Plan Your Florida Vacation
The aim of this blog is to provide as much information about things to see and do whilst you are on the holiday of a lifetime in the vacation capital of the world - The Sunshine State of Florida.
-
Ten days out in Florida
Posted on December 7th, 2010 No commentsTen days out in Florida
Written by: Philip Cornish
Authors WebsiteRead more Articles by Philip Cornish
While you are taking your vacation in one of the many Disney villas, Florida villas, Orlando villas, Florida vacation rentals and villas near Disney that are available to rent, why not try out one of the great days out listed below.
Cocoa Beach – the local billboards say it all – this is Orlando’s Closest Beach. It is just 45 minutes drive away from Orlando International Airport. Take the aptly named Beach line Expressway (528) straight east, keep driving and arrive. Buy a souvenir at Ron Jon’s Surf Shop, and then head to the beach – fantastic and not crowded at all.
Kennedy Space Center - is just north of Cocoa Beach. It has an amazing museum of space exploration (known as the KSC Visitors Complex) and is well worth a full day visit. If you plan to catch a shuttle launch, be prepared to sit in traffic for several hours driving back to Orlando, but the spectacle of an actual launch will be well worth it. Our whole family loved the day.
Daytona Beach - if all you are looking for is sun, sand and surf, then a quick trip Cocoa Beach will get you there a bit quicker and give you all you want. However, Daytona Beach is less than two hours away, and it has a special appeal to Spring Breakers, bikers, and NASCAR fans. If you stay until sunset, the brightly colored Ocean Walk Shoppes and Movies offers a fantastic ocean view. The beach is really hard and many cars and pick ups drive along it (slowly of course)
Tampa area – is less than two hours drive away from Florida on the West coast. Check out Florida’s Gulf Coast in the historically rich city of Tampa. Nearby at St. Petersburg there are upscale shopping areas and museums while Clearwater Beach offers warm waters and powdery white sand.
Silver Springs – is another “Old Florida” icon. It is famous for its glass bottomed boat rides, animal exhibits, and jeep safaris through the Florida forest. Silver Springs was opened in 1878, and is Florida’s oldest commercial tourist attraction. It is where Johnny Weismuller filmed some of the earliest Tarzan movies. A little drive away from Orlando but well worth visiting for the crystal clear springs.
Ocala National Forest – is not far from Silver Springs. It is the world’s largest sand pine forest and covers around 366,000 acres. Hiking, fishing, and canoeing are popular activities in this natural attraction.
Mount Dora - with its Victorian architecture, boutique shopping, and lovely lakefront, Mount Dora is one of the most genuine small towns in Central Florida. You can even see some of the few remaining citrus groves on the outskirts of this well preserved village. My wife just loved Mount Dora with its fantastic quaint shops. You can also go on a boat ride on the lake. Well worth a visit.
Sebring – is a sleepy town less than two hours due south of Orlando, Sebring has a charming downtown district, and is home to the Sebring International Raceway, which is the oldest permanent road racing track in North America. Nearby Highlands Hammock State Park offers campsites and hiking trails.
Blue Spring State Park - with the water temperature at a constant 68º F, Blue Spring State Park in nearby Volusia County (where Daytona Beach is located) is a winter refuge for manatees between November and March. In the warmer months, human visitors enjoy snorkeling and canoeing.
-
Silver Springs
Posted on August 15th, 2009 No commentsWritten by: Julie Hart
Authors WebsiteA visit to this park is a more sedate, leisurely day out than many of the other parks. Situated about 1.5 hours drive north of Orlando this is another of Florida’s natural springs, reputed to be the biggest of its kind in the world.
We visited out of season so it was nice and quiet, not too busy and no standing in line. We had a ride on a glass bottom boat which takes you along the river, with a perfect view of whats underneath. Of course everyone wants to see gators when they’re in Florida and we weren’t disappointed. It’s a good way to view the wildlife without getting wet. It’s all very relaxing, unhurried and the guides are great, they know their stuff and they tell you all about the history of the park, it’s origins going back to the days of the native American Indians and the flora and fauna in it.
After the boat ride we had lunch at one of the restaurants and then a stroll around the park taking in the scenery and the other animal exhibits such as the giraffes which came to us and we were allowed actually feed them by hand, a first for us!. We watched an outdoor show with a variety of birds including parrots and more domestic type birds.
It’s about 3 or 4 years since our visit and no doubt changes will have been made since then. The clientele were more ‘mature’ than you would find in an average Orlando theme park but that’s probably usual in Florida in winter and in no way a negative! It’s a beautiful place, natures very own theme park I suppose. If you want to get away from the queues and the fast passes, fast food and fast rides and all the hustle and bustle, then this is a good place to come.