| One of my husband's favourite places is | | | | of the Mt. Dora - Lake Eustis Scenic |
| Florida, since he is an avid golfer and likes | | | | Railway.From midweek in the second week |
| to get away from the cold Canadian winter for | | | | onwards the weather took a turn for the |
| his birthday in early December.For a while | | | | worse. While planes were sliding off runways |
| now we had planned to visit Orlando, but | | | | in Chicago and record temperatures were |
| neither one of us are into theme parks. So | | | | registered in the mid-western states, we were |
| there was the challenge for me: would we be | | | | freezing in Florida where the mercury hovered |
| able to visit Orlando without setting foot | | | | around 68 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (around |
| into Disney or Universal Studios? For someone | | | | +20 degrees Celsius). So I bought a rain |
| as curious as me this was a suitable | | | | jacket, and determined not to let the |
| challenge and I had been doing weeks of | | | | freezing cold interfere with our plans, we |
| searches on the Internet and communicating | | | | headed out to continue our explorations.On a |
| with the Orlando Convention and Visitors | | | | day that was forecast to be rainy, but just |
| Bureau to find out about interesting | | | | ended up being a bit grey and clammy, we went |
| destinations off the beaten path.Well, I am | | | | out to discover Loch Haven Park, Orlando's |
| happy to say, we arrived back safely | | | | center of science, art and culture. We then |
| yesterday from our trip, and the trip itself | | | | continued our explorations further south to |
| was quite an adventure since we decided to | | | | discover some of Orlando's historic |
| drive from Toronto to Orlando, about 2100 km | | | | neighbourhoods and parks such as Lake |
| each way! Actually, the drive was not as | | | | Cherokee and Lake Lucerne.As the drizzly |
| painful as I expected. The drive through | | | | weather continued, we went on to visit |
| Pennsylvania and West Virginia was nice and | | | | Florida's Natural Visitor Center in Lake |
| hilly, and I particularly enjoyed coming over | | | | Wales, about an hours drive south of Orlando, |
| the ridge of the Appalachians, right where | | | | where I got a really good understanding of |
| Virginia and North Carolina meet, where you | | | | Central Florida's citrus industry. I spent |
| get a beautiful view of the piedmont area | | | | the afternoon in another famous attraction in |
| around Winston-Salem that spreads out towards | | | | Lake Wales which holds two National Historic |
| the Atlantic in front of the mountain | | | | Landmarks: the Historic Bok Sanctuary, where |
| chain.And I am even happier to say that in | | | | I got to see the beauty of the Bok estate and |
| the 14 or so days that we spent in Orlando, | | | | its historic carillon tower, combined with a |
| not only did we get to play a lot of golf (to | | | | tour through the historic Pinewood Estate, |
| make my husband really happy...;) - including | | | | which was decked out in full Christmas |
| Mystic Dunes, Champions Gate, Royal St. Cloud | | | | decorations.During these 2 weeks in Florida, |
| Links, Hawk's Landing and Timacuan Golf and | | | | we got exposed to a lot of its plants, |
| Country Club, not to mention the Walking Hall | | | | flowers and wildlife, much of which you run |
| of Fame experience of the PGA Father Son | | | | into casually even while playing golf or |
| Challenge at Champions Gate, but I also got | | | | picknicking by the waterfront. Florida has a |
| to explore some really interesting places, | | | | surprising amount of natural diversity and I |
| destinations I would not have expected in | | | | enjoyed watching the various types of birds, |
| Orlando and its surrounding region. I also | | | | lizards, and squirrels. The only thing we |
| had a chance to do an interview with | | | | didn't get to see was a live alligator (with |
| GolfOrlando to get a much better idea of why | | | | the exception of the well-hidden rear end of |
| Orlando is called "The Ultimate Golf Theme | | | | a small alligator during our swamp buggy tour |
| Park".We started off our first week with a | | | | - unfortunately I couldn't even get a good |
| visit to the Orange Country Regional History | | | | picture of that one..).On our drive home, on |
| Center, which gave us a suitable historic | | | | a bright sunny day (of course...), we stopped |
| background of Orlando and Central Florida. | | | | off in St. Augustine, a historic town founded |
| Then, for some sociological and cultural | | | | by the Spaniards in the 1500s, and the oldest |
| insights, we visited the Well's Built Museum | | | | continuously inhabited town in the United |
| for African American History and Culture in | | | | States - a mighty photogenic place, I should |
| Orlando. To top off our first day of | | | | add.So, you ask, is it possible to spend 2 |
| exploration we enjoyed a walk around | | | | weeks in Orlando without even setting foot |
| picturesque Lake Eola in downtown Orlando.The | | | | inside a theme park and still have a good |
| next item on my off-the-beaten path agenda | | | | time? Well, based on the above itinerary I'd |
| was a discovery of the City of Winter Park, a | | | | say that my plans to explore Orlando off the |
| beautiful suburb of Orlando, reminiscent of | | | | beaten path came to full fruition.Mission |
| Old European towns. I also went on the Winter | | | | accomplished.Susanne Pacher is the publisher |
| Park Scenic Boat Tour, which was an | | | | of a website called Travel and Transitions ( |
| entertaining, informative and visually | | | | Travel and Transitions deals with |
| appealing excursion.The adrenaline revved up | | | | unconventional travel and is chock full of |
| significantly on our next outing: a very | | | | advice, tips, real life travel experiences, |
| high-speed airboat ride at Boggy Creek, that | | | | interviews with travellers and travel |
| was followed up by a much lower speed swamp | | | | experts, insights and reflections, |
| buggy ride in a custom-built monster truck | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many |
| that took us through authentic Florida | | | | other features. You will also find stories |
| landscape.After our golf outing at the Royal | | | | about life and the transitions that we face |
| St. Cloud Golf Links we enjoyed a wonderful | | | | as we go through our own personal life-long |
| picnic by the waterfront in sunny downtown | | | | journeys.Submit your own travel stories in |
| Kissimmee. Then, on a beautiful Sunday | | | | our first travel story contest ( and have a |
| morning we drove about an hour outside of | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| Orlando to reach the quaint town of Mt. Dora, | | | | the Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore |
| where I hopped on the "Herbie Express", part | | | | New Horizons". |