Fancy visiting a traditional Burger, Ribs and Steakbar then look no further than Logans. The one we always visit is on West Irlo Bronson Drive in Kissimmee.

When you arrive you will be greeted by the very friendly staff and book your table or you can walk right in and sit at the bar to eat.

You will see as you walk in the big barrel of fresh moneky nuts that you can eat all night long at your table. The kids will love it because they can just throw their shells on the floor and no-one will blink an eyelid.

With every order comes the FREE fresh bread rolls with cinnamon butter that are delicous as an appetiser. We always go for the ribs of burgers as they are delicious. On a warm night you can sit outside by the open fire and eat there and watch the world go by.

This restaurant is right opposite the Old Town so if you make it a Friday or Saturday night for your visit you will get to see all the custom cars. Or if you are braver take on the Skydive experience - Not for us.

By the way do not forget to try one of their Margaritas. Take plenty of snaps of the restaurant and everyone at home will know you have been to the good old USA.

So try out Logan’s you will not be disappointed.

Old Town is also a great place for the family as there are shops and also rides. One of the rides is the highest ride ever it goes by the name of the Sky Rider!!! It takes you up a 300ft pole and when you are at the top you are forced to pull a leaver to plummet down toward the crowds of people watching you fall from the sky. There are also Go-Karts which has a top speed of 15mph and it goes up-up-up and back down again. And if you are afraid of heights there is a smaller one too! The shops are for any one, of any age. There are toy stores and leather stores and many other to please you and satisfy you in any way.

Disney has 7 main parks to choose from, Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, these are the best parks in Disney and you would be dumb not to visit.

Animal Kingdom is known for one Rapid Roller Coaster, EVEREST! It is in a Yetis cave and when you’re with a yeti something is bound to go wrong. It is an evil yeti who is angry and rips up the track and you have to fly backward in-stead!!!

Hollywood studios is a great park if you like big scary rides as it has the biggest ride in Disney… Tower of Terror and it is amazing. You take a long journey into… the twilight zone and then when you least expect it, it drops you down into a dark hole. But it also takes you to the top and you can see for miles and another ride you can see from all away up there is Rocking Roller Coaster. It goes 0-60 in 1.4 seconds. It is a race to get to the party before you miss the gig and that, you don’t want. You are looping and spinning and it is an experience of a life time that you don’t want to miss.

Epcot is the one with less rides (more educational) but just as good quality as the other theme parks. Mission space is a ride where the mission is to get to Mars safely but some of you may have never flown a spaceship before so that is a problem. It all goes wrong… will you get there?

Soarin is also a fantastic ride to check out as you take a relaxing journey over many amazing different places. It is like flying with the birdies and you can feel the wind bouncing of your face and it is just so amazing.

Magic kingdom is the main park as it is the biggest and it has the most rides compared to the rest. One of the best rides is Space Mountain because it is inside and you cannot see where you are going. It is extremely bendy and swings you around like you are a toy, Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain are two rides that are quite the same as the all swing you around but splash Mountain is a water ride.

The latest updates we have heard while we are here in Florida are for the “Lesser Known” attractions.

Fun Spot Action Park which is located on Del Verde Way just off the northern end of International Drive has just purchased an adjacent 10 acre plot potentially tripling the size of the 5 acre park. Possible new attractions include water rides and a SkyCoaster plus paint balling.

Admission and parking are free, just like OLD TOWN, you buy an armband which give you access to specific areas of the park such as the go-karts, adult rides or children’s rides and play spots. The go-kart rides include multi-level tracks and fast road courses.

The much more known Fun Spot is at Old Town on US 192 in Kissimmee, home to the world’s tallest SkyCoaster.

Developments there include a new Screamin Eagle ride and its first roller coaster, the Galaxy Spin purchased from the defunct Cypress Gardens. It is similar to Primeval Whirl at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and is due to open next month in March.

Legoland Construction is reported to be on schedule.

Work on converting the former Cypress Gardens into the new Legoland Florida theme park is on schedule. They are trying to keep much of the fauna and flora of the old Cypress Gardens and many large mature trees are being re-sited. Three of the original roller coasters, the Okeechobee Rampage children’s coaster, the wooden Triple Hurricane roller coaster and the Swamp Thing suspended roller coaster are being retained and will become the Dragon, Coastersaurus and Flying School respectively.

The drive down to the Park will come a little more expensive as the fuel prices have shot up in the last week with a record high of $3.35 a gallon been shown on a lot of the petrol stations. Not as much as the UK but the Americans are as furious about the price as we are back home.

Happy Holidays

Larry & Mary

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

Wallaby Ranch is in a secluded location near Davenport, surrounded by woodland, and yet only 20 minutes from Kissimmee.

Wallaby Ranch is an excellent place for anyone wishing to take their first hang gliding flight.  Normally, months of hill training are needed before you can launch from a mountain site, but with tandem aerotowing, you can experience the thrill of a high altitude flight straightaway.

A highly experienced hang gliding instructor flies alongside you on a tandem hang glider, which is towed up to 2000 feet in the air by an ultralight towplane.

Once released, the tandem hang glider will free-fly for 15 to 20 minutes, during which time the instructor shows you how to control the glider by shifting your weight.  And the return to the 100-acre take-off and landing field culminates in a smooth rolling landing.

These flights can be enjoyed by everyone from 4 years to 90 years of age.

The tandem flights are done in the mornings, and late afternoons, which is when the smoothest and calmest winds are experienced.  Flying starts everyday at 8.00am, weather permitting.

Take-off and landing can be done in any direction on the 100-acre field, and are therefore not bound by wind direction. 

Wallaby Ranch employ 10 full-time staff, which include professional tow pilots, experienced certified instructors and a gourmet chef to prepare breakfast and lunch.

Other Amenities

Tent & RV camping facilities

7-foot deep swimming pool

Cimbing wall

Children’s playground, with a Dr. Seuss tree house.

Mountain bike trails

Walking trails

Directions

Wallaby Ranch
1805 Deen Still Road
Davenport, FL  33897
Tel 863-424-0070

Take US-192 W, then join the I-4 W to Tampa.

Take exit #58 (Kissimmee/Champions Gate), onto Champions Gate Boulevard

Carry on past the shopping centre to the T-junction

Turn right onto Ronald Reagan Parkway/CR 54, and crossing over Hwy 27, this becomes Deen Still Road.

Wallaby Ranch is 1.7 miles from Hwy 27.

Look for the mailbox with 1805 on, and turn left down the driveway, and pull up at the office and ring the bell.

Prices

Standard Tandem Instruction (All Inclusive)                 $120.00

Tandem Flight with DVD                                              $180.00

3 Lesson Package                                                         $320.00

Advanced Tandem Thermal Instruction                        $200.00

(10 & 20 Lesson Packages also available)

 On the tips of the wings are cameras and still photos or a DVD can be purchased after your flight. They are of a superb quality and you also get the negatives if you want to have them enlarged. A 15 minute flight costs $240 but the actual time is about 1/2 hour that you are in the plane, from taxeing to take off and landing. Of course If you are very brave then why not go for the 30 - 60 minute aerobatics flight where you can actually control the plane to do loops and rolls. What a great photo that would be, upside down at the controls with an aerial view of Kissimmee above you. Awesome !!! The “pilots shop”  is always worth a visit. They have shirts, hats and lots of memorabilia there. You can even buy “Warbird bucks” $100 to give as a present towards that special persons dream flight.

Warbird Adventures used to be known as “Flying Tigers” but in 2004 Hurricane Charley came along and put paid to that and Kissimmee Air museum was formed in its place. Opening times are from 9.00 to 17.00, 6-7 days a week but it does depend on the season so check before you go. You can just turn up but it is “First come, first served” Telephone number 407-870-7366.

My husband and I have watched these planes flying over our villa for the last few years and he has been mesmerised by them so guess what I have bought him for his 60th next year. Boy will he be thrilled.

When it comes to eating there is so much choice you won’t nowhere to go there are restaurants just about everywhere and of course there a fast food places such as MacDonald’s and KFC. But of course you can also shop at Wal-Mart and make your own food which is better if you’re on a budget.  There is everything in America that there is in every country so you would find something you liked.

If you like going out at the night time then there are clubs pubs and also family entertainment such as old town and down town Disney which is a Disney run place. Which is free and there are shops and theatres and performances which kids and adults will enjoy. Old Town is a little town on the 192 between marker 10/11 which is good if you want to go out for an hour or for 5 hours there is always things to do look around the shops watch the live band, have cold or hot drink, food or something real British like good old fish and chips or look at all the kitted up cars and motorcycles that run down the main street on Friday and Saturday evenings. There are all sorts of shops from sweet shops to clothes, jewellery, Florida merchandise shops. Old town also have a now large “Fun Spot” There is also a place called boardwalk which is also run by Disney where there is shops and restaurants where you can chill and on the night you can also see the fireworks from magic kingdom and Epcot.

There are really good places to go shopping like the Florida mall to the Osceola mall to lake Buena vista there are expensive brands for small prices.

As we all know, Florida is HOT, VERY HOT especially during the Summer months.

They have some of the wettest and wildest rides around for a fantastic day out !!.

Here are some of the main ones:

Adventure Island – Tampa

Adventure Island at Tampa is close by to Busch Gardens and is packed with excitement and adventure.  It offers around 34 acres of water rides and other attractions.  There are picnic and sunbathing areas, along with outdoor cafes, snack bars and gift shops.

For people who love thrills, the Wahoo Run plunges up to five riders at a time, more than 15 feet per second as this half-enclosed tunnel twists and turns more than 600 feet to a waiting splash pool below.  Wahoo Run has been called the “fastest tunnel river raft in the world,” Here, you will corkscrew through spins and spirals propelled by more than 10,000 gallons of water. 

The Tampa Typhoon will also have you screaming as you “free-fall” seven stories down a 76 foot water slide on one of the most heart-pumping rides in the park.

Other thrill rides include the Splash Attack, Caribbean Corkscrew, Runaway Rapids, Aruba Tuba and the Gulf Scream, a huge 210-foot body slide that whisks you into the waiting pool below at 25 mph.

Also try Paradise Lagoon. This is a 9,000 square foot attraction, which features several individual attractions.  These include a rope walk, a cable drop, several slides and a 20-foot platform jump for cliff jumping.

The Endless Surf is Adventure Island’s 17,000-square foot wave pool that generates waves up to five feet high for hours of total fun at the coolest and wettest place in Tampa.

For those who prefer a more relaxing and quieter ride, there is Rambling Bayou where you can drift around Paradise lagoon in a car tyre inner tube (beware of the sun though as the water seems cool but the sun is very hot).

Adventure Landing: Shipwreck Island Waterpark - Jacksonville Beach

Adventure Landing and Shipwreck Island Water Park is a combination water park and amusement park located between Jacksonville Beach and the Intercoastal Waterway.

It is the largest amusement complex in northeast Florida, and offers family fun for all ages.  Shipwreck Island, is the interactive waterpark, and includes a variety of water attractions such as a wave pool, slides, inner tubing and a very unique uphill waterslide. The Shipwreck Island Play Village is the main centrepiece for children, and includes multiple attractions for young guests of all ages.

Adventure Landing/Shipwreck Island Water Park has three “extreme” slides. The newest ride is the Hydro Half Pipe, where single, double and triple-tube riders experience a sudden, nearly vertical, drop of 40 feet, and are then propelled through a pool of water to another ramp on the other side.

The Rage is an “uphill/downhill” water slide and The Eye of the Storm is a once in a lifetime ride, that is only for the most risky thrill seekers. You must be a strong swimmer and at least 48” tall to take on The Eye of the Storm.

The park also features a half-million gallon wave pool.

The Shipwreck Island Play Village, designed with children in mind, contains waterfalls, multiple small slides and water cannons that will keep children entertained for hours.

Be prepared to enjoy non-stop action on Adventure Landing’s dry side.

Start your adventure with the Adventure Speedway Go-Karts, where a twisting quarter mile go-kart track with live racing has results posted on a finish-line leader board. The park advertises that “it is as close to NASCAR racing as you get.”

For those looking for something a little calmer, Adventure Golf has two unique 18-hole miniature golf courses designed for fun and relaxation in mind. The two courses challenge all skill levels as they wind through tunnels, over waterfalls and “mountains.”

The multi-level Arcade has over 100 interactive games, and kids especially love Laser Tag, an indoor battle arena with “out of this world” lighting and sound.

For a thrill of a lifetime, the MaxFlight Coast Simulator takes guests on an adventure into the world of virtual reality. This ride has a 360-degree range of motion that allows you to physically feel what can only be imagined in the “real” world. You must be in good health to ride the MaxFlight Simulator, not pregnant and it is not recommended if you suffer from claustrophobia.

The Wacky Worm Roller Coaster is for people of all ages, and the Frog Hopper is an adventure ride for younger children.

Adventure Landing also offers Batting Cages, for hardball, softball, slow or fast pitch. It’s great for individual or team practice.

If you feel hungry after all that fun, there a two themed snack bars that have all kinds of food, snacks and drinks.

Adventure Landing’s Shipwreck Island Waterpark is located at 1944 Beach Boulevard, Jacksonville Beach.

Aquatica - SeaWorld Orlando

Aquatica is Florida’s newest water park which opened in April 2008.

This park offers a new twist in water play with animal interactions, as in the Dolphin Plunge which is the most popular ride in the park.  Two side-by-side enclosed tube slides send you racing through an underwater world that is home to a playful pod of beautiful black-and-white Commerson’s Dolphins.

Try the Taumata Racer if you are looking for the biggest thrill in the park.  This is a high speed competitive mat ride where eight racers rip down a staggeringly steep hill, head first.

Loggerhead Lane – take a load off your feet and hop on a lazy river ride down Loggerhead Lane.  This leisurely raft ride takes you through an underwater world colored by exotic tropical fish.

Tassie’s Twisters is one of the wackiest rides ever imagined. In fact, getting there is part of the fun.  From the Loggerhead Lane lazy river, you’ll make your way to the island in the center and climb to the tower.  Once you get to the top, lightning fast tubes shoot you into a giant bowl, where you’ll spin, and spin, and spin, until you’re finally spun back out into the lazy river. You’ve never seen or felt anything quite like it.

Whanau Way is a quadruple slide tower and is one of the most popular rides in the park.

Walhalla Wave & HooRoo is a is a thrilling ride for the whole family, zooming you through a 6-story maze of twists, turns, and tunnels before you surge back out into daylight.

Walkabout Waters is one of the most talked about places in the park for children. This towering, 60-foot-tall rain fortress is bursting with color, excitement, and adventures waiting to begin.

Cutback Cove & Big Surf Shores - one thing or should we say two things that makes Aquatica so unique are the giant, side-by-side wave pools you won’t find anywhere else in the U.S.  At Cutback Cove, the waves are always rolling, and the action’s always high. At Big Surf Shores, the surf can be high or slow and easy. What kind of wave do you feel like catching today? Two separate pools let you decide.

Roa’s Rapids race you along an action river ride through the white waters of Aquatica.  Get ready for an awesome adventure through a roaring sea of high tides, swirling whirlies, and gushing geysers- all at speeds that leave ordinary river rides eating this one’s wake.

Aquatica is located across the street from SeaWorld Orlando on International Drive and is open year round.

Blizzard Beach at Disney World - Kissimmee

Blizzard Beach is one of Walt Disney World Resort water parks and has a Winter theme.

For a really “cool” time, this 66-acre water adventure park has all the atmosphere of a major ski resort – but it is strictly tropical.

Here, visitors can slip and slid down “snow-capped” mountains amid a snowy scene (a visual effect only – temperatures actually remain a controlled tropical level year-round,).  Waterslides look a lot like slush cascading down the mountainside, and a “ski lift” takes guests to the top of Mt. Gushmore. Disney’s Blizzard Beach.  It contains 21 slides, a wave pool, and a separate area for pre-teens and children.

As you enter the park, the first thing you see is the 90-foot snow-capped mountain, Mt. Gushmore. It is home to the newest waterslide called Downhill Double Dipper, a side-by-side racing water slide that stands 50 feet high and 200 feet long. Riders travel up to 25 mph as they twist and turn before shooting out through a blast of water.

Other adventures at Mt. Gushmore include slalom courses, toboggan and water sleds and the 120-foot high Summit Plummet, a breathtaking 60-mph plunge straight down to a splash landing at the base of the mountain.

The Teamboat Springs is the world’s longest family white water raft that ride takes six-passenger rafts down a twisting 1,200 foot series of rushing water falls.

The Toboggan Racer is an 8-lane water slide that sends guests racing over exhilarating dips as they descend the “snowy” slope.

Snow Stormers has three flumes descending from the top of the mountain and following a switchback course through ski-type slalom gates.

Runoff Rapids is an inner tube run, where riders can careen down three different twisting, turning flumes.

Chair Lift is where wooden bench chair lifts carry guests over the craggy face of Mt. Gushmore, from its base at the beach, to its summit.

At Cross Country Creek, you can float on a tube along a lazy river that encircles the entire park. On the way, you will float through a cave where you’ll be splashed with “melting ice” from overhead. “Melt-Away Bay” is a 4,000 square foot (one-acre) wave pool that is nestled against the base of Mt. Gushmore and is constantly fed by “melting snow” waterfalls.

Tike’s Peak is a smaller version of Mt. Gushmore, just for children. It includes short water slides, a snow-castle, fountain play area and a squirting ice pond.

The Ski Patrol Training Camp is designed for pre-teens; equipped with inner tube slides and a challenging ice-flow walk along floating icebergs.

Typhoon Lagoon at Disney World - Kissimmee

Typhoon Lagoon is Walt Disney World’s 56-acre water park that includes a man-made watershed mountain and eight twisting, turning water slides and roaring streams. It is also home to a two-and-a-half-acre wave pool, one of the worlds largest (where the waves are as big as six feet and come at you every one and a half minutes)

The park features a water playground for children, a white sand beach and a lazy stream that surrounds the 95-foot Mount May Day.

Mount Mayday, is the 95-foot volcano on top of which is perched a shipwrecked shrimp boat.  At the summit of Mount May Day, guests can choose from several exciting water slides. At the base of the mountain is one of the world’s largest wave pools, complete with a white sandy beach and some of the most powerful artificial waves in Orlando. Also bordering the Lagoon is Castaway Creek, a 2,100-foot river that carries guests leisurely around the perimeter of the park. You can even go snorkelling amid tropical fish and other exotic marine life.

Typhoon Lagoon is the main wave pool that is two-and-a-half- acres, and holds 2.75 million gallons of water. There are two sets of waves that are produced in this pool. The first set are gentle bobbing waves that come on a continuous basis, like a normal wave pool. However, every half hour a loud horn will sound and that means that the waves will be changing.  At this point, get ready for waves as large as four feet that come at you with a lot of speed and force, every 90 seconds.

Castaway Creek is the lazy river that travels around the park. Take an inner tube and float along. The river is only 3-4 feet deep and runs on a slow current. As you float down the river on this 2,000-foot journey, you will see banana trees, palm trees, tropical birds and flowers. You will slowly drift through caves, under waterfalls and cool mists, and through tropical forests, and around all the other attractions at the park. If you choose, you can get off Castaway Creek at one of the many stops along the way.

Disney’s first ever water coaster, the Crush n’ Gusher is a thrilling experience that defies gravity as powerful jets propel passengers on rafts through every surprise filled turn until they splash land in the pool below.

Three water slides await you at Humunga Kowabunga, which sends you zooming through enclosed tubes at 30 mph to a splashing surprise ending.

Storm Slides is another set of three slides where you will twist and swirl through caves and tunnels.

Mayday Falls is the longest waterslide in the Park that takes guests aboard their own personal inner tube down the side of the mountain in the shadow of the famed shrimp boat.

One of the most dramatic attractions at Typhoon Lagoon is Shark Reef, a massive saltwater pool and manmade coral reef, where you can snorkel among swarms of exotic marine life. For those who don’t want to get wet, there is a sunken tanker with portholes that provide stunning views of the underwater activity.

Ketchakiddie Creek is Typhoon Lagoon’s play area, especially for children aged two to five. There is a small pool and water slide, fountain and bubblers, interactive water boats, and even a pint-sized white water rafting adventure. An adult must accompany all children.

Wet-n-Wild

Wet-n-Wild in Orlando, was voted by the Amusement Business Magazine as America’s “number one water park,” and also honoured by Aquatic’s International as the country’s “first true water park.”

Wet ‘n Wild is, indeed, the oldest water park in the area, but it is continually adding new rides and is loaded with slides and other attractions for the entire family. It includes a 7-story water slide, various tubes, wave pools, and a Lazy River tube ride around the park and more, including a rather elaborate children’s area.

Over a dozen thrill rides in all at Wet ‘N Wild (including several multi-person/family rides) will keep even the most discriminating amusement park aficionado entertained. Wet ‘N Wild is also fully staffed with certified lifeguards and all the pools are seasonally heated.

One of the newest attractions at Wet ‘N Wild is Disco H2O, a multi-million dollar retro slide that showcases the 1970s disco nightlife. Like other bowl rides, this one sends passengers on a four-person cloverleaf “raft” down a slide and into a large funnel where it swishes and spins to the sounds of the hits of the 70s, before splashing out the bottom. Inside the ride are flashing lights and a mirror “disco” ball.

Other rides include the Bubba Tub, a four-person raft that takes passengers on a rollicking ride on a triple dip slide.

The Surge sends five passengers at a time through a never-ending maze of twists and turns, and The Blast sends groups of two through a colourful maze with sound effects and then ends with a final plummet into the water.

Experience the thrill of The Bomb Bay, where the floor actually falls out from underneath you in a bomb-like capsule, 76-foot high vertical slide. (Get ready to feel your stomach drop to your feet in this one!).

Thrill seekers will want to try out The Flyer, which begins its’ descent from a vantage point located 40 feet above the park. This exhilarating ride sends passengers racing through 450 feet of banked curves and speedy straightways.

Another of the park’s most popular rides is the Blue Niagara, where you’ll race, twist and splash through 300 feet of intertwined looping tubes that start at six stores above the park and end with a big splash landing.

Wet N Wild also features a winding Lazy River where you can enjoy a relaxing ride as you drift slowly through bubbles to an enchanting spring with a waterfall spilling over a rocky hillside.

Wet ‘n Wild’s newly upgraded 17,000 square foot Surf Lagoon Wave Pool features some of the most powerful waves found at any water park.

Just for children, Kid’s Park at Wet N Wild, is complete with a giant sandcastle, kiddie pool and specially sized beach chairs. The Bubble Up is a large, multi-collared balloon that is crowned with a mushroom-shaped fountain that sprays water all over the balloon’s surface. Kids can climb to the top (with the aid of a rope) and then bounce down the side of the balloon into a three-foot deep pool below.

Shipwreck Island Water Park – Panama City

Shipwreck Island Water Park is the only water park located within 300 miles of Panama City Beach.

Six acres in size, Shipwreck Island is designed for family entertainment and offers rides, slides, a lazy river and a large wave pool, set amid lush tropical landscaping.

Rides at Shipwreck Island include thrill rides, family rides and a special “Tadpole Hole” section just for children.

The Raging Rapids, Tree Top Drop and the huge double slide Pirates Plunge are just a few of the exciting thrill rides at the park.

The White Knuckle River Ride, Shipwreck Island’s newest ride, takes guests in large, three-to-five passenger inner tubes swishing and swirling down a 660-foot long, six-story high flume in an exciting, white knuckle experience.

The Ocean Motion Wave Pool at Shipwreck Island has been said to be “the closest thing to the beach without actually being on the beach.” It contains 500,000 gallons of water and is the coolest thing around on a hot summer day.

Visitors who prefer to take things slow can enjoy floating gently downstream in inner tubes on the Lazy River.

Kids enjoy the Great Shipwreck and the Zoom Flume and even toddlers can get in on the action with the rides at Tadpole Hole, including the Frog and Pelican Slides.

Shipwreck Island is located at 12001 Middle Beach Road, Panama City Beach 32407, Florida.

Big Kahuna’s Lost Paradise – Destin

Big Kahuna’s Lost Paradise is a combination waterpark and amusement park that is located in Destin on Florida’s beautiful Emerald Coast. This fun family adventure park covers more than 25 acres and boasts more than 40 water attractions, plus an arcade, roller coaster and miniature golf. Dozens of slides, three rushing rivers, white water tubing, two wave pools, a children’s area and the “biggest man made waterfall in the world,” makes Big Kahuna’s one of the most exciting and diverse waterparks in the state.

The most impressive attraction at Big Kahuna’s is Tiagra Falls, the largest man-made waterfall in the world, which pumps 30,000 gallons of crystal clear water per minute over 250 feet of massive granite rock.

Glide your way down the Lazy River through caves and other smaller waterfalls, around beautiful, lush tropical landscaping on your way to Tiagra Falls.

Big Kahuna’s has it all – three rushing rivers, speed slides, body flumes, white water tubing, two large wave pools, and fun fountains.

The thrill rides include the Maui Pipeline Speed Slides and Jumanji, a long snake of a ride that twists and spins you all the way to the bottom for a spectacular splash landing.

There are four children’s areas at Big Kahuna’s with kid-sized slides and variable depth pools.

Pleasure Island is a child-sized paradise complete with a pass-thru waterfall, low-depth pools and a wacky octopus that sprays them with water. Youngsters also enjoy the Pirate Ship and Crocodile Flats, which offers twirling slides that plunge them into the basin below where an abandoned ship awaits with a “bubbly surprise.”

If you prefer dry land, Big Kahuna’s Adventure Park offers several fun options. Enjoy the thrill of racing at the Grand Prix Raceway or take a turn on the Sky Coaster, a heart-thumping ride that puts you 100 feet into the air. The Pakali Arcade offers a variety of games and Tropical Mini Golf is Big Kahuna’s miniature golf course that boasts 54 challenging holes on three unique courses. Beautifully landscaped with tropical flowers, sculpted trees and several waterfalls, each course winds over wooden bridges, through caves and dense flora.

Big Kahuna’s Lost Paradise is located at 1007 Highway 98 E, Destin, FL 32541

Rapids Water Park

Rapids Water Park is one of South Florida’s premiere family parks.  The Rapids features a full day of fun for the entire family whether you make a splash in the cool blue waves, take a thrilling ride down any of our 29 water slides, or just float around the lazy river. Rapids Water Park has 25 acres of action packed attractions, with something fun for everyone.

Big Thunder is the largest water ride in Florida is at Rapids Water Park in West Palm Beach! Accelerate in a four-person tube to over 20 miles per hour and be propelled high up the walls of the Big Thunder funnel.

Black Thunder - take a spin in the dark inside Black Thunder’s gigantic funnel! Up to four riders may enjoy a fast ride in the pitch black darkness on the Black Thunder raft ride!

Body Blasters - get swept away in a flood of water as you blast through 1,000 feet of darkness. With nothing to hold onto but your swimsuit, you soar through heart-pounding drops and pulse-racing dips and curves.

Pirates Plunge is not for the faint hearted. It’s two speed slides with twists, turns, dips and a 7-story drop. It’s a splash you will never forget!

Raging Rapids - twist and turn through the darkness and then burst back into the light to enjoy two sharp drops before splashdown on the Raging Rapids! Up to four riders may enjoy the fast and dark Raging Rapids raft ride!

Riptide Raftin’ is a tube ride that accommodates up to five people.

The Superbowls – two super water slide rides, Baby Blue and Big Red, that spin, twirl and send you plummeting into a heart stopping splash landing!

Tubin’ Tornadoes - dare to ride out the storm in this totally tubular ride. Grab a tube and travel in the dark at the speed of light before plummeting downward in 1,000 feet of tunnel. Thunder through whirlwind twists and turns before plunging into a pool for a cool landing.

Big Surf - catch a wave in this 25,000 square foot wave pool with waves that can go up to six feet.

Criss Crossing - challenge yourself to make it across the floating ice cubes, fruit and alligators at Criss Crossing!

Other rides include Dancing Fountains, Lazy River, Little Splash Hill, Water Flumes, Alligator Alley, Splish Splash Lagoon, Tadpool.

Rapids Water Park is located at 6566 N. Military Trail, Riviera Beach, FL 33407

As you get near to Daytona but before you reach the “Racetrack” there is the biggest Farmers and Flea market for miles on the right. It is all under cover and all aisles have ceiling fans to keep you cool while you shop.

There are numerous aisles with something for everybody. Lots of motor bike gear of course, lovely leather coats, shoes, etc but prices much lower than the tourist areas. We brought lots of t-shirts, towels and items for our villa. We had a hummer car and that was full by the time we came out. There are also lots of places to eat in there and much cheaper than in Daytona.

It was just a short drive to the beach and for $5, you can park your car on the beach all day. The ice cream van goes up and down so there is no need to leave the beach to buy ices for the kids. There are even mini 3- wheel cycles for the kids to hire to use on the beach.

After unpacking all the gear, the kids were off with their boards to the sea. It was a bit rough that day but very warm. After a while, they all seemed to be having so much fun jumping the waves that I  thought I would join them. We were all having so much fun that none of us noticed a huge wave coming at us until it landed on top of us all and we were thrown over.

We came up laughing and then I realised that my cap was not on my head and neither were my prescription sun glasses. !!Now Daytona is a very long beach and we went up and down there looking in the hope that they would have been washed up. No such luck. My advice to anyone going with prescription glass on holiday to Florida is to pack a spare pair or you will be like I was for the last few days………Very short sighted.

Kissimmee Old Town, on the shores of Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho, to you and me) is well worth a visit. And if you want to impress the locals, do pronounce their city’s name correctly, with the stress on the second syllable - “Kissimmee”.

Kissimmee (previously known as Allendale) was incorporated as a city in 1883. It was the heart of cow country and the sound of the men “cracking” cow whips led to them being called “Florida Crackers”. Ranching and citrus packing remained an important part of the local economy until the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971. After that, tourism took over, although cattle ranches still operate nearby.

The Kissimmee downtown area is a bit of real genuine Americana, and is pedestrian friendly. Yes - you can park your car and actually walk around streets full of brick buildings, boardwalks, shops and restaurants. Currently the Kissimmee downtown area has several restaurants, an art gallery, photographers, and a number of retailers selling clothing, music, art, antiques, video games, and furniture; plus lawyers, doctors, accountants, architects, printers, beauty & barber shops.

We came across the Farmers’ Market which operates at Toho Square on Thursdays from 7 am to 1 pm. It is modest in size but has lovely fresh produce for sale.

And if you are looking for some good ol’ “down home” cookin’ and a bit of old time service, do what we do, and eat at Joanie’s Diner at 120 Broadway, Kissimmee. You will not be disappointed with the food or the friendly service. It’s where the locals go.

Should you be in Kissimmee in the evening you can also go on ghost walks, and hear tales of the “headless horseman”, the “hanging tree” and the “ghost of the lake”.

A lot of money has been poured into the area for improvements, and a lot of the historic houses in the roads leading down to the lakefront have been renovated or rebuilt and are well worth a look. Also on the road down to the lake is the very quirky “Monument of States”.

Down at the Lakeside, you can walk along a long promenade by the lake which has piers, bait shops, boat slips and marinas. Chill out, watch the fishermen, or take an airboat ride, daytime or night time. There’s also a lot of green space for relaxation down by the lake, with playgrounds, picnic areas and bike paths, all well used by the locals at the weekend.

Do have a look at Kissimmee. It’s well worth it.

Andy Brownlie