day trips

[robertcraig]

any sugestions for something different as a day trip from orlando

[Tink]

Well, what do you have in mind? Do you want to browse, or shop, or actually do something, like take in a museum or view a "sight?"

There is Winter Park which is just a touch north of Orlando. It has a pretty little area to browse shops and have a meal. There is a lake "cruise" available too.

There are several museums in Orlando (downtown). The Folk Art Museum and the Science Center are both quite nice.

There is Bok Tower, south east of Orlando. There is the Aviation Museum, Flights of Wonder heading toward Lakeland...

How far do you want to travel?

[robertcraig]

Well, what do you have in mind? Do you want to browse, or shop, or actually do something, like take in a museum or view a "sight?"

There is Winter Park which is just a touch north of Orlando. It has a pretty little area to browse shops and have a meal. There is a lake "cruise" available too.

There are several museums in Orlando (downtown). The Folk Art Museum and the Science Center are both quite nice.

There is Bok Tower, south east of Orlando. There is the Aviation Museum, Flights of Wonder heading toward Lakeland...

How far do you want to travel?

I thought about bok tower never bean to winter park. about 2hrs traveling also thought about deland

[Tink]

Not a huge lot to do in Deland. In two hours you can be on either coast which would give you some opportunity to visit a beach town.

We prefer the Atlantic side, but many prefer the Gulf. There is a nice lighthouse at New Smyrna Beach (Atlantic side). That would be a cool day trip.

If you are here when it's cold (under 65 degrees or so) you could do Blue Springs and see the manatees.

Oh, there is the reallllllly old theme park in Weekiwatchee. It's the ones with the mermaids.

[Scott1066]

We're taking the advice from others on here and heading to Daytona for a day

[gwennie81]

Dude, I live in Daytona. There ain't much to do over here besides the beach. Or maybe I'm just immune to everything now.

If you aren't interested in the beach, there is the Daytona 500 Experience. The track tour would be neat because they're repaving the track right now, but I'd skip the actual "experience" part.

The best burger joint in the area is the Brickyard Lounge on International Speedway Blvd. It looks like a total dump on the outside but they serve up one of the top 3 burgers I've ever eaten in my life.

Beach Street is pretty quaint. Angel & Phelp's chocolate shop is fun to stop at and they have several other restaurants and shops. From April-August the Daytona Cubs play games at Jackie Robinson ballpark which is just by Beach St.

Just north of Daytona is Ormond Beach. At Granada (SR40) and Halifax Dr. is The Casements, which is the former vacation home of John D. Rockefeller, which I hear is pretty neat. If you want to experience what "old" Florida looked like, you can drive The Loop, which is a nice drive in a circle around the Intercoastal that begins in Ormond, goes up to Highbanks Rd. and then back down A1A.

If you drive south from 92 (International Blvd.) on A1A, you'll drive through Daytona Beach Shores, Wilbur-By-The-Sea, and end up in Ponce Inlet. Ponce has Florida's tallest lighthouse, as well as a couple good local restaurants: North Turn (directly on the ocean and better to stop at for a drink than food), Inlet Harbor, and Down The Hatch (both on the river, just off of Peninsula Dr.)

The best two local seafood restaurants in the area are both in my town (Port Orange) on either side of the Dunlawton (SR 421) bridge. Aunt Catfish's is known for their cinnamon rolls and salad bar (they also make a wicked mojito). Our Deck Down Under has a ton of outdoor seating on the river and we frequently see dolphins.

If you want to see manatees, Blue Springs in Orange City are the place to go. It's really nice with a really long trail running the legnth of the springs. They allow swimming in the springs because it's 72 year round. They do close it off at certain times if there are a lot of manatees in the area but, you can take food and picnic there and rent kayaks.

[gwennie81]

Also, south of Daytona ~20 min. on 95 is New Smyrna Beach. Actually, if you just wanted to do the area as a day trip, go toward Daytona on I-4, but get off on the Exit for 44 and go east to New Smyrna. They have a cute beachside area called Flagler Avenue. You could see that, then go back west to US1 and take it north (scenic route) up through Port Orange and South Daytona to Daytona Beach. Take a right on ISB east to A1A and then go south on A1A to Ponce Inlet. Go back up north to Dunlawton and take a left to go back to 95. Go north on 95 to I-4 and head back to Orlando.

[ukwdwnut]

Kennedy Space Centre also, if you havent been before.

im dying to go there but it gets dropped from the itinery every trip

[robertcraig]

Kennedy Space Centre also, if you havent been before.

im dying to go there but it gets dropped from the itinery every trip

went there this year definately worth a visit see signature photo

[Tink]

I believe the Daytona Experience has been discontinued.