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