Today’s Orlando conjures images of fabled societies and a well known 2-dimensional mouse; however, the low-lying city near Florida’s Atlantic Coast has done much more to diversify its image since its backwater orange growing days. ‘Worlds’ and ‘Lands’ of the extreme and ultimate fictional reality are interlaced with Florida’s booming tech-science industry and a handful of significant cultural points of interest. Most attractions are not located in Orlando’s central metropolitan area and it is therefore advisable and in most cases necessary to rent a car during your stay.
Orlando has humble beginnings as an American military base staking out the Floridian peninsula against Native Americans. The Seminole Indians fought in 3 wars against the settling United States Government until they were effectively defeated in the 1850s. Orlando’s military significance stretches into modern day with its proximity to both Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Kennedy Space Center.
With Just One Thought…
Walt Disney completed Walt Disney World in 1971, ushering in a new era that would make Orlando the 4th most popular destination for foreign travelers to the United States and earn Orlando the ranking as the city with the second highest number of hotel rooms in the country! Walt Disney World is complete with four theme parks, two water parks, eight golf courses, hotels, shops and restaurants, making it the largest privately owned tourist destination in the world. After 1971, a multitude of other and, some say, better theme parks sprouted in Orlando. SeaWorld and Gatorland are popular hotspots, as well as the not-so-typical World of Orchids, where thousands of the blooming beauties are enclosed inside an enchanting tropical rainforest. Discovery Cove is a more hands-on approach to SeaWorld, where visitors can snorkel among typical reef creatures including stingrays and dolphins or hang with the exotic birds in the aviary.
On your journey back from Fantasy Land to reality, be sure to check out the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in adjacent Daytona. Tour the launch areas, view the impressive observatory and witness real space flight simulators. Wekiwa Springs State Park offers a refreshing break from the constant sensory overload. Take an afternoon to rent a canoe or go for a revitalizing swim. Additionally, Orlando has the second highest number of lakes for a metropolitan region in the U.S., making it extremely easy to get a breath of fresh air or to enjoy a more serene and tangible substitute for water parks. For a little dining and nightlife, enjoy the buzz of Church Street Station. Lastly, earn your final dose of non-fiction at the Orlando Science Center before plunging back into fanciful frolicking. The Center is a spectacularly innovative audiovisual extravaganza focused on current and historic scientific milestones and is far more relevant and interesting than the EPCOT Center.
An Escape to Yourself
Orlando is the place to leave your worries and cares at the door. Visit this magical wonderland of creativity while enjoying your family, your children, your parents or simply the person who wants to be awakened inside yourself. Travel to Orlando and experience all it has to offer.
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