If you’ve been researching your travel options, you could easily be excused for wondering whether there is really much exciting and eye-opening to do there other than visit its world-famous theme parks. Indeed, they do seem to take up much of information about Florida posted online, and you may just have seen articles such as this one discussing the Disney lawsuit and LGBTQ+ issues.
However, rest assured that even if rides aren’t really your thing that there is still plenty else you and other people holidaying with you can enjoy in the Sunshine State and for the best vacation homes orlando look no further.
Water way to enjoy Orlando…
The central Florida city of Orlando is an obvious place to fly to when starting your Florida getaway, especially if you have kids excited about visiting the city’s eight hugely popular theme parks.
However, before checking out the likes of Walt Disney World Resort and Legoland Florida Resort, you could sample waterskiing, wakeboarding, wakesurfing and similar activities at the Orlando Watersports Complex, as it is near Orlando International Airport, the Visit Orlando site notes.
Swing between trees like Tarzan
“Watch out for that tree!” Oops, that’s a reference to George of the Jungle, not Tarzan. Easy mistake to make. Anyway, you should indeed watch out for trees at Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park, where you can show off on the likes of swings, nets and ropes. Along the way, a safety cable securely clipped to your body will keep you safe, and you will be given a safety demonstration as well.
Check out the Titanic museum near downtown Orlando
The RMS Titanic’s sinking in 1912 has gone down in modern history as one of its best-known maritime disasters. Whether you love the James Cameron film that told the story of the sinking or you’re just fascinated by the history, there’s an engrossing Titanic museum, including artefacts from both the ship itself and its era, only roughly 35 minutes away from downtown Orlando.
In space, everyone can hear you enjoy the Kennedy Space Centre
Not too much further away from downtown Orlando is a feast of an attraction for space fans: the Kennedy Space Centre. Maintained by NASA, it lets you not only learn about the history of space travel but also see rockets and even meet astronauts.
Set aside a lot of time for visiting this place, though; TheTravel says that, such is the wealth of things to enjoy here, you could easily spend half a day there.
Have a giraffe in Dade City
If you were originally trying to decide whether to book your holiday for Florida or Africa and the former only just made the cut, rest assured that you can still enjoy a very African experience at Giraffe Ranch in Dade City. Yes, there are plenty of giraffes on this 47-acre ranch, but the safari vehicle tours here also enable you to see other species, including zebras and ostriches, up close.
See an alligator later or a crocodile in a while
Online, it’s not hard to find stories of Florida residents coming across alligators who have snuck out of their natural habitat. However, you can see alligators – and, yes, crocodiles – exactly there when you head to Gatorland, where thousands of the creatures live across a site spanning over a hundred acres in Orlando.
Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament
Amusing though it may have been when the lead character of Disney’s 1963 film The Sword in the Stone was given a blatantly American accent despite the English setting, it turns out that the United States does have some medieval heritage – in the form of this dining experience in Orlando. Enjoy a story of athletic and courageous knights while tucking into your food in an actual castle.
Make a life you DO need to escape from
That would be the objective when you take up one of Florida’s many escape room opportunities. Escape rooms in Orlando alone include The Escape Room Orlando and The Great Escape Room – but, either way, you and your team will have taxing challenges to overcome within a strict time limit!
SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium
Here, you can enjoy the immersive experience of walking down Orlando’s only 360-degree underwater tunnel, with sharks and rays swimming breathtakingly close. This SEA LIFE centre can make an especially good family attraction, not least due to its special play area for younger visitors.
Key West
The Florida fun continues even off the Sunshine State’s mainland – one good case in point being Key West, where you could find the most cosmopolitan party atmosphere you have enjoyed anywhere. Key West’s inspiring motto, as reported by Lonely Planet, is “One Human Family”, with people of all colours, religions and sexualities accepted and mutually respected.
Therefore, Key West can seem like an especially soothing place to wrap up your Florida stay. However, since Key West as a vacation destination is becoming increasingly popular, with a range of people – families, couples, friends, colleagues – choosing to spend their holiday in this island city, it could become difficult and expensive to fly there. Not only that, with the increase in influx, airports could get more crowded and bothersome, hindering your plans of having a blissful time. As an alternative to flying commercial, you could choose to book a private flight through Jettly Air Charter Service or similar services. This could be especially beneficial if you are planning to travel in a group or with family, where avoiding the hassles of the airport could mean so much extra time to have a fun-filled vacation. Getting on a commercial flight with a bunch of people can be difficult, considering all the security checks and long waiting lines. When you think island vacation, maybe also think private charter flight! If you’re yet to book your getaway, Ocean Florida offer a range of deals in and around Florida.