Experience More

This entertainment complex comprises three parks, each providing distinct aquatic entertainment.

The most famous park in the complex is SeaWorld® Orlando. Among the main attractions are the Kraken® and Mako rollercoasters, and the Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin ride, where the audience can follow the fictional adventures of Puck the Penguin before exploring the icy world of a penguin colony. Turtle Point is home to rescued turtles, which are too injured to survive on their own in the wild, and other animals can be seen in walk-through exhibits or sit-down stadium shows. For an over-view of the park, take the six-minute ride up the 400-ft (122-m) Sky Tower.

SeaWorld® Orlando has a rehabilitation program of rescuing stranded marine animals and, whenever possible, releasing them back into the wild. However, less positive aspects of SeaWorld® Orlando have come to light since the release of the documentary film Blackfish.

Across the street, the Discovery Cove park offers some unforgettable experiences, such as an opportunity to spot beautiful marmosets, or take an underwater walking tour around the Grand Reef.

The third park in the complex is Aquatica, SeaWorld’s Waterpark®, which captures the essence of an aquatic paradise. Lagoons, wave pools, relaxing rivers, racing rides, and water slides are all set amidst shady cabanas and vibrant flora.

In the early 20th century, cows freely roamed the streets of this cattle boom town. Now, the only livestock you are likely to see are those that appear in the twice-yearly rodeo at Kissimmee’s Silver Spurs Arena.

Kissimmee means “Heaven’s Place” in the language of the Calusa, but despite the romantic name, many people only stop here to make use of the glut of cheap motels close to Walt Disney World® Resort, along the US 192. After a day in a theme park, however, you may prefer to visit Kissimmee’s Old Town. This re-created pedestrian street of early 20th-century buildings has eccentric shops offering psychic readings, tattoos, Irish linen, candles, and so forth. There is also an entertaining haunted house and a small fairground with antique equipment.

Warbird Adventures, by the Kissimmee municipal airport, offers visitors the opportunity to learn to fly in an original World War II Advanced T-6 Navy Trainer or a classic MASH helicopter.

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Silver Spurs Arena

⌂ Osceola Heritage Park # For shows ∑ silverspursrodeo.com

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Warbird Adventures

⌂ N Hoagland Blvd # 9am–5pm Mon–Sat ∑ warbirdadventures.com

Few visitors are unmoved by the Hall of Fame’s vast marble memorial, engraved with the names of more than 5,000 American police officers who have died in the line of duty. Yet some of the exhibits, while fascinating, are gory and sensationalist. The RoboCop mannequin and weapons disguised as lipstick and an umbrella are innocuous enough. Some visitors, however, may find inspecting the gas chamber harder to stomach.

This town took off in the 1880s when wealthy norther-ners started to build winter retreats here. The aroma of expensive perfume and coffee radiates along its main street, Park Avenue. The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art holds probably the world's finest collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Nearby Rollins College is home to Cornell Fine Arts Museum and a collection of fine Italian Renaissance paintings.

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Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

⌂ 445 Park Ave N # 9:30am–4pm Tue–Sat, 1–4pm Sun ∑ morsemuseum.org

Cornell Fine Arts Museum

⌂ 1000 Holt Ave # 10am–4pm Tue–Fri, noon–5pm Sat & Sun ∑ rollins.edu/cfam

EXPERIENCE Orlando and the Space Coast

Anchored by Universal Studios Florida™ and SeaWorld® at either end, International Drive, or “I-Drive,” is a tawdry 3-mile (5-km) ribbon of restaurants, hotels, shops, and theaters.

I-Drive’s biggest draw is the ICON Orlando 360™ complex, which offers excellent, family-oriented entertainment through several popular attractions. Tickets for the various sites can be bought individually, though packages often offer multiple entries and discounts.

ICON Orlando 360’s most popular attraction is the ICON Orlando™ Observation Wheel, a huge ferris wheel that offers a view of Central Florida in one of 30 air-conditioned, transparent capsules. Compass marks on the ceiling give directions, while a recorded commentary points out the landmarks. On a very clear day, it is possible to see all the way to the Kennedy Space Center.

Waxworks of celebrities from the worlds of music, movies, television, art, science, history, and sports line the halls of Madame Tussauds Orlando. Snap a selfie on a bench with One Direction, share the table with Audrey Hepburn in her Breakfast at Tiffany’s attire, or see Neil Armstrong wearing his moon-walk suit.

In the same building as Madame Tussauds Orlando, SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando offers a glimpse into the lives of more than 5,000 sea animals in 32 displays reflecting the different oceans of the world. In one room, sardines swim in a silvery vortex above visitors’ heads, and sharks and rays swim above and below visitors walking through a 360-degree ocean tunnel.

The SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology features skeletons of more than 500 animals in around 40 exhibitions to fascinate the whole family. For a more thrilling experience, however, the state-of-the-art 7-D Dark Ride Adventure is a shooting game with seven dimensions, including wind, sound, and movement.

Filled with fantastic objects, illusions, and movie footage of strange feats, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is another quality attraction at I-Drive. It is one of a worldwide chain of museums that was born out of the 1933 Chicago World Fair’s so-called Odditorium – the creation of a famous American broadcaster, cartoonist and anthropologist, Robert Ripley, who traveled the globe in search of the weird and wonderful.

Even more bizarre is WonderWorks, an upside-down structure that offers interactive family fun with a simulated earthquake and laser tag games. Titanic – The Experience, the world’s first permanent Titanic attraction, is also worth a visit, with movie memorabilia, and re-creations of the ship’s rooms and grand staircase.

Back on I-Drive is Pointe Orlando, an ultra-modern, outdoor shopping mall with upscale eateries, nightclubs, and shops, along with other attractions such as an IMAX® movie theater, B.B. King’s Blues Club, and an Improv Comedy Club.

Orlando’s excellent Official Visitor Information Center, which provides coupons for many of Orlando and the surrounding area’s most popular attractions, hotels, and restaurants, is well worth a visit, because you can save plenty of money.

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ICON Orlando™ Observation Wheel

⌂ 8401 I-Drive # 10am–2am daily ∑ iconorlando.com

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Madame Tussauds Orlando

⌂ 8387 I-Drive # 10am–10pm daily (to 11pm Fri & Sat) ∑ madametussauds.com/orlando

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SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando

⌂ 849 I-Drive # 10am–9pm daily ∑ visitsealife.com/orlando

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SKELETONS: Museum of Osteology

⌂ 8441 I-Drive # 10am–10pm daily ∑ skeletonmuseum.com

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7-D Dark Ride Adventure

⌂ 8401 I-Drive # 10am–10pm daily (to midnight Fri & Sat) ∑ 7dadventure.com

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Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

⌂ 8201 I-Drive # 9am–midnight daily ∑ ripleysorlando.com

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WonderWorks

⌂ 9067 I-Drive # 9am–midnight daily ∑ wonderworksonline.com

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Titanic – The Experience

⌂ 7324 I-Drive # 11am–10pm daily (last entry 9pm) ∑ premierexhibitions.com/exhibitions

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Pointe Orlando

⌂ 9101 I-Drive # Noon–10pm daily (to 8pm Sun) ∑ pointeorlando.com

Fantasy of Flight may have the edge over Florida’s many other aviation attractions because it provides the very sensations of flying. A series of vivid walk-through exhibits takes visitors into a World War II B-17 Flying Fortress during a bombing mission, and into World War I trenches in the middle of an air raid.

For an extra fee visitors can ride a World War II fighter aircraft simulator in a dogfight over the Pacific. In the cockpit, there will be a preflight briefing and advice from the control tower about takeoff, landing, as well as the presence of enemy aircraft.

A hangar full of the world’s greatest collection of mint antique airplanes contains the first widely used airliner in the US, the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, which appeared in the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and the Roadair 1, a combined plane and car that flew just once, in 1959.

Several tours are available, including a look behind the scenes at the huge storage bays, or a visit to the Restoration Shop where visitors will meet expert craftsmen who rebuild the engines. There is also the opportunity to watch a pilot fly one of the aircraft in a private air show – or take to the skies.

At the headwaters of the Florida Everglades, and approximately 20 miles (32 km) from downtown Orlando, Lake Tohopekaliga (or Toho, as the locals call it) is famous for its wide variety of exotic wildlife. Makinson Island, in the middle of the lake, is a 135-acre (55-ha) nature preserve and county park, where visitors can observe a range of flora and fauna in their natural surroundings. Alligators, bald eagles, ospreys, herons, and egrets can all be observed on a 2 mile (3 km) hiking trail around the preserve. Visitors must arrange their own transportation to reach the island. Approximately one third of the 30 sq-mile (77 sq-km) lake is made up of maidencane grass and bullrush reeds. Anglers come from all over the world to compete in events at Lake Toho, which is one of the best places in Florida for catching trophy bass.

Yeehaw Junction was once known only as a watering hole for lumbermen and cowboys driving herds of cattle from the center of the state to the markets and railroads at the coast. Located at the crossroads of Florida’s Turnpike and the scenic Highway 441, the Desert Inn is a good place to stop. The restaurant serves gator and turtle burgers, and there is a gift shop and a large outdoor area for festivals, as well as barbeques.

The 1880s building, which is listed on the National Registry of Historical Places, offers a fascinating look into the history of Cracker Country for busloads of tourists.

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Desert Inn

⌂ 5570 South Kenansville Rd # From 8:30am daily ∑ desertinnrestaurant.com

Edward W. Bok arrived in the US from Holland in 1870 at the age of six, and subsequently became an influential publisher. Shortly before his death in 1930, he presented 128 acres (52 ha) of beautiful woodland gardens to the American public “for the success they had given him.”

The sanctuary now encom-passes 250 acres (100 ha) at the highest spot in peninsular Florida – a dizzying 298 ft (91 m) above sea level – in the center is the Singing Tower, which shelters Bok’s grave at its base. The tower cannot be climbed, but try to attend its 45-minute live carillon concert, played daily at 3pm.

Orlando’s best maintained wilderness preserve is a peaceful place. A partnership between Disney and the Nature Conservancy, the 20 sq-mile (50 sq-km)preserve consists of tranquil lakes and swamps that are a haven for native plants and animals. The preserve is bordered by one of the last remaining undeveloped lakes in Florida.

More than 160 different species of wildlife live here, including Florida scrub-jays, Florida sandhill cranes, and Sherman’s fox squirrels.

Unlike the other Disney attractions, there are no thrills or rides here. Visitors can follow one of the three hiking trails that lead to the shores of Lake Russell. The shortest walk is the interpretive trail, a pleasant 0.8 miles (1.2 km), where there is the chance to learn first-hand about nature along the way. The longer trails are partially unshaded, so water and sunscreen should be brought along during the hotter months.

Visitors can also take an off-road buggy tour, which starts with a 20-minute introductory video about the preserve, before a embarking upon a trip through the swampland with a guide. Do bear in mind that, despite its name, this is not a theme park. The alligators and snakes are very real. Visitors should always remain alert and exercise caution when they explore these regions.

At this museum an enormous hangar houses military planes from World War II and later – all lovingly restored to flying condition. The pride of the collection is a working Douglas C-47 called Tico Belle: the aircraft saw service during World War II before becoming the official carrier for the Danish royal family.

Every March there is an air show, with mock dogfights. Several of the restored planes fly regularly, including a US Navy TBM Avenger, which underwent a 15-year rehabilitation. This plane honors the five bombers of the infamous Flight 19, which disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle in 1945. Visitors interested in aircraft restoration may explore the Larkin/Lindsay Restoration Hangar (accompanied by a staff member) and observe the detailed work on various ongoing warbird projects, carried out by its dedicated volunteers. Another section of the museum displays a large collection of military aviation memorabilia, including uniforms, insignia, equipment, weapons, models, and artifacts.

These adjacent preserves share a wide range of habitats including saltwater estuaries, marshes, pine flatwoods, and hardwood hammocks. The variety is due to the meeting of temperate and subtropical climates here. You can often see alligators, as well as endangered species such as manatees, but it is the birdlife that makes the greatest visual impact.

The Canaveral National Seashore incorporates Florida’s largest undeveloped barrier island beach – a magnificent 24-mile (39-km) strip of sand backed by dunes strewn with sea oats and sea grapes. Apollo Beach, at the northern end, is accessible along Route A1A, while Playalinda Beach is reached from the south, along Route 402; no road connects the two. Be aware that swimming conditions can be hazardous, and there are no lifeguards.

Behind Apollo Beach, Turtle Mound is a 40-ft-(12-m-) high rubbish dump of oyster shells created by the Timucua between AD 800 and 1400. Climb the boardwalk to the top for a view over Mosquito Lagoon, flecked with myriad mangrove islets.

Route 402 to Playalinda Beach offers great views of the Kennedy Space Center’s shuttle launch pads rising out of the watery vastness. This route also crosses Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, most of which lies within the Kennedy Space Center and is out of bounds.

To experience the local wildlife first hand, follow the 6-mile (10-km) Black Point Wildlife Drive. East along Route 402 toward Playalinda, the Merritt Island Visitor Information Center has excellent displays on the habitats within the refuge. A mile (1.5 km) farther east, the Oak Hammock and Palm Hammock trails have boardwalks for birdwatching.

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Canaveral National Seashore

⌂ Route A1A, 20 miles (32 km) N of Titusville # Summer: 6am–8pm daily; winter: 6am–6pm daily ∑ nps.gov

Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

⌂ Route 406, 4 miles (7 km) E of Titusville # Sunrise–sunset daily ∑ merrittisland.fws.gov

This no-frills resort calls itself the surfing capital of the east coast. With the pier hosting “win your weight in beer” competitions, the area is better suited to laid-back college kids than it is to families. Motels and chain restaurants characterize

the main thoroughfare, but are all eclipsed by the Ron Jon Surf Shop, a neon palace selling surfboards galore. In front of its flashing towers, beach bum sports figures are frozen in modern sculpture.

Ron Jon Surf Shop

⌂ 4151 N Atlantic Ave § (321) 799-8888 # 24 hours daily

Cocoa is the most appealing community among the sprawl of conurbations along the Space Coast mainland. Its historic district, near where Route 520 crosses the Indian River to Cocoa Beach, is an attractive enclave known as Cocoa Village – with buildings dating from the 1880s and replica gas street lamps.

On the eastern edge of the village is the Classical Revival Porcher House, built of coquina stone in 1916. Note the heart, diamond, and club carvings on its portico wall: Mrs. Porcher was an extremely avid bridge player.

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Porcher House

⌂ 434 Delannoy Ave § (321) 633-0806 # 8am–5pm Mon–Fri