How To Enjoy Your Lake Buena Vista Vacation More
If you’ve enjoyed a Lake Buena Vista vacation before and you’re returning for another visit, you may be ready to consider places other than the Disney or Universal theme parks, and believe it or not, you have lots of choices. Some of the choices are smaller than the Disney parks so they only take about half a day to go through, so you can spend the remainder of the day relaxing by the pool. Let’s take a look at just a few of them.
Gatorland is the place to see some of Florida’s oldest inhabitants – alligators. Dating back to prehistoric times, these fascinating creatures live wild all over the State and at Gatorland’s Jumparoo you will get the closest of close ups that anyone could want, plus lots of facts to educate you and an introduction to other animals..
For more excitement you can watch in awe as the trainers wrestle with these huge animals. Remember to take a change of clothes for when you want to cool off in the splash park. You will find Gatorland at 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, Florida 32837 about 1 mile north of Osceola Parkway.
On a smaller scale Jungle Adventures at 26205 East Colonial Drive, Christmas, Florida 32709 (yes there really is a town called Christmas complete with a decorated tree!) is a nature park and zoo. Here you can take a Jungle swamp cruise among about 200 alligators, get close up and personal with baby alligators and snakes and of course see alligator wrestling.
The park takes longer to get to than Gatorland but it does have a wider range of animals including raccoons and even a Florida Panther (an endangered species in Florida). Another attraction is the tour of a replica Native American village that includes examples of tools produced by today’s Native Americans.
If you prefer a more gentle and relaxing experience then a visit to Historic Bok Sanctuary in Lake Wales would certainly fit the bill. You can wander through the magnificent gardens with their meandering paths enjoying the perfume of the flowers and looking out for the many different birds and butterflies that are attracted to the Sanctuary.
The Sanctuary is loved by its many visitors for the peace and tranquility available throughout. Take a stroll and experience the calmness of the place, bring a picnic and rest on the grassy areas or the benches or enjoy a meal at the Carillon Cafe. It’s all just very relaxing.
At the center of the Sanctuary and on the highest point in Florida (less than 300 feet above sea level!) is the Bell Tower. Marble and coquina construction materials were used to create a beautiful carillon tower that is used to produce music every hour. Pinewood Estates, built as the winter retreat for Bethlehem Steel Vice President Charles Austin Buck, is also available to tour and it still contains many of the original furnishings.
Another peaceful place to visit is Lake Louisa State Park which is located at 7305 US Hwy 27 Clermont, Florida 34714. There are many activities to enjoy especially if you are the outdoor type. Take your binoculars with you and wander down the nature trails to see birds, butterflies, deer, opossum, wild turkeys and many other mammals. Don’t forget to wear suitable shoes if you are going hiking, sunscreen so you don’t get burnt and maybe some insect repellent.
Lake Louisa is loved by anglers because they can use four of the six lakes as long as they have a license. The Lake does offer the opportunity to swim, which can be very welcome after a hot few minutes or hours on the hiking trails, but pay attention to the restrictions highlighting the water areas to avoid. Also, be sure to take your own food and drink as none is available to buy inside the park.
I hope this has given you some alternative ideas of places to visit during your Lake Buena Vista vacation.
Related posts:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.