No Theme Parks Please

[yukongirl123]

What would be the best attraction to see for a day away from the theme parks? I was thinking of something with a more natural theme might be nice...

 

[Detailor]

Florida has many beautiful state parks. Go to http://www.floridastateparks.org/FindaPark.cfm?Dist=Central to check out the parks in the central Florida region. Many of them are within an hour of Orlando. Where to go may depend on when you're there. For instance, we like Blue Springs State Park in Orange City when we're in the area in the winter as manatees make their way from the St. Johns River up toward the warmer at the springs.

Another thought is to go up to Winter Park, just north of Orlando, a take a boat ride through the local lakes that are connected by canals. This is a very old-fashioned activity but you get to see some of what the locals call the old Florida and the boat skippers/narrators are full of interesting information. http://www.scenicboattours.com/home.htm

Even a visit to the relatively new community of Celebration, Florida, could be interesting. There are wide walking paths and lot's of Florida wildlife - we've seen gators at the edge of some of the little ponds. Celebration is close by Disney and can be accessed from I-4 or SR 192 in Kissimmee.

Dick Taylor

 

[rangerxenos]

We loved Bok Santuary, about an hour's drive from the Disney area.

 

[spiceycat]

you can go pick fruit.

 

[thunderbird1]

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, we loved our trip up to De Leon Springs State Park. http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/default.cfm

It's about an hour and a half from WDW, has miles of nature trails, paddle boat rentals, a spring fed natural swimming hole, and a really fun restaurant. There's a griddle in the center of the table, and you get a small pitcher of pancake batter plus whatever add-ins you'd like (bananas, blueberries, chocolate chips, etc.) and you make your own pancakes right there at the table. Our kids had a blast, and it was ridiculously inexpensive (at least a couple of years ago). Just be warned that the restaurant was not air-conditioned (fortunately, we were there in December), and there can be long waits for tables (unfortunately, we were there during the holidays--we waited about an hour).

Daytona Beach is also only about an hour from WDW (we stopped on the way home from De Leon Springs). You can drive your car right out onto the beach and park, then play in the sand and surf.

 

[Daffiny]

Last time we were in Orlando we packed a picnic lunch and headed to Mt. Dora. Along the way we stopped at the Lakeridge winery in Clermont and took a tour. Then we drove to Mt. Dora. After cruising the quaint downtown area, we found a county park along the lake, ate our lunch and walked on a trail along the lake. I've never seen so many birds in my life!

 

[yukongirl123]

These are all good suggestions. We will have a rental car for a couple of days, so one of the state parks would be ideal. Thanks for the input!

 

[dolphingirl47]

We love Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville (about an hour drive from Orlando). On the way there we tend to stop at a pull out near the bridge at Titusville where we have seen dolphins and brown pelicans. A bit further from the Wldlife Refuge on Indian River there are observation platforms for manatees.
DH really loved the Disney Wildlife Preserve at Poinciana (sp?).
The boat rides at Winter Garden are also good fun, but you should ring ahead to find out what they are offering and at what time.

dolphingirl47