Orlando - Off The Beaten Path: Discovering Central Florida Without Visiting Any Theme Parks... Can It Be Done?
One of my husband's favourite places is Florida, since he is an avid golfer and likes to get away from the cold Canadian winter for his birthday in early December.
For a while now we had planned to visit Orlando, but neither one of us are into theme parks. So there was the challenge for me: would we be able to visit Orlando without setting foot into disney or Universal Studios? For someone as curious as me this was a suitable challenge and I had been doing weeks of searches on the Internet and communicating with the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau to find out about interesting destinations off the beaten path.
Well, I am happy to say, we arrived back safely yesterday from our trip, and the trip itself was quite an adventure since we decided to drive from Toronto to Orlando, about 2100 km each way! Actually, the drive was not as painful as I expected. The drive through Pennsylvania and West Virginia was nice and hilly, and I particularly enjoyed coming over the ridge of the Appalachians, right where Virginia and North Carolina meet, where you get a beautiful view of the piedmont area around Winston-Salem that spreads out towards the Atlantic in front of the mountain chain.
And I am even happier to say that in the 14 or so days that we spent in Orlando, not only did we get to play a lot of golf (to make my husband really happy...;) - including Mystic Dunes, Champions Gate, royal St. Cloud links, Hawk's Landing and Timacuan Golf and Country Club, not to mention the Walking Hall of Fame experience of the PGA Father Son Challenge at Champions Gate, but I also got to explore some really interesting places, destinations I would not have expected in Orlando and its surrounding region. I also had a chance to do an interview with GolfOrlando to get a much better idea of why Orlando is called "The Ultimate Golf Theme Park".
We started off our first week with a visit to the Orange Country Regional history Center, which gave us a suitable historic background of Orlando and Central Florida. Then, for some sociological and cultural insights, we visited the Well's Built Museum for African American history and Culture in Orlando. To top off our first day of exploration we enjoyed a walk around picturesque lake Eola in downtown Orlando.
The next item on my off-the-beaten path agenda was a discovery of the City of Winter Park, a beautiful suburb of Orlando, reminiscent of Old European towns. I also went on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, which was an entertaining, informative and visually appealing excursion.
The adrenaline revved up significantly on our next outing: a very high-speed airboat ride at Boggy Creek, that was followed up by a much lower speed swamp buggy ride in a custom-built monster truck that took us through authentic Florida landscape.
After our golf outing at the royal St. Cloud Golf links we enjoyed a wonderful picnic by the waterfront in sunny downtown kissimmee. Then, on a beautiful Sunday morning we drove about an hour outside of Orlando to reach the quaint town of Mt. Dora, where I hopped on the "Herbie Express", part of the Mt. Dora - lake Eustis Scenic Railway.
>From midweek in the second week onwards the weather took a turn for the worse. While planes were sliding off runways in Chicago and record temperatures were registered in the mid-western states, we were freezing in Florida where the mercury hovered around 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (around +20 degrees Celsius). So I bought a rain jacket, and determined not to let the freezing cold interfere with our plans, we headed out to continue our explorations.
On a day that was forecast to be rainy, but just ended up being a bit grey and clammy, we went out to discover Loch Haven Park, Orlando's center of science, art and culture. We then continued our explorations further south to discover some of Orlando's historic neighbourhoods and parks such as lake Cherokee and lake Lucerne.
As the drizzly weather continued, we went on to visit Florida's Natural Visitor Center in lake Wales, about an hours drive south of Orlando, where I got a really good understanding of Central Florida's citrus industry. I spent the afternoon in another famous attraction in lake Wales which holds two National Historic Landmarks: the Historic Bok Sanctuary, where I got to see the beauty of the Bok estate and its historic carillon tower, combined with a tour through the historic Pinewood Estate, which was decked out in full christmas decorations.
During these 2 weeks in Florida, we got exposed to a lot of its plants, flowers and wildlife, much of which you run into casually even while playing golf or picknicking by the waterfront. Florida has a surprising amount of natural diversity and I enjoyed watching the various types of birds, lizards, and squirrels. The only thing we didn't get to see was a live alligator (with the exception of the well-hidden rear end of a small alligator during our swamp buggy tour - unfortunately I couldn't even get a good picture of that one..). Apparently winter time is too cold for these creatures to come out of the water...
On our drive home, on a bright sunny day (of course...), we stopped off in St. Augustine, a historic town founded by the Spaniards in the 1500s, and the oldest continuously inhabited town in the United States - a mighty photogenic place, I should add.
So, you ask, is it possible to spend 2 weeks in Orlando without even setting foot inside a theme park and still have a good time? Well, based on the above itinerary I'd say that my plans to explore Orlando off the beaten path came to full fruition.
mission accomplished.
This entire article including photos is located at http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_off_the_beaten_path.htm
Susanne Pacher is the publisher of http://www.travelandtransitions.com, a web portal for unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. Check out our brand new http://www.travelandtransitions.com/ebooks.html FREE ebooks about travel.
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Places to Stay in Florida in Your RV
florida is a hot destination on the RV circuit give the amazing year around climate. RV facilities can be hit and miss, so here are some you can count on.
Aside from California and New York, there really isn't a more visited state than florida. Miles of beaches on this southernmost state, along with attractions such as amusement parks, aquariums and more offer families a wide range of activities. There is so much to see and do in florida that you could spend an entire season exploring the many sites throughout the state which is why traveling to florida in a recreational vehicle, or RV, is such a great idea. You can take your time and stop at the many RV facilities to spend the night along the way.
The most visited area in florida is arguably Orlando and the surrounding areas such as kissimmee. This is because Orlando is where the walt Disney World theme parks and resorts are located, and when people think of a place to go in florida, they usually think of disney. There are many other regions to explore in the state, but if you have small children, you will probably be drawn here to the center of florida (away from the beaches and the beauty of the Everglades and other natural areas). Of course, this area also has a high concentration of RV parks, to fill the needs of families.
If you'd like to stay within the disney resort, there is one place you should check into. It's known as the fort Wilderness Resort, and it is located on the disney resort property. If you choose to stay here, you can expect to find all of the amenities and beauty that disney has to offer. The sites here are located within 740 acres of woodland forest, and by parking your RV in one of the disney hookups, you also gain the ability to take part in the many activities and other amenities that are found at disney resort hotels such as character breakfasts, early admission to the theme parks, and shuttle buses.
Staying within the Orlando area, but not at the Disney resort is also an option. The tropical palms Fun resort, located just bordering on the walt Disney World Resort, offers families a less expensive option than staying within the resort, but offers many of the amenities as well as the closeness of the disney resort. The hookups here range from something they call the Super Site with electric, water, sewer, cable, paved area and patio, and picnic table down to the simple water and electric sites. The other amenities in the facilities include pools, cafes, wireless Internet service, a business center and a general store.
Picking Florida for your next family vacation is definitely going to make your entire family happy. From adults to kids, everyone loves the thrill of a warm florida vacation, with or without a stop at the Disney theme parks.
Adrien White is with RV Rentals for You - information on RV parks, rentals, dealers, campgrounds and more.
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Championship Betting Review - 5 February 2006
Reading saw off rock-bottom Crewe to set a 31-match unbeaten record for the second tier of english football. Reading have not lost a league match since their opening day defeat against Plymouth and even at 2/5 will have had plenty of support from punters. Crewe managed to take the lead after 14 minutes but found themselves 3-1 behind at the break, with Reading edging the match 4-3 at full time.
Leeds United maintained their position in third place with a 2-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers. Leeds, who had won their last three fixtures at Elland road, could be backed at 4/6 and goals from Richard Cresswell and Paul Butler sealed all three points.
Aki Riihilahti marked his first start for Crystal Palace since September with the winning goal against Cardiff City. Palace, at 4/5 took the lead after 70 minutes and an equaliser for Cameron Jerome was disallowed for an earlier foul.
Preston were the only play-off team to slip up, being held to a goalless draw at Stoke. north End, now unbeaten in 22 matches, will have disappointed backers at 7/5 after Paul McKenna missed a penalty with three minutes remaining.
Luton let an early lead against visitors Hull slip, with the Tigers winning at large 10/3 odds. Keith Keane gave mike Newells side the lead after eight minutes but Hull fought back with goals from Stuart Elliott, Daryl Duffy and Jon Parkin to lead 3-1 at half time. Chris Coyne headed in a second for Luton with four minutes left to set up a tense finale.
Managerless Leicester edged out of the bottom three with an unlikely 9/5 win over play-off chasers Wolves. Matty Fryatts goal in the 70 minute earned the Foxes their first back-to-back victory of the season and their first home win in six attempts.
Sheffield Wednesday boosted their battle against the drop with a win at Millwall. Frank Simeks goal secured a win for the Owls at 2/1 and sees them four points clear of relegation.
On sunday, the Old Farm derby between Norwich and Ipswich produced an away win at tasty 11/4 odds. On loan Jonatan Johansson opened the scoring on his Canaries debut after 33 minutes but Jimmy Juan equalised five minutes later. The match ended in controversy as Danny Haynes appeared to use his hand to bundle in the ball although the goal was officially given as a Gary Doherty own goal.
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Golf Tips To Improve Golf Swing - Tight Is Right
Let's start out by challenging a dearly held belief that prevents far too many golfers from developing a good golf swing. Far too many golfers grip the club loosely, believing that their golf swing will be stiff and robotic if their wrists are too tight. This is not the case. If you want to improve your golf swing, get rid of this faulty idea and realize that you will do much better if you develop a tight grip.
Although many golfers have developed a bad golf swing through holding the clubs too loosely, no-one, except perhaps a few anxious newcomers, harms their swing by holding the clubs too tightly.
Many golfers tend to take a loose grip. This loose grip results in many errors that could be avoided easily. These errors are caused by hands opening at the top, the left wrist collapsing (or the right wrist, if you are a left-handed golfer), over swinging and various others.
You want a tight grip! Grab hold of that golf club and hold it tightly in your hands. Tight is right is your new mantra.
When you swing, your hands should be tight on the club. However, avoid holding yourself so stiffly that your upper back and shoulder muscles are cramped up.
Although the tight grip may feel awkward if you are accustomed to gripping loosely, it braces against multiple faults such as those mentioned earlier. This in turn helps you carry out the swinging motion most effectively.
This is the correct way to grip your club for an improved golf swing. Hold the club tightly enough that almost all fingers grasp the club. If you are a right handed golfer, the last three fingers of the left hand and the first three of the right hand are on the club. Left handed golfers will want to reverse this.
Resist the urge to place the forefinger of the right hand lightly on the club. By this, we refer to the finger that you hook round the shaft just below the thumb on your right hand. Be sure you hook this forefinger around the club firmly. This fingers tip should connect with the thumbs tip. Otherwise, at the top of the swing, the club will drop into the Vee that occurs between the thumb and forefinger. When this happens, you lose control at the top, and have to regain this control as the club swings downward.
In short, you want a tight, two-knuckle overlap for your golf swing.
Now, this is the correct way to how to stand up to the ball so you get a good golf swing. Its not difficult, but there are a couple of things to remember.
First, you want to stand in a position that allows you to swing the club back freely before easily arcing the ball downwards towards your feet. Divide your weight evenly between your left foot and your right foot. Slightly flex the knees. You are better off flexing too much than too little when you position yourself for your golf swing.
Bend slightly from the waist. Round or hunch your shoulders. Be sure your head is down. If you are a right handed golfer, you place your right hand further down on the shaft than the left hand. This in tern means that your right shoulder is lower than the left. Reverse this if you are a left handed golfer getting positioned for a golf swing.
Now go for it! Follow these golf tips and youll have an improved golf swing.
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