Orlando - Off the Beaten Path: Discovering Central Florida Without Visiting Any Theme Parks

One of my husband's favourite places is Florida,the Mt. Dora - Lake Eustis Scenic Railway.From
since he is an avid golfer and likes to get awaymidweek in the second week onwards the
from the cold Canadian winter for his birthday inweather took a turn for the worse. While planes
early December.For a while now we had plannedwere sliding off runways in Chicago and record
to visit Orlando, but neither one of us are intotemperatures were registered in the mid-western
theme parks. So there was the challenge for me:states, we were freezing in Florida where the
would we be able to visit Orlando without settingmercury hovered around 68 to 70 degrees
foot into Disney or Universal Studios? ForFahrenheit (around +20 degrees Celsius). So I
someone as curious as me this was a suitablebought a rain jacket, and determined not to let
challenge and I had been doing weeks of searchesthe freezing cold interfere with our plans, we
on the Internet and communicating with theheaded out to continue our explorations.On a day
Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau to findthat was forecast to be rainy, but just ended up
out about interesting destinations off the beatenbeing a bit grey and clammy, we went out to
path.Well, I am happy to say, we arrived backdiscover Loch Haven Park, Orlando's center of
safely yesterday from our trip, and the trip itselfscience, art and culture. We then continued our
was quite an adventure since we decided to driveexplorations further south to discover some of
from Toronto to Orlando, about 2100 km eachOrlando's historic neighbourhoods and parks such
way! Actually, the drive was not as painful as Ias Lake Cherokee and Lake Lucerne.As the
expected. The drive through Pennsylvania anddrizzly weather continued, we went on to visit
West Virginia was nice and hilly, and I particularlyFlorida's Natural Visitor Center in Lake Wales,
enjoyed coming over the ridge of theabout an hours drive south of Orlando, where I
Appalachians, right where Virginia and Northgot a really good understanding of Central Florida's
Carolina meet, where you get a beautiful view ofcitrus industry. I spent the afternoon in another
the piedmont area around Winston-Salem thatfamous attraction in Lake Wales which holds two
spreads out towards the Atlantic in front of theNational Historic Landmarks: the Historic Bok
mountain chain.And I am even happier to say thatSanctuary, where I got to see the beauty of the
in the 14 or so days that we spent in Orlando,Bok estate and its historic carillon tower,
not only did we get to play a lot of golf (to makecombined with a tour through the historic
my husband really happy...;) - including MysticPinewood Estate, which was decked out in full
Dunes, Champions Gate, Royal St. Cloud Links,Christmas decorations.During these 2 weeks in
Hawk's Landing and Timacuan Golf and CountryFlorida, we got exposed to a lot of its plants,
Club, not to mention the Walking Hall of Fameflowers and wildlife, much of which you run into
experience of the PGA Father Son Challenge atcasually even while playing golf or picknicking by
Champions Gate, but I also got to explore somethe waterfront. Florida has a surprising amount of
really interesting places, destinations I would notnatural diversity and I enjoyed watching the
have expected in Orlando and its surroundingvarious types of birds, lizards, and squirrels. The
region. I also had a chance to do an interview withonly thing we didn't get to see was a live alligator
GolfOrlando to get a much better idea of why(with the exception of the well-hidden rear end of
Orlando is called "The Ultimate Golf Themea small alligator during our swamp buggy tour -
Park".We started off our first week with a visit tounfortunately I couldn't even get a good picture
the Orange Country Regional History Center,of that one..).On our drive home, on a bright
which gave us a suitable historic background ofsunny day (of course...), we stopped off in St.
Orlando and Central Florida. Then, for someAugustine, a historic town founded by the
sociological and cultural insights, we visited theSpaniards in the 1500s, and the oldest continuously
Well's Built Museum for African American Historyinhabited town in the United States - a mighty
and Culture in Orlando. To top off our first day ofphotogenic place, I should add.So, you ask, is it
exploration we enjoyed a walk around picturesquepossible to spend 2 weeks in Orlando without
Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.The next item oneven setting foot inside a theme park and still
my off-the-beaten path agenda was a discoveryhave a good time? Well, based on the above
of the City of Winter Park, a beautiful suburb ofitinerary I'd say that my plans to explore Orlando
Orlando, reminiscent of Old European towns. I alsooff the beaten path came to full fruition.Mission
went on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, whichaccomplished.Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a
was an entertaining, informative and visuallywebsite called Travel and Transitions ( Travel and
appealing excursion.The adrenaline revved upTransitions deals with unconventional travel and is
significantly on our next outing: a very high-speedchock full of advice, tips, real life travel
airboat ride at Boggy Creek, that was followed upexperiences, interviews with travellers and travel
by a much lower speed swamp buggy ride in aexperts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural
custom-built monster truck that took us throughissues, contests and many other features. You will
authentic Florida landscape.After our golf outing atalso find stories about life and the transitions that
the Royal St. Cloud Golf Links we enjoyed awe face as we go through our own personal
wonderful picnic by the waterfront in sunnylife-long journeys.Submit your own travel stories in
downtown Kissimmee. Then, on a beautifulour first travel story contest ( and have a chance
Sunday morning we drove about an hour outsideto win an amazing adventure cruise on the
of Orlando to reach the quaint town of Mt. Dora,Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore New
where I hopped on the "Herbie Express", part ofHorizons".