My daughter, Lisa, and her family live in the Orlando area, so I visit as often as I can and continue to call Orlando my second home, having also worked there from 1986 to 2001. I recently returned from my latest visit.
It occurred to me that many GTA folks visit the Orlando area and I thought I would offer a few suggestions on places to visit other than the theme parks and other tourist-driven areas. I’ll keep these all kid-friendly, as it seems that, more and more, parents, grand parents and kids are taking family vacations together.
New Smyrna Beach is about 70 minutes by car from Orlando. Visit this web site: http://www.nsbfla.com/. If you come in, say, July, August or September, the surf temperature will be about 81F. Granted, the air temperature will probably be 92F with 85% humidity, but that makes the ocean feel all the better. And air fares and hotels cost less during summer. New Smyrna is a fairly small town and it’s where Central Floridians go to the beach. Daytona, their next-door neighbour, is the old-school tourist area. The beaches on Florida’s East coast are beige and the waves are usually tame. Don’t expect sugar-white sand and crystal-clear water like the Bahamas. Sometimes, the small waves stir up the sand, but the water is clean and refreshing. You can drive your rental car onto the beach at New Smyrna. There’s a modest charge for this, but the convenience is great. Pack a cooler with food and beverages and enjoy the day. Also, there are vendors on the beach, offering some pretty good burgers, fries, ice cream, etc.
Winter Park is a small city, immediately adjacent to downtown Orlando. It’s more or less the Rosedale of Orlando. It’s a small town with a long history of wealth. Park Avenue is the main thoroughfare. It’s loaded with trendy shops and restaurants and it’s very green with lots of trees and shrubs. It makes for a pleasant morning or afternoon. It’s been a couple of years, but I used to golf on Winter Park’s 9-hole public course for $12, including a pull-cart for clubs. You can go around twice and make it 18 holes for the same price. This is not a manicured course, but for occasional golfers like me, it’s quite all right. Originally, this was a full golf course, dating back past the thirties. It’s right in the middle of town and city streets actually run through it in some spots. Parking is free right by the pro shop.
Central florida has various fresh water springs. Rainwater in Central Florida is filtered though sand and limestone. By the time it reaches its destination, it is as clear as gin. In some areas, this water is pushed back to the surface as springs. There are several of these all around the Orlando area. One great example is the Rainbow River near Ocala. This is an easy drive from Orlando, about 85 minutes. Many locals will drive to the beginning of the river, where the water gushes up and begins its long journey. Plop an inner-tube into that area and arrange for someone to meet you a few kilometers downstream. Take along a beverage or two. The water temperature is about 73F, year round. It’s free, by the way. Wear plenty of sun block.
Granted, you could spend all of your money at Disney, Universal or International Drive and you’d have a great time, but you’d be missing out on some of Central Florida’s best free attractions that both kids and adults will enjoy.
Tags: florida, theme parks, vacation
