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On the Road Again: Orlando: Beyond the Theme Parks
Orlando, Florida
- By
Lloyd Carroll |
 | | Manatee |
If your attitude towards Orlando is "been there, done that" because you visited all of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios then you are making a very big mistake because the city of Orlando and its neighboring areas offer many things besides monolithic theme parks for vacationers to enjoy. The best part is that most of these other attractions cost a fraction of what a day at Disney or Universal will.
It is easy to get close up to a wide array of animals here. Alligators are synonymous with Florida and therefore it is only fitting that the area's oldest tourist attraction is Gatorland which has been entertaining and educating vacationers about these endangered reptiles since 1949. Yes, there are the alligator wrestling and jumping shows, but there are also large exhibits of snakes native to Central Florida, as well as other reptiles such the Florida crocodile.
An endangered aquatic mammal native to the Sunshine State, the manatee, can be found in vast numbers at Blue Springs State Park in the nearby suburb of Altamonte Springs. Just north of Blue Springs in Sanford is the Central Florida Zoo. Sanford is a town which became famous in the 1970s for being the terminal of Amtrak's Auto Train. This small but rather charming zoological park is home to the hard-to-find chatty apes known as the siamangs, injured bald eagles, and several small wild cats such as the caracal and the serval. It is not unusual to see the keepers take these cats on a leash and walk them around the grounds. There is no chance that would happen at the Bronx Zoo!
Winter Park is a posh suburb of Orlando and its main thoroughfare, Park Avenue, reminds one of Palm Beach's ritzy Worth Avenue but thankfully with less ostentation. Winter Park is home to Rollins College which is one of the highest regarded liberal arts colleges in the south.
The city's jewel is the Morse Museum of Art. The Morse contains the largest collection of Tiffany lamps, stained glass windows and sculptures in the world. Queens residents will take pride in the fact that the museum prominently states that the majority of these pieces were created in Louis Tiffany's old Corona factory. Winter Park borders three lakes, Maitland, Osceola and Virginia, and not surprisingly, the wealthiest homes along their shores. You can view these mansions on an hour-long cruise conducted by Scenic Boat Tours.
The Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral is an hour east of Orlando in the city of Titusville. Being a baby boomer I was thrilled to come in contact with the Mercury and Gemini rocket ships whose launches I remember watching on television in my elementary school classes. It was also a kick to set foot on the same catwalk which the Apollo 11 astronauts used when they were going from the launch pad to the capsule which would take them to the moon in July 1969. You are even allowed to touch a piece of moon rock.
On a more somber note, one must pay their respects to the NASA personnel who lost their lives either in missions or preparing for them at the Kennedy Space Center's Memorial Park.
While in Titusville, make it a point to visit the breathtaking Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge where you will see hundreds of birds native to the area as well as armadillos and, yes, alligators. Before leaving Titusville be sure to stop off for seafood at one of Central Florida's most popular restaurants, the Dixie Crossroads. More rock shrimp is served here than anywhere else in the world.
Just north of Titusville is the coastal town of New Smyrna Beach which claims to be the second oldest city in North America behind St. Augustine. Like neighboring Daytona Beach, you are allowed to drive your car right on the sand. I heartily recommend the two-hour Marine Discovery Center cruise which takes you through the majestic mangroves of the Intracoastal. You will also get acquainted with numerous dolphins.
There is no shortage of things to do at night in Orlando and most of them can be found on the city's famous tourist drag, International Drive. The Hard Rock Vault (not to be confused with its corporate cousin, the Hard Rock Café) contains the best collection of rock & roll artifacts and exhibits I have ever seen, and yes, I've been to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. Skull Kingdom is a good old-fashioned haunted house whose actors and special effects will frighten you yet simultaneously make you laugh.
Orlando is also renown for its dinner theater. The Dolly Parton Dixie Stampede is a corny Wild West show but the food is surprisingly good. Sea World's Makahiki Luau is as good a Polynesian entertainment spectacle as you will find on the American mainland (I have to admit that I'm a sucker for Don Ho's "Tiny Bubbles") but the tasteless mahi-mahi and roasted chicken served family style was a disappointment.
There is no shortage of lodging facilities in Orlando so hotel rates are quite competitive even during peak periods. The Orlando Renaissance Resort located across the street from Sea World offers luxurious amenities at very reasonable rates. Its Sunday brunch buffet is legendary among the locals so reservations are highly recommended. Another valuable feature is that the Renaissance will ship items back to your home or a nominal charge so you can shop till you drop at the city's two largest outlet malls, the Belz Factory Stores and the Orlando Premium Outlets.
Just as competitive as the hotel rates are the airfares thanks to the competition between Song, Spirit, USAir, and Queens' own, the highly regarded JetBlue.
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