Page 64 - 2024-2025 Travel Guide to Florida

CENTRAL FLORIDA
ORLANDO TREE TREK ADVENTURE PARK • EXPERIENCE KISSIMMEE
ARTS AND CULTURE
Known as the “Town of Murals,” Lake Placid features nearly 50 colorful murals within its outdoor art gallery. This small, Old Florida town is also known for its American Clown Museum and School. Soak in the culture in nearby Avon Park at the Museum of Florida Art and Culture and the Wildstein Center for the Performing Arts, both on the Avon Park campus of South Florida State College.
Located on Iron Mountain, Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales is a fan favorite. Its 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco tower houses one of the world’s finest carillons, with 60 bells playing concerts daily. This 250 acre paradise includes wild birds, wildlife and spectacular flowering plants as well as Pinewood Estate, a 20-room Mediterranean- style mansion built in the 1930s.
Who would guess the largest concentra- tion of Frank Lloyd Wright designs in the world is in Lakeland, Florida? The legendary architect oversaw and designed the construction of 12 structures, including his
INTERNATIONAL
GATEWAYS
Orlando International Airport:
orlandoairports.net
Orlando Sanford International Airport:
Flysfb.com
only planetarium, on the campus of Florida Southern College. A 13th structure, the Usonian House, was constructed in 2013 from historic Wright plans. Based on an original 1939 design, the unique building is part of the visitor center at the college.
The City of Orlando is home to the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts hosting Broadway shows, concerts and community events in the heart of downtown.
North of downtown is the Loch Haven Cultural Park. It is home to a variety of culture offerings, among them are: the Orlando Museum of Art, Orlando Science Center, Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Orlando Repertory Theatre, Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre and Mennello Museum of American Art. Nearby, Harry P. Leu Gardens is a 50-acre semi-tropical and tropical botanical oasis.
In artsy Winter Park, The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art is the world showcase for everything Tiffany. For one of Florida’s oldest and most distinguished permanent collections of art from antiquity to contemporary, the Rollins Museum of Art at Rollins College is a must-see.
A visit to historic Winter Garden is a step back in time. Once the bustling center of Central Florida and the largest citrus shipping point in the world, artifacts found around Lake Apopka indicate Native Americans inhabited the land for thousands
of years, up until the colonization of Florida by Spanish explorers.
For an interesting way to enjoy culture, join the pedal-powered party through historic Sanford on a 15-passenger Limo Cycle.
Sit a spell in a rocker on the porch overlooking beautiful Lake Dora at The Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora, circa 1883. Enjoy the quiet while sipping iced tea, just as past visitors Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and U.S. Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Calvin Coolidge have done.
ATTRACTIONS
While Central Florida is widely known for its big three—Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld (see our Theme Parks story in this issue)—there are many other attractions you’ll want to experience on your next visit.
In Lakeland, book a natural adventure tour of the 260-acre Safari Wilderness Ranch via safari vehicles, kayaks or camels. Nearby, you’ll find the American Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum in Polk City.
For an airboat ecotour, check out Wild Florida Airboats & Gator Park in Kenansville on Cypress Lake. Activities include a 14-acre gator park, animal encounters and a drive- thru safari park. Old Town in Kissimmee offers a variety of rides and attractions such as The Great Magic Hall as well as themed restaurants, an arcade and shopping. For more rides and go-karts, head over to Fun Spot America in Kissimmee.
The Showcase of Citrus in Clermont is a family-owned roadside citrus farm and cattle ranch at which families can pick lemons and oranges. At Clermont’s Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards—Florida’s largest winery—there are ample diversions from complimentary winery tours and tastings to live music sessions on weekends.
The Crayola Experience in Orlando’s Florida Mall is a family attraction offering dozens of hands-on experiences. Orlando’s International Drive is home to many attract- ions, including the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Madame Tussauds wax museum and The Wheel, a 400-foot-tall observation wheel at ICON Park. Dezerland Park is an indoor theme park featuring the Orlando
62 2024-25 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA