Getting More out of Orlando

In brief:  I found out very recently that I’ll be moving away from my hometown of Orlando, Florida in June of 2010.  At first the long delay frustrated me, because it seemed like I would have to spend 14 months just waiting around in a city I know I’m leaving.  After some chats with friends and family, though, I realized that this is a fantastic opportunity to really get to know my town & region, and to make sure I experienced everything I could here, so that when I leave, it’s with no regrets.  So now I’m on a journey to get more out of Orlando, to see and do the fun and offbeat things that make this a one-of-a-kind place – including weird, little-known places or activities, as well as world-famous attractions.

Spooky Spook Hill

Went to Spook Hill (http://historiclakewales.com/spookhill/) on Sunday for a little day trip.  We had fun, but by itself Spook Hill isn’t worth the trip.  We coupled it up with Bok Tower Gardens (more on that in another post) and that made the hour drive worth it.

Spook Hill was actually more convincing than I thought it was going to be.  Your car rolls A LOT, and pretty fast, too – so much so that it feels like you’re getting pulled!  Is it a gator ghost?  Maybe…. but probably not   Regardless, it’s a pretty fun little innocent good time.  Next time you’re in Polk County, take a little detour, and enjoy the ride.

A Little Bit Country

Went to Cowboys (http://www.cowboysorlando.com) on a Saturday night couple of weeks ago.  I am no line-dance superstar, but I have been known to love some twang, and it was perfect.  Huge dance floor that had enough space at the edges for novice linedancers, and for the most part the regulars were tolerant of the ignorant masses (rare at country bars).  They played some mainstream and hip-hop, but it wasn’t too much – they stuck to their country roots.

The drink deals were also excellent – free beers til 1 am is a pretty awesome deal for ladies. I was a little put-off by the “Show Me Your Rocky Mountains” contest they were having, but it wasn’t too skanky, actually, and no one got actually naked, so it wasn’t too gross.  The place is huge, it’s busy but not wall-to-wall people, and the drinks are the right price.  I’m already looking forward to going back.

Airboatin’ Yeehaw

Went out to Boggy Creek Airboat Rides (http://www.bcairboats.com/), on the southwest side of Lake Toho in Osceola County, on Sunday.  While Cap’n Jeff was a great good ole boy guide, and the staff was friendly, and the lake was scenic, it’s just too damn hot to go airboating at 2 pm on a June afternoon in Central Florida.  What was I thinking?  We did see quite a few birds, and a couple of bass jumping, and one gator (maybe) that was about a foot and a half long, but the wildlife was clearly laying low in the 93 degree heat. 

I hadn’t been airboating in about 12 years, and the last time I went was in the Everglades, so this was a little different.  This one was less about the gators, and mroe about the birds and being out on the lake.  It was nice, but it wasn’t quite as, I dunno, thrilling as I wanted it to be.  I’d do it again, with people from out of town, but I’d wait til November or February!

Silver Spurs Rodeo… exotic culture close to home

Went to the Silver Spurs Rodeo on Saturday (http://www.silverspursrodeo.com/).  I’ve been to a Professional Bull Riding event at the Amway Arena before (!), so I was expecting this to be old hat.  I was way off – there are a lot of differences between a rodeo and a bull riding event.  The biggest shocker was the apparent cruelty of some of the events.  In calf roping, for example, a guy on a horse ropes a calf by the neck, jerks the calf around, runs over to the calf, picks it up, drops it on its side from waist height, and then ties its feet.  It was shocking for a city girl like me.  Or, as many know, the way to make a bull or a horse buck is to tie a rope around its genitals.  The event I found most oddly cruel was a game where about 100 children were placed on the rodeo floor, and then made to chase calves with ribbons tied around their necks and tails.  The children got a prize if they caught a ribbon.  Many kids fell, or got stepped on, kicked, or trampled, and the calves fared worse, if possible. 

Apart from the animal acts, there were some oddly surreal moments, too.  We walked in to a horse quadrille, a sort of square dance on  horses, featuring little girls dressed like as many Jon-Benets.  The strangest moment of the night, though, was a skit.  The audio was impossible to hear, so what I got from it was that an alien came to Kissimmee in a UFO, fought a jedi to the Mortal Kombat soundtrack, and then turned into Ricky Bobby.  Trust me, it made even less sense at the event.

On the whole, though, much as it doesn’t sound like it, the event was pure entertainment.  We all laughed, cheered, and booed as appropriate (and sometimes not so appropriately), but we were definitely on the outside looking in.  I found myself thinking of festivals I’ve seen traveling internationally, and you get the same sort of feel – that the rodeo is an exotic, strange, un-understandable rite that serves a purpose you’ll never fully grasp, but that you can appreciate nonetheless. 

Couple other housekeeping notes: the Silver Spurs Arena is fairly new, surprisingly clean, and domed – which was great on the rainy day we went.  Unfortunately, the dome keeps in some of the more livestocky smells, so it was a little ripe in there.  Expected more out of the “rodeo food” that the website touted – it was like a concession stand at a sports event, but with less variety.  There were plenty of open seats, and the crowd was less enthusiastic than I would have expected. 

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Went on the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour on Monday: http://scenicboattours.com/

I’d heard good things and they were true.  It was a great hour on 3 WP lakes and a couple of canals.  Dan was a great tour guide, and the measuring tape suspenders were perfect.  He had lots of tales about former Magic players, Tom Hanks, and other notables around the lakes.  Personally, I loved it because it showed me aspects of WP that I didn’t know existed, and had a lot of real local flavor.

Pros: Beautiful lakes and canals; shows a different side of Central Florida; boat was pretty comfortable; great tourguiding; reasonably price ($10 per adult); offers something different for locals and out-of-towners

Cons: Gets very hot – boat has no shade; lots of people (could just be the Memorial Day traffic); little parking

Overall: Do it!  Great tour that gets beyond pre-packaged central Florida.

Different Things for Others to Do in Orlando

I thought I’d go ahead and add some thoughts about things that I’ve done in Orlando that are a little different.  Even though this blog is supposedly about my quest to find things that are different and do them, I thought this might be interesting/helpful – hope it is.

Anytime Activities:

Visit the Enzian

Winter Park Farmer’s Market

Orlando Farmer’s Market

Wekiva Springs

Winter Garden Theater

Orange County History Center

Lake Eola

Candy Lady at Epcot

Orlando Ballet

Periodic Events:

Mt. Dora Art Festival

Food & Wine Festival

Shakespeare Theater

Orlando Art Museum

Target cart escalator

Fringe Festival

First Thursdays at OMA

Halloween Horror Nights

Nearby Destinations:

Lysonia Preserve

NASA

Gatorland

Buy Goat Milk Fudge near Haines City

Drive on Daytona Beach

Food:

Brandywine’s Deli

Ravenous Pig

PR’s

California Grill

Manuel’s

Pom-Pom’s

Ming’s Bistro

Eastern Pearl

Agave Azul

Café Tu Tu Tango

Kakigori at Epcot

Norman’s

Lido’s

 Nightlife:

Swing at Mako’s (terrible and shameful but yet necessary)

Karaoke at Big Daddy’s

Cocktails at the Bohemian

Wall Street

Red Fox Lounge

Wine Bar on Park Avenue

Different Things to Do in Orlando, Part V

There are a few nightlife destinations in Orlando that I haven’t made it to yet, and here they are:

Hollerbach’s Willowtree Café

Pat O’Brien’s

Blue Martini

Parliament House (?!)

Different Things to Do in Orlando, Part IV

Orlando has great dining, and I’ve experienced a lot of it, but here are places I haven’t been but am dying to try:

Food:

DeLeon Springs Mill Restaurant

Pirate’s Dinner Adventure

Mills Market

Johnson’s Diner

Lone Cabbage

Lee & Rick’s Oyster Bar

Rivership romance

Dinner train

Victoria & Albert’s

Hot Dog Heaven

Different Things to Do in Orlando, Part III

Here are the nearby destinations that require a drive, but seem to be worth it.  Can’t wait to give these a try!

Destinations Near Orlando:

Everglades camping

Ocala National Forest camping

Parasailing

Bok Tower

Cypress Gardens

Spook Hill

Different Things to Do in Orlando, Part II

Part II of the list of things to do in Orlando includes seasonal events that are in or around Central Florida at certain times of the year:

Florida Film Festival

Fringe Festival

Silver Spurs Rodeo

Daytona 500

Strawberry Festival

Sea turtle egg laying

Shuttle Launch

Crash-o-Rama at Bithlo Racetrack

UCF Game

Portofino Bay Harbor Nights

Zellwood Corn Festival