There’s almost always something good going on in Kissimmee.  The Silver Spurs Rodeo host to a variety of concerts,  festivals and events all year long, offering fun, excitement, and entertainment for every member of the family. We have seen Hulk Hogan in person at one of the promotions, he is a Fishing fanatic and an expert angler. He signed our autograph book and we had pictures taken along side him, he is MASSIVE.

The Rodeo Show and Funfair weekends are great family entertainment with live music, lots of free give aways and live demonstrations. It’s a real crowd pleaser, offering a taste of the Wild West and you can watch bronco bucking, barrel racing, steer wrestling, team roping, and even those funny little rodeo clowns. It is worth getting the Events Calendar, where you’ll find what’s happening all year round.. 

Also, the three downtown areas, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, and Celebration, host numerous uniquely-themed special events throughout the year. You can also head over to Lake Toho in St. Cloud for a day of free family fun revolving around a beach, a playground, and several lakefront fishing spots including a tranquil fishing pier with a gazebo. Take one day of your holiday to slow down the pace and just see what you can do for free.

It will certainly make a change!!!!!

Happy Holidays

Mary & Larry

Sebastian has one 18-hole golf course, and several more are within a short distance of town.  It is also a favourite location for sky diving.

Route 512, from I-95 to Sebastian, passes through cattle ranches, citrus groves and some of the area’s light industry, giving the motorist a flavour of the diversity of the Sebastian River Area.  Route 512 then continues east across the Indian River to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, which contains Dodger Town, the former spring home to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

www.floridastateparks.org/stsebastian

Located to the west side of Sebastian, the St Sebastian River Preserve State Park is a place to see ‘natural Florida’, with open grassy forests of longleaf pine forming a backdrop to cypress domes, scrubby flatwoods, sandhills and a strand swamp.  Over 50 protected species inhabit this area.

There are many miles of trails to be explored on foot, or by bicycle or on horseback, as well as canoeing, boating and fishing on the St Sebastian River.  Launching facilities can be found outside the park, at Dale Wimbrow Park and a canoe launch north of County Road 512.

Park Opening Hours:       8am until sundown 365 days a year.

Visitor Centre Hours:      9.00am – 4.30pm Friday, Saturday & Sunday

Admission Fee:               No entrance fee.

Primitive Camping Fee:   $5.00 per person per night, plus tax.

Driving Directions:

North Entrance (Visitor Centre & Manatee Vista): Exit I-95 at County Road 514 to reach County Road 507.  Entrance is off Babcock Street, just north of the C-54 Canal.

South Entrance: Off Fellsmere Road (County Road 512) 1.8 miles east of I-95.

Address:

1000 Buffer Preserve Drive
Fellsmere, Florida 32948

Phone: 321-953-5005
Fax: 321-953-5006

Sebastian Inlet State Park

www.sebastianinletcam.com

Actually located on S Atlantic Avenue that runs the length of the peninsular from Cape Canaveral, it is actually 3 miles by water, 16 miles by land from Sebastian to Sebastian Inlet State Park.  This park covers 600 acres and spans both sides of Sebastian Inlet.

Sebastian Inlet is one of six inlets that connect the Indian River Lagoon to the Atlantic Ocean.  The Indian River Lagoon actually extends 156 miles over 6 costal counties in all and five state parks.

Sebastian Inlet provides three miles of beautiful beaches to swim, scuba dive, snorkle or just sunbathe.  Sebastian Inlet is also home to Florida east coast’s best saltwater fishing, and where snook, redfish, bluefish, croakers, jacks and tarpon are plentiful (As of 01/08/09, a shoreline fishing permit must be purchased).  The north jetty extends into the Atlantic, whilst the south side has a smaller jetty allowing access to the rocks.  Also on the south side is the ‘cleaning table’ as well as the L-Dock, where anglers cast jigs and bump the bottom to entice the fish.

Many surfing tournaments take place at Sebastian Inlet every year – see website for current dates.  As well as the north jetty and inlet, another popular surfing spot is Monster Hole, which forms long lines of waves, and is located 1/3 mile off the beach, on the south side of Sebastian inlet.

The tidal pool on the north and west of the bridge is a great place for families to bathe.

Sebastian Inlet State Park also has two museums, both open 7 days per week 10am – 4pm:

The McLarty Treasure Museum: Recounting the history of the 1715 Spanish treasure fleet

The Sebastian Fishing Museum: Recounting the history of the area’s fishing industry

The Hammock Trail provides a relaxing mile-long stroll through the park, and there is a marina located one mile north of the Sebastian Inlet bridge, which provides a food concession and a gift shop, open 9.00am – 5.00pm daily.

There is also a boat ramp, picnic areas, camping facilities and a bait and tackle shop (not open Tuesdays & Wednesdays) where fishing licences can be bought.

A concession stand also rents out canoes, kayaks and paddleboats.

Also, take a look at the website to find when concerts are held at the pavilion on Coconut Point, located on the south side of Sebastian Inlet, which overlooks the water, and provides an ideal platform for a musical interlude.

Park Admission Fee:    
$8.00 per vehicle (Limit 2 – 8 people per vehicle). 
$4.00 per single occupant vehicle.
$2.00 pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers.

Camping Fee:        

$28.00 per night, plus tax (includes water & electricity).

Driving Directions:                               

From Indian River County (i.e. South): Exit I-95 at Fellsmere/Sebastian exit, and go east on County Road 512 (towards Sebastian).  Turn right on County Road 510 and intersect with US Highway 1.  Continue over the Indian River, to State Road A1A.  Turn left and head for 7 miles on State Road A1A.

From Brevard County (i.e. North): From I= 95 take the US 192 exit and go east to State Road A1A in Indialantic.  Turn right (south) on State Road A1A and continue for 18 miles.

Address:

9700 South A1A
Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951

Phone: 321-984-4852
Fax: 321-984-4854

Like most resort areas on Anna Maria Island, Bradenton Beach is blessed with miles of sugar white sand that gently slopes into the warm coastal waters. The Gulf side of the beach is a favourite for just strolling along the water’s edge, picking shells and swimming under lifeguard supervision.

The bay side tends to offer more in water craft activities that include parasailing, and jet ski riding. Here you are also likely to find several boat charters that specialize in deep sea fishing.

There are a couple of small parks in Bradenton Beach, worthy of note only because one, Herb Dolan Park, offers great views across to Sarasota and Tampa Bay whilst the other, Katie Peirola Park, is a great spot for sunsets.

The City Pier has recently reopened following hurricane damage in 2004 and is popular for fishing. It was interesting to hear that when the old wooden bridge connecting Bradenton Beach to the mainland was replaced the island side of the bridge was retained as a fishing pier. Today, after its two million dollar refurbishment the pier is home to a restaurant, tackle shop and restrooms.  Whether you are into fishing or not, this is a lovely spot for a stroll and to watch the catch coming in.

Bridge Street is the historic centre of Bradenton Beach and, as it was directly at the end of the old wooden bridge linking it to the mainland; it became a thriving and prosperous community. When the old bridge was replaced it lost some of its appeal and many businesses closed down. However, today after a major restoration project, Bridge Street has rediscovered its charm and can offer the visitor quaint little shops selling antiques, paintings and a variety other crafts. There are some lovely pavement cafes as well as more up market restaurants and bars.

At the end of the day, if the weather is good, head back to the beach, the pier or Katie Peirola Park, and be prepared to witness a spectacular sunset across the Gulf of Mexico. There is nothing better to lift the soul after an enjoyable day exploring this little piece of paradise in central Florida.

Our family villa is located on the Indian Point sub division in Kissimmee and is only 8 miles from the Disney World theme parks. As most people don’t know much about Kissimmee itself, here is a little information about the City and it’s history.

Kissimmee is 17 miles S of Orlando, and 68 miles E of Tampa.  It’s located in Osceola County in Central Florida along the shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, which is locally referred to as Lake Toho. It has a large Hispanic population which includes a large number of Puerto Ricans.

Kissimmee History

The area was established in the mid-19th century and was known as Allendale. Kissimmee was incorporated as a city in 1883. Hamilton Disston was mainly responsible for the initial growth of the municipality. His large drainage business was located in Kissimmee. Disston had a contract with Florida to drain the southern portion of the state, in return for owning half of the acreage he successfully drained.He also deepened the Kissimmee River, so products could be shipped into the Gulf of Mexico and points beyond and  became one of the largest single landowners in the nation.

The Kissimmee shipyard produced steamboats to transport people as well as goods for Disston’s dredging and land speculation enterprises. The steamships lost a significant amount of business due to the popularity of trains for transporting people and goods. The Kissimmee area became a prominent location for raising cattle.

In 1884 W.B. Makinson, Sr. opens Makinson Hardware in downtown Kissimmee, which remains Florida’s oldest operating hardware store.

 Disney World opened in 1971 and tourism and development became the main factors for the economy and the cattle industry decreased in importance.

 In 2004 (while our family were at our villa) Hurricane Charlie caused major damage to homes and buildings. Luckily our villa only suffered superficial damage.

Kissimmee Activities

The Osceola County Softball Complex is a popular location and includes five quality softball fields. The Austin-Tindall Regional Park is popular for sports activities.

The city features a large water park and numerous golf courses including Kissimmee Golf Club, Ginn Reunion Resort Golf Course and Kissimmee Oaks Golf Club.

 Excellent fishing opportunities are available at Lake Toho.

Visitors have opportunities to take a tour of the region’s working cattle ranches and the Boggy Creek wetlands.

Close by, Lake Buena Vista is popular for outdoor activities. The Kissimmee Chain of Lakes is well known for its largemouth bass fishing. Residents and visitors can easily take day trips to Melbourne Beach and other shoreline destinations.

Kissimmee Attractions

• Oldtown.
• Osceola Centre for the Arts.
• Osceola County Historical Society & Museum.
• The Houston Astros participate in Spring Training in Kissimmee at the Osceola County Stadium.
• Silver Spurs Arena is popular for concerts and other events.
• Warbird Museum restores World War II aircraft to flying condition. Tours are available of the work shops, planes and aircraft which are being restored.
• Osceola County Historic Courthouse.
• A world of Orchids.
• Green Meadows Petting Farm.
• Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf.
• Jungleland Zoo.

Being completely new to this we were unsure what the dress code should be but it sounded like quite a smart affair so we returned to the hotel and showered and changed ready for the evening. We embarked at 4.30, the day was beautiful, blue cloudless sky, sea like a millpond and the sun slowly setting behind us. We took a seat in the middle, quite near to the front and prepared to enjoy the experience, champagne in hand!

The men were enlisted to unfurl the sails, we set off and it was absolutely wonderful. The ship ploughed smoothly through the very light chop whilst we were in the lee of the island then suddenly we were out into the open sea and there was much more movement and as the bow of the ship dipped into the water it sent lots of spray onto the boat, this was all good fun until suddenly a huge wave came over the top, right over us. We were absolutely drenched from head to foot, my hair was soaked, my white trousers had become transparent. I couldn’t do anything but laugh, everyone else was laughing and cheering so I stood up and took a bow to a huge round of applause! I was congratulated for being such a good sport and although i did feel a bit a silly for not being appropriately dressed it was great fun. The only thing to do then was to carry on drinking champagne and not to worry about it.

When we got back into harbour did we go back and get changed? No - we had realised by then there is absolutely no need - in Key West anything goes!

We choose a villa a Bradenton, which would be a good base to explore the area. Bradenton was an ideal location to visit not only the numerous beaches around but also Busch Gardens.

A favourite for the whole family was Anna Maria Island.

Driving along the coast road from Bradenton Beach to Holmes Beach and then onto the northern tip was Anna Maria Island.

On arrival at Anna Maria Island we found free car parking just along from the South Pier, across the road was a small shopping mall with restaurants, clothes shops and an Ice Cream Parlour.

We wandered along the pier and found at the end a restaurant, outside seating and people fishing. Our Boys who were 13 and 10 wanted to join in. This was not a problem as the Pier had a bait shop which not only sold bait but hired out fishing rods by the hour. So for a few dollars we had and lovely afternoon with the boys fishing. The adults were happy sitting in the glorious sunshine enjoying a cold drink which were also readily available from the bait shop.

After a couple of hours we decided to visit the Ice Cream Parlour “Two Scoops” to cool down and then make our way back home. The boys loved this unexpected experience that they asked to return the next day.

We decided that we would go to Wal-Mart to purchase rods, which they could keep. New rods in hand we returned to the pier the very next day.

Whilst there we even caught sight of many Dolphins, Sting Rays, Pelicans and various Fish on the end of the rods.

The locals at the bait shop, restaurant and pier were most welcoming, friendly and chatty. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and plan to return next year. We would recommend a visit along to Anna Maria island whether you want to fish are just laze on the beautiful white sandy beach.

Go left at the roundabout and follow the road to Stump Pass State Park Beach. Park and pay $2 (in honesty box) – spaces are limited to 40 cars. This is the bottom end of Manasota Key where  Lemon Bay meets the Gulf. On this narrow strip you can choose to look out on to the Inter-coastal waterway or walk on the fine sandy beach. Here the beach is quieter and you will find fishermen casting lines into the Gulf. They are often closely watched by local herons that sneak up and pinch the odd fish or two from the bucket – if the fisherman is not looking!

There is a short nature trail at the Pass, signposted with information of what you might see there. Restroom facilities are available. Pets are not allowed on this beach. There is no lifeguard on duty and swimmers will have to beware of the strong currents if they venture out. At the roundabout, if you go right you will be immediately at  Chadwick Park or Englewood Beach (as the locals call it). This is a popular beach with excellent facilities: restrooms with changing areas and showers, covered sitting area, grills, 4 small free picnic shelters, a larger picnic shelter which can be hired for functions, children’s play area, basketball and volleyball courts. Parking is 50 cents an hour (sheriff’s deputies do patrol and have been known to ticket offenders)

There is a long boardwalk across the beach front. The beach is quite large and wide and usually buzzing with activity. There are shops, bars scooter and boat rentals nearby. Pets are not allowed at this beach. Sunset is a very popular time down here as people come to watch the sunset. Its’ not unusual to hear them clap as the sun finally slips from view!

Further up Manasota Key you will come to Blind Pass or  Middle Beach. This is ideal for those who like peace and quiet. You will find a large free car park and playground but you do have to cross the road. Restroom facilities are also available. There is a launch for canoes and kayaks.  The beach is long and quiet. There are shallows ideal for playing. Be aware that there are no lifeguards at this location.

Drive up to the north end of the barrier island and you will find yourself at Manasota Beach. This is a large beach with almost no sandbar. This beach is perfect for a quiet picnic and shelters can be reserved. Amenities include: boardwalk, restrooms, free parking, fishing, boat launch and a lifeguard is on duty all the year round. Pets are not allowed on the beach.