugary white sand beaches littered with pastel colored seashells for which the area is world renowned.  The seas are a clear Caribbean azure blue.  Play golf until your heart desires, and the fishing and boating are unequaled.  For your dining pleasure there are restaurants offering “Floridian” cuisine and from casual, funky fun to fine dining.  Shopping in the village of Captiva Island is exhilarating and you will find something for everyone.

Your visit to Captiva Island is not complete without sampling some of the local fare and succulent fresh seafood.  You will find a wide selection of ethnic foods in the area.  Dine in one of the fine restaurants where chefs cook up some of the freshest, tastiest dishes you have ever tasted.  Whether you are looking to enjoy a lavish six course meal or a more casual dining scene, you will find just what you’re looking for. Bon apetit !

It is time for fun on Captiva Island.  Enjoying a sub-tropical climate and being able to be outdoors in the sunshine all year around.  There are so many activitities to choose from, fishing, golf, boating, kayaking, canoeing, tennis, swimming, bike riding.  Go boating down the waterways and view a variety of wildlife such as, dolphins, blue herons, racoons and many different species of colorful birds.  Wonderful memories for all times for everyone.

Shelling is so much fun and Captiva Island has such a variety of shells to find, just to collect and admire or use in a craft, on a mirror, lamps, boxes etc.  Captiva is one of the islands that is literarily made up of shells, created over thousands of years, and is one of the islands that is considered best in the world for shelling.  The islands geography of lying east and west rather than north and south, as most islands, allows Captiva and its sister islands to catch abundant sea shells from the Gulf of Mexico.

“Shop ’til you drop” is a motto of some island visitors.  Captiva Islands shops are clustered at the north end of Captiva Drive and on Andy Rosse Lane.  Strolling along the village paths from shop to shop, you will find antiques, casual fashions, pottery, hand painted furniture and many unique gifts for that special someone.  Then try a restaurant to have that refreshing break.

Captiva Island is such a romantic place.  Couples come from all around the world to celebrate their “special” day.  It can be a formal wedding or very informal on the sugar sand beach.  Couples come to renew their vows or celebrate an anniversary or some special date.  It can be a time fondly remembered.