This is a NEW alternative for Fun and certainly a new experience to be had for us, hope it appeals to more holiday makers. It just may do to add some adrenalin to your day out, away from the usual Parks, it sounds real COOL. A lot different to Old Town, with all of the Flashing Lights, Music & Exhaust Fumes.

Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida is upgrading and will be, bigger, faster and more exciting with its new Zipline Safari.

This Ecotourism attraction has been reimagined and has raised the bar, (literally), now taking guests up to the 68-foot mark, about 20 feet above the treetops. The new course has seven Zipwires, two extended and upgraded bridges (twice as long as before, evidently) and 10 observation platforms. A dramatic stretch takes Zippers from high in the sky, down a 30-foot descent into the trees and skimming above bushes of the Pine Flatwoods ecosystem.(The Real Soarin Experience!!) With greater height comes greater views. For the first time, guests will be able to see all 4,700 acres of Forever Florida’s conservation and ranchlands. There is upto 10 miles of visibility. The new course is a dual-line one, which Florida EcoSafaris says is the only one of that kind in Central Florida.

The attraction’s first course opened in 2008 and was the first full zip course in Florida. This summer, Florida EcoSafaris added the Cypress Canopy Cycle, a more leisurely ride over the wetlands.

Cost for the Zipline Safari is $85 per person. Cypress Canopy Cycle tickets are $45 per person. A combo ticket for both is $120. Thirty percent of the Florida EcoSafaris revenue is donated to the nonprofit Allen Broussard Conservancy, which works to preserve and protect lands at the Forever Florida Wildlife Conservation Area.

Zipline participants must be at least 10 years old, and they must weigh no more than 275 pounds. (Keep off the McDonalds!!!) You have to Pre Book. I have added a link to check out all of the rides and facilities.

For more information for this Attraction, go to www.FloridaEcoSafaris.com.

It sounds a really good day out for the more adventurous, maybe anyone who has already tried it could let us know how it compares before we Old Pensioners try it!!! or maybe watch our Grandchidlren!!!

Happy Holidays,

Mary & Larry

Believe it or not, the manatee, or “Sea Cow” is a distant cousin of the elephant, and scientists have traced them both back some 60 million years to a common ancestor. Their forelimbs contain three to four fingernails, very similar to an elephant’s.

Manatees are herbivores, eating only aquatic plants, and typically grow to about 2,000 pounds and almost 12 feet. Unhappily, their backs often bear the marks of boat propeller scars, as they tend to graze near the surface of shallow water. They have no natural predator, but contact with humans (and their boats!) along with loss of feeding grounds (also down to the humans) has made them an endangered species

So Where Can I see Manatees in the Orlando area?

The easy answer, of course, is at Sea World, but it might be more fun to see them in the wild. We have seen manatees on the Gulf Coast where they congregate around docks in the summer months, and around the Merritt Island area by The Kennedy Space Center.

In the cooler months, however, the ocean gets too cold for manatees, so they look for warmer waters. They typically come to inland Florida waters via rivers and canals.

The best place to see manatees inland is at Blue Spring State Park, just off the St. Johns River  (you can get there on the I4), between November and March. There they have a boardwalk which gives perfect viewing.

If you want to get up close and personal, go to the Crystal River area, and go snorkelling or rent a small boat. As many as 300 manatees winter in the Crystal River area on the West coast, 80 miles north of Tampa, and less than 2 hours from Orlando. Again, the best time is from late November until the end of February and it is recommended to avoid weekends if you want to avoid the crowds.

Strangely enough, the Tampa Electric Company is a great place to see manatees during the colder weather. The company’s Big Bend Station on Tampa Bay attracts manatees in winter to its warm-water discharge and they have built a special manatee viewing centre with a viewing platform, open from early December to March (closed Monday and Tuesday). From the I-75 in Tampa take the ApolloBeach exit onto Big Bend road. The viewing centre is at a turn after the road’s intersection with U.S. 41.

Happy mermaid hunting!

Andy Brownlie