From botanical gardens to horseback safaris, Days Out Around Orlando is packed with hidden gems for both visitors and residents to enjoy. Packed with information, directions, tips and photographs, this guide has something for all ages. Get the lowdown on state parks and natural springs and enjoy Florida’s wildlife including alligators, manatees and rare birds. See sponge divers, take an airboat safari, visit historic mansions, tour a winery, cycle down a disused railway line or hire a swan-shaped boat on Lake Eola – the choice is yours. This guide book is entertainingly written and brimming with ideas for great days out around Orlando. Best of all, it is full of information from someone who has actually done the trips and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. 5.0 out of 5 stars perfect guide to the non Disney vacation February 3, 2013By I. SkrybailoFormat:Paperback
Amazon Verified PurchaseSome of the sites were about an hour away from Orlando but it was worth the trip! great writeups, interesting choices. It's not a huge book but just right for a two week vacation I love day trips and was very surprised to find that there were no books specifically gathering together information on pleasant places to visit in and around Orlando. With that in mind, I set about documenting places I discovered or were recommended to me. Here are my favorites, complete with photographs and detailed directions including GPS co-ordinates, what to do, when to go, what to see and where to eat. Enjoy visiting historic homes, botanical gardens, a local winery, natural springs, old neighborhoods, cycle trails and state parks on this feast of days out around Orlando. There's far more to Central Florida than shopping and theme parks and I hope you find as much enjoyment as I did in visiting them all! Orlando has so much to offer beyond world class theme parks and fabulous shopping malls. Let me introduce you to the real Orlando, a city with its own historic downtown, state parks, natural springs, historic mansions, sub-tropical gardens and delightful small towns. Beyond Orlando's city limits is the Florida outback, where a host of birds and wildlife make their home on the many lakes, rivers and swamps. I have had a home in Central Florida for many years and have yet to visit Walt Disney World. My idea of a good day out is a fun activity, walking, cycling, horseback riding or exploring the area around Orlando by car, boat or airboat. Throw in some sunshine and beautiful scenery, a drive beneath shady live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and a nice spot for lunch or refreshments and I am more than happy. Days Out Around Orlando is all about sharing these hidden gems with both residents and visitors. Orlando residents will find plenty of suggestions for days out that are right on their doorstep. The following attractions are intended to be affordable and fun for singles, couples and families of all ages. Visitors to Florida will find that there is far more to Orlando than pricey theme parks and man-made entertainment. Keep a couple of days free during your visit to discover the real Florida - you won't be disappointed. See alligators, turtles, manatees and amazing birdlife including ospreys, bald-headed eagles, wood storks and flocks of roseate spoonbills in their natural habitat. These are the adventures that memories are made of, so be sure to take your camera with you. The activities suggested in this book are as varied as touring a winery, cycling along a rail-trail beside beautiful Lake Apopka, seeing sponge divers in a delightful Greek fishing village community or watching manatees and fish swimming in clear spring waters. Whatever your hobbies and interests, Days Out Around Orlando is sure to be an informative resource and an inspiration, offering new places for you to discover and enjoy at any time of year. Happy Trails! From botanical gardens to horseback safaris, Days Out Around Orlando is packed with hidden gems for both visitors and residents to enjoy. Packed with information, directions, tips and photographs, this guide has something for all ages. Get the lowdown on state parks and natural springs and enjoy Florida's wildlife including alligators, manatees and rare birds. See sponge divers, take an airboat safari, visit historic mansions, tour a winery, cycle down a disused railway line or hire a swan-shaped boat on Lake Eola - the choice is yours. This guide book is entertainingly written and brimming with ideas for great days out around Orlando. Best of all, it is full of information from someone who has actually done the trips and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Gillian Birch has traveled the world as the wife of a Master Mariner, living in exotic locations including Europe, the Far East, U.S.A. and the Republic of Panama. She continues to travel whenever possible, using her journals as a source of eye-witness detail to write entertaining travel articles for international publications. She has had
Amazon Verified PurchaseSome of the sites were about an hour away from Orlando but it was worth the trip! great writeups, interesting choices. It's not a huge book but just right for a two week vacation I love day trips and was very surprised to find that there were no books specifically gathering together information on pleasant places to visit in and around Orlando. With that in mind, I set about documenting places I discovered or were recommended to me. Here are my favorites, complete with photographs and detailed directions including GPS co-ordinates, what to do, when to go, what to see and where to eat. Enjoy visiting historic homes, botanical gardens, a local winery, natural springs, old neighborhoods, cycle trails and state parks on this feast of days out around Orlando. There's far more to Central Florida than shopping and theme parks and I hope you find as much enjoyment as I did in visiting them all! Orlando has so much to offer beyond world class theme parks and fabulous shopping malls. Let me introduce you to the real Orlando, a city with its own historic downtown, state parks, natural springs, historic mansions, sub-tropical gardens and delightful small towns. Beyond Orlando's city limits is the Florida outback, where a host of birds and wildlife make their home on the many lakes, rivers and swamps. I have had a home in Central Florida for many years and have yet to visit Walt Disney World. My idea of a good day out is a fun activity, walking, cycling, horseback riding or exploring the area around Orlando by car, boat or airboat. Throw in some sunshine and beautiful scenery, a drive beneath shady live oaks dripping with Spanish moss and a nice spot for lunch or refreshments and I am more than happy. Days Out Around Orlando is all about sharing these hidden gems with both residents and visitors. Orlando residents will find plenty of suggestions for days out that are right on their doorstep. The following attractions are intended to be affordable and fun for singles, couples and families of all ages. Visitors to Florida will find that there is far more to Orlando than pricey theme parks and man-made entertainment. Keep a couple of days free during your visit to discover the real Florida - you won't be disappointed. See alligators, turtles, manatees and amazing birdlife including ospreys, bald-headed eagles, wood storks and flocks of roseate spoonbills in their natural habitat. These are the adventures that memories are made of, so be sure to take your camera with you. The activities suggested in this book are as varied as touring a winery, cycling along a rail-trail beside beautiful Lake Apopka, seeing sponge divers in a delightful Greek fishing village community or watching manatees and fish swimming in clear spring waters. Whatever your hobbies and interests, Days Out Around Orlando is sure to be an informative resource and an inspiration, offering new places for you to discover and enjoy at any time of year. Happy Trails! From botanical gardens to horseback safaris, Days Out Around Orlando is packed with hidden gems for both visitors and residents to enjoy. Packed with information, directions, tips and photographs, this guide has something for all ages. Get the lowdown on state parks and natural springs and enjoy Florida's wildlife including alligators, manatees and rare birds. See sponge divers, take an airboat safari, visit historic mansions, tour a winery, cycle down a disused railway line or hire a swan-shaped boat on Lake Eola - the choice is yours. This guide book is entertainingly written and brimming with ideas for great days out around Orlando. Best of all, it is full of information from someone who has actually done the trips and thoroughly enjoyed every one of them. Gillian Birch has traveled the world as the wife of a Master Mariner, living in exotic locations including Europe, the Far East, U.S.A. and the Republic of Panama. She continues to travel whenever possible, using her journals as a source of eye-witness detail to write entertaining travel articles for international publications. She has had