It is a delightful place that appeals to all those who have an appreciation of plants and flowers, be it the horticultural professional or the keen amateur gardener.

The climate in central Florida is conducive to growing a vast array of tropical and temperate varieties that allow an abundance of all year round displays. However, the scorching summer heat and mild winters means that many native American plants, common in suburban gardens further north, would be unable to survive in this environment.

After Harry P Leu bought the site from a local citrus entrepreneur back in the 1930s he spent a number of years travelling the world to bring back some of the exotic plants that are on view today. Discover palms, cycads, azaleas and orchids. Enjoy the sight of those annual favourites including seventy-five varieties of wonderfully scented roses and the world’s largest collection of camellias numbering over two thousand specimens.

When to visit is very much down to personal preference, as there is always something in bloom. The camellias, shaded from the harsh Florida sun by varieties of oak, elm and camphor trees, are in flower between November and March but they are considered to be at their best during the winter months of January and February.

Don’t miss the azaleas, red maple, japonica and amaryllis, to name but a few of the enormous varieties that are also in bloom at the same time of year.

The rose garden, which is very much the centrepiece attraction, looks a picture from April through to November but to see it at its perfect best, visit during the winter (December and January), spring (April and May) or during the fall (September and October).

Irrespective of the time of your visit Leu Gardens will showcase a range of seasonal displays, which include some magical winter blooming annuals as well as more drought tolerant varieties during the summer.

This really is a horticultural paradise at any time of year, and being located so close to the downtown Orlando why not take a couple of hours out to enjoy Harry P Leu’s stunning creation.

There is no food as such in this inlet but the manatees are drawn by the warm water, and it is only when the water in the gulf is cold that they will venture into this inlet. One can imagine that in the summer months when the gulf is 85 degrees or so the water around the power plant would be unbearably hot for the Manatees.

The best time of day to visit is in the morning or around noon when the sun is behind you or overhead, it is much easier to see them rather than later in the day.

The volunteers are helpful and informative, and pleased to educate the tourists.

Best of all apart from a $1 car park fee, its free.

Funnily enough it’s called Manatee Park and is located right off interstate 75 on State Road 80 in Fort Myers. It is a small park with a playground and picnic benches but Manatees are the main attraction. There is a small gift shop and drink machines.

Manatee Park
5761 Palm Beach Bvld
Fort Myers

Telephone Number 239 432 2004

We have often been strolling along a beach on the gulf coast and seen a glimpse of what we believed to be manatees, so it was nice to go somewhere and see them in all there glory in their natural environment

Our flight arrived early at JFK airport and it then took 2 hours in a crowded and stuffy immigration hall to get through. We had a booked a shuttle bus to get to our hotel in Manhattan that was easy enough but by the time he had set off, come back to the airport to pick up more customers and picked up more on the way it was rush hour and it took another 2 hours to get to the city, 15 miles away! So an inauspicious start but once we got there it was fantastic.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express on W 45th Street which couldn’t have been better placed for Times Square and 5th Avenue. The rooms were a little smaller than usual so with four of us in there it was a bit of a crush but we only slept there so it was fine.

We had 2 great days sightseeing both on the open top bus and on foot. We went to the Top of the Rock which was amazing, you could see the whole city for miles around, we also went on a boat trip around the island so we could see it from the East River and the Hudson River. It was very, very cold! You really do need thermal underclothes. The Christmas decorations and shop window displays were awesome, very impressive.

We also visited Central Park and watched the ice skating. Then on the Saturday before Christmas it was time for the Orlando part of our holiday and we were all ready for some sunshine. Unfortunately when we got to JFK all flights had been cancelled due to the incoming bad weather, there wasn’t a flake of snow at that point. Again we stood in line for 2 hours to be told we had been allocated a flight on Monday morning. Bad news but at least we weren’t on standby.

We then had to find a hotel and it really was a case of there being no room at the Inn. The only room we could get was at La Guardia airport 6 miles away which we took. Another 2 nights of sharing a room, eating takeaway food as there was nowhere to go and just kicking our heels in Queens! Actually there was a shuttle bus to a shopping mall so at least we got out for a while, by that time the snow had arrived and it was bad everywhere.

We finally got to our villa in Florida on Monday afternoon, greatly relieved to have actually got there and to feel the warm sunshine. Although the weather in Florida this winter has been colder than usual, for us at was positively balmy!

But whilst these malls are big and offer a wide range of goods, if ‘big’ is important, at the time of writing (January 2010) the mall claiming to be Florida’s biggest involves a drive to the east coast.

Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is on Florida’s east coast, just north of Miami.  It involves a drive of several hours, so we took the opportunity to visit the area when we flew into Miami instead of ‘our usual’ Orlando (most scheduled airlines permit open-jaw arrangements, where you fly into one airport but return home from another - an ideal arrangement if you wish to visit Miami, Fort Lauderdale or the Florida Keys as well as the Central Florida attractions).  Another reason to find yourself in Fort Lauderdale is to join a cruise (perhaps to the Caribbean).  And whilst in the area, a visit to Sawgrass Mills is a must for shopaholics.

Sawgrass Mills

Sawgrass Mills claims to be Florida’s largest retail and entertainment centre, featuring more than 350 name-brand outlets.  A mixture of open air and ‘covered’ shopping areas makes this a very pleasant place to visit and spend a few hours - and also spend a few dollars. And with seven day opening well into the evening, there is no need to rush and miss any shopping opportunities.

Shops

Many of the names here are well known to international visitors.  Benetton, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Ron Jons - as well as names better known to locals.  With over 350 to choose from, it is easy to be parted from your dollars.  It’s also easy to get carried away - remember how much space was left in your suitcase.  Or, for visitors from Europe travelling by scheduled airline, make full use of your luggage allowance - if this will require buying an extra suitcase you are in the right place to save money on this as well.

Entertainment

As well as a cinema, there is also the opportunity to eat - either a snack, fast food or a sit-down restaurant.

How To Get There

Sawgrass Mills is located at the crossroads of West Sunrise Blvd. and Flamingo Road just 15 miles from the Fort Lauderdale International Airport and 30 miles from the Miami International Airport.

We spent Christmas in Florida this year and decided to visit the Hotel as there were quite a few things going on inside. It had the Ice Land where you pay to go in and brave the cold (we didn’t as that is what we were getting away from). The braver one’s were actualy invited to go round in their bathing costumes (brrr!)

There were lots of festivities going on along with Carol Singing and hunt the Gnome competition.

The hotel itself had three Atriums - Key West, Everglades and St Augustine, each with its own unique restaurants. We decided to eat in Key West as that had its own Yacht on a lake in the Hotel. The food was fantastic but not in the large portions that you would normally expect in the USA. However, the food was great. We will definitely visit again and go to one of the other restaurants.

The Hotel also had its own 9 hole putting course that was free to use. What a bonus for the two golfers in our party.

Finally, one thing to mention is that it will cost $12 to park there but if you eat in one of the restaurants that fee is refunded.

Christmas is a quite place in the summer, but bustles with activity prior to the Christmas holidays.  People line up to mail their Christmas cards and letters at the post office, to obtain the unique postmark of ‘Christmas, FL’

The post office is small, but modern and is located on the right, not long after the green ‘Christmas’ sign at the entrance to the town.  Year round, the post office is decorated with a wreath on the outside and a Christmas tree in its entrance.

Originally the town was called Fort Christmas, named when 2000 US Army Soldiers and Alabama Volunteers arrived on December 25th 1837 to construct the fort.  However, when the first post office opened in 1892, ‘fort’ was dropped from the name. 

The town has a small Christmas gift shop, and a Circle K convenience store.  For travellers, there is a choice of the Christmas RV Park, or the primitive camping site at Tosohatchee Reserve State Park.  For more comfortable accommodation, the nearest hotels are in Orlando or Titusville.

Capitalising on the name, there is a large Christmas tree marking one intersection, and on the top of a building in the RV Park is Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.

A replica of the original fort built in 1837 during the Seminole Indian War, is located a few miles north of the main highway, at the Fort Christmas Historical Park. The park also features a traditional Florida ‘Cracker’ house, a sugar cane mill, seven pioneer homes (showing life from the 1870’s through to the 1930’s) and historical farming equipment.  There are also picnic pavilions, themed children’s playground, a baseball diamond, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.

Opening Hours: (Closed Mondays)

Museum:   10.00am – 5.00pm

Park:

Summer: Tuesday – Sunday          8.00am – 8.00pm

Winter:    Tuesday – Sunday         8.00am – 6.00pm

(Hours change when the clocks change)

Admission Price:   FREE

Further Information:

Christmas Post Office
23580 East Colonial Dr.
Christmas, Florida 32709-9998

Telephone: (800) 275-8777

Fort Christmas Historical Park

1300 Fort Christmas Road (C.R.420)
Christmas, Florida 32709

Telephone: 407-568-4149

You can visit Disney Marketplace and enjoy a few hours with the family for no cost at all. Parking is free and there is no admission. Bring your swimsuits and some towels and you and the children can cool off in the ground fountains that randomly shoot up through the sidewalk.  The Lego Imagination Center is a family favorite.  The Lego creations surrounding the store are massive and intriguing especially the giant serpent in the lake right out front.   The largest selection of Legos I have ever encountered is in this store.  Out front, your family will find stations with Lego bases and bins full of all shapes and sizes of Lego blocks.   Here you can build to your heart’s content.  Try building a car and race it against others on the ramp with 4 racing lanes.  Take your little ones over to the toddler play area - they have probably never gone down a Lego slide before!

Check the events calendar for free live family entertainment.  There are free daily performances at the Dock Stage and you  may even catch a street performer who will amaze you with juggling, magic, and other tricks.

Wander through the World of Disney store – it probably has the largest collection of Disney merchandise you will find anywhere.  The children will enjoy the Disney décor and may even catch their favorite characters or Disney actors on the TV.  Step into Ghiradellis and grab a free sample of their delicious chocolate.  Check out the amazing window displays at Disney’s Days of Christmas.

Once Upon a Toy is not to be missed!  Your children will be amazed at Peter Pan, Wendy and Tinkerbell flying overhead.  Here, your kids can play with toys and you don’t even have to buy them!  They can build their own Disney-themed Mr. Potato Head and build at the Tinker Toy and Lincoln Log play stations. 

Disney Marketplace opens daily at 9:30 a.m.  From Sunday through Thursday, closing time is at 11:00 p.m.  On Friday and Saturday, it stays open until 11:30 p.m.

Have a great time!