Welcome to our Florida Trips Guide. Your one-stop shop for vacation planning for that trip of a lifetime to Florida! http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/ en-us Copyright 2008, Orlando Villas LLC. All Rights Reserved. info@orlandovillas.com http://www.orlandovillas.com/pictures/rss/logo.gif http://www.orlandovillas.com/ 75 50 http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/planet-hollywood-at-downtown-disney.aspx You can’t miss the large neon sign for Downtown Disney and Planet Hollywood as you drive down the I-4. Most people bump it on their way down from the airport to accommodation. Located right at the entrance to Downtown Disney the building is a very impressive creation (that looks great at night! ). Planet Hollywood is designed around the movies and displays all types of memorabilia from over the years. Each area in the restaurant has a different theme and items displayed on the walls and ceiling. This is one of the main reasons that so many people are drawn to Planet Hollywood. It really does allow everyone to get close to Hollywood. Obviously one of the main reasons to visit Planet Hollywood is for the food and here you will be pleased to know it does not disappoint. On the menu there is something for everyone. The main menu revolves around a good old American theme of Burgers, steaks and pasta dishes. When we visited the menu was some 5 pages and there was a huge selection. For th... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/alternative-shopping-for-golfers.aspx When your partner doesn’t play golf and you do, and you are in the wonderful world of Orlando, Florida…. how do you get to satisfy both peoples’ need to go shopping without boring each other? Mile 75 on the I4 houses the answer. A fantastic, glittering shopping mall called the ‘Mall at Millenia’ and over the road from it is Golfsmiths golf shop. Mall at Millenia houses all the great names such as Macys, Bloomingdales, Apple, Tiffany’s, Jimmy Choo, Abercrombie and amp; Fitch and on and on. It also has a couple of Starbucks a wonderful Cheesecake Factory and many more great eating establishments. I am not qualified to explain further on serious mall shopping opportunities as I am not allowed out on my own to shop in normal shops. However, when it comes to shopping in golf shops, I am an expert. Golfsmiths has everything you need to spend a wonderful hour or two or three or more exploring the intricacies of your golf swing. Let’s start on the active stuff…. . They run lessons... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/red-lobster-restaurant.aspx Red Lobster - what a lovely restaurant. The atmosphere and ambiance is good and the staff at the one we went to were very friendly and helpful. Not only were they able to discuss the menu in detail, but they were also able to explain recipes and cooking methods, although were careful to keep some special recipes secret! Red Lobster is a chain of seafood restaurants and there are several in and around the Orlando area. They don’t just serve lobster of course, although it is always on the menu and there are even some in a tank near the door which could end up on your plate if you like to ‘catch’ your own meal. The menu is extensive and every day there is a variety of fresh fish to choose from. As well as standard menu items they have their ‘Fish of the Day’ which varies from day to day. For seafood lovers you can choose from Atlantic Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Tilapia, plump and juicy shrimp, cat fish, scallops, crab and, of course lobster. The meals are prepared in a variety of ways – s... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/celebration-golf-club.aspx The last time I played Celebration I shared the practice ground with ‘Grip it and Rip It’ big John Daly. He was practising in bare feet and was whacking it twice as far as me, and dead straight, while talking to me over his shoulder. Just shows that form is temporary but class is permanent. A really nice guy to talk to and full of self-humour. We couldn’t have had a better day to play Celebration, one of the great treasures of Central Florida. It was early April and the day was sunny and warm but not too sticky. It was late afternoon and the shadows accentuated the contours wonderfully as we meandered around this masterpiece of golfing design. For those of us for whom the number of shots is only one part of the enjoyment of round of golf, Celebration is a wonderland of treasures. Smelling the flowers is just one. The wildlife is another. The natural terrain and so on…. . I cannot recommend Celebration highly enough to any golfer wanting a great experience. My only word of advice ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/lights-cameras-action.aspx When you visit Hollywood Studios, (that is the old MGM studios with a new name) You must make sure that you schedule in a visit to this show. Apart from Fantasmic, which was absolutely amazing, this was the part of the visit that we enjoyed the most. It really does appeal to people of all ages and is as slick and professional as any of the shows that you will see in a theme park. We have always enjoyed action films and The Italian Job has always been a favourite so we really enjoyed the spectacle and skill of the stunt drivers in this show as well as getting some insight into some of the tricks of the trade. The show has several scenes involving car chases around “a village in France” and these are filmed and then quickly edited into a final film. The story is that the red car is being chased by a group of black cars and the spins, reversals at high speed, the jumps over gaps using lorries as ramps are guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat. To add to the excitement ther... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/seasons-52.aspx If you are looking for somewhere a bit different to eat when visiting Orlando then try Seasons 52. Located on Sand Lake Road at Plaza Venezia this quality restaurat offers an exceptional menu of freshly prepared foods cooked in a healthy way. The atmosphere is quietly sophisticated but not pretentious. There is no dress code although many of the customers were in smart casualwear they will not turn you away in shorts or jeans. The lighting is quite low so perfect for a romantic meal but just as suitable for a family. The menu is all freshly prepared produce. Locally produced seasonal vegetables, beautifully prepared fish and meat dishes and tasty flatbreads and salads. We started with a tomato and basil flatbread, a parmesan and rosemary crispbread and grilled chicken skewers with sweetcorn relish and guacamole. All were delicious. Examples of the entrees we chose are Alaskan Salmon, Rack of NZ Lamb and Cabernet Chicken. All are cooked without frying using herbs and spices to bri... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/manatees-in-florida.aspx Manatees are sometimes known as ‘sea cows; and they are one of the most delightful creatures to be found in Florida. They are gentle sea creatures, which are mainly herbivorous, and which graze in the shallow waters off the coast of Florida, or in the rivers, eating many different plant species including mangrove leaves, and even types of algae. If you take a close look at their faces you will notice that they have a divided upper lip, which helps them to eat plants. Amazingly, an adult manatee can eat nearly 9% of its body weight each day, which could amount to 50kg. They only have 6 teeth which continuously fall out and are replaced. Manatees can grow to a length of between 9 and 10 ft in length, and can weigh up to 1200lbs, with the females being the heaviest. They don’t swim very fast, usually around 5-8 km per hour, although they can swim at a speed of up to 30 km an hour for short periods. The manatee uses its paddle-shaped tail to propel itself along, as it glides through the ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/rainforest-cafe-orlando.aspx If you are looking for somewhere special to celebrate a family birthday or you just like fabulously creative scenery while you eat good food then the Rainforest Café is for you, in either Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney. We’ve been to both and thought they were both great The experience starts at the bar if you fancy a cocktail or lemonade. The seats are designed to look like the hind legs of animals, from antelope to zebra and many other animals in between. The atmosphere of the restaurant is lively and vibrant. As you are guided to your seat your waiter takes you past a colourful array of tropical fish swimming in huge aquariums. My children could have stayed for hours watching the fish zip in and out of the coral but this was only a small part of the experience. We were seated near a herd of elephants with a large male looking down on his territory. All around the restaurant, jungle animals adorn the walls, ceilings and trees. The trees are spectacular with trailing vines and ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/discovery-cove.aspx At first sight, the tickets for Discovery Cove are expensive, however, once you have experienced the day you will change your mind. The day starts early, we arrived at around 9am, it was my youngest sons birthday present and he was really excited about swimming with the dolphins. As you all know, the Americans are excellent at moving people and so the queue to book in and have you groups complimentary picture taken quickly dispersed with everyone getting a time for their dolphin swim and getting into the park to see what could be done while waiting. It is a full day at Discovery Cove with all meals included in the ticket price, and the food is good with lots of choice. Enter the park and go and get your towels, wet suit top and snorkelling mask and snorkel, have a spot of breakfast and then got to the snorkelling pools, see the array of fish and rays swimming free around your legs and feet and snorkel with them looking at the amazing colours of the fish. Go into the stingray pool... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/new-chrysler-sebring-convertible.aspx Two years ago in the summer of 2006 we organised, through the car rental pages of this website (http://www. orlandovillas. com/car_hire. aspx) , the hire of a Chrysler Sebring convertible. The family enjoyed the car so much that we felt that we must try and include a rental of the very latest version of this car launched in 2007. On this occasion we chose to give Thrifty Car Rental a try and organised for collection at the Kissimmee office at the Radisson Parkway hotel. Once the paperwork was completed we were presented with a very nice looking metallic blue version with a black vinyl roof. The new model is available with a folding hard top but it is very unlikely that this will be available through the rental companies as it is a $2000 option on the more expensive models. The first improvement we noticed in the vehicle was the even easier methodology required to open the roof. Where the previous model requires the unlatching of 2 handles at the top of the windscreen, the new model... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/suzuki-xl7-thrifty-car-rental.aspx During our last trip to Florida during the summer of 2008 we chose to organise the rental of a mid sized SUV from Thrifty car rental, bookable via this website (http://www. orlandovillas. com/car_hire. aspx) . We organised for a collection at the Radisson Parkway in Kissimmee with a drop off at Orlando International Airport. Just like the mini vans (MPVs), SUVs are very spacious and really make it easy to transport the luggage and family from airport to villa. In the past we had always rented standard sized SUVs so had little conception of just what type of vehicle we would be offered, particularly its size. After dispensing with all of the paperwork we were handed the keys to a very new Suzuki XL7, an SUV that I had no prior knowledge of. My first impression was very positive. The car was very stylish looking indeed with its metallic brown paintwork and tasteful chrome finishing giving it an exceptionally classy appearance. With good height, width and length the vehicle seemed a goo... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/gatorland-orlando.aspx Gatorland is over 60 years old and has changed considerably since the original attraction was built. The first building was stockade style with a dirt floor covered in sawdust and a thatched roof, it was built by the Seminole Indians who lived on the property and who also wrestled with the alligators as part of the entertainment. The new building is totally different, it boasts 19, 000 square feet of retail, meeting and office space as well as an open air pavilion which houses the historic gator mouth entrance. Guests get the chance to see Florida’s most famous animal residents but also a wide variety of other animals and birds. There are opportunities to see the gators being fed store bought chicken in the Gator Jumparoo Show – the term feeding frenzy is very appropriate! This particular show has been running for over 20 years but is still extremely popular with audiences today. It is also part of Gatorland’s goal to teach the public about Florida’s wildlife but in the best poss... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/boggy-creek-airboats.aspx If you cannot make the long journey down to the Everglades, but would love to experience the thrill of an air boat ride, why not try the next best way at Bogey Creek.   There are two Boggy Creeks, one near Orlando International Airport and the other at the southern end of Poinciana Boulevard. The one I am going to write about is situated at the south end of Poinciana across Orange Blossom Trail and then follow the signs. Driving from our home at Silver Creek on H27 it takes about 30 minutes. There is no need to book, just turn up and wait your turn to board one of several air boats that take about 20 people at a time on a thrilling trip.    Ear protectors are supplied and definitely recommended,   the noise of the engine is  deafening. The ride is very exhilarating as you skim over the water and vegetation at very fast speeds. The guides on board are always very knowledgeable and love to discuss  the different birds and animals that you may see and will always stop so that visitors h... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/biscayne-national-park.aspx Florida is home to three National Parks, maybe not as well known globally as say Yellowstone, Yosemite or the Grand Canyon National Parks, but they certainly possess their own natural beauty. Probably the best known of the Florida National Parks is The Everglades, although this tends to be fairly inaccessible to the average tourist, with no main highways running through the park, only around the periphery. In many ways equally inaccessible is the Dry Tortugas National Park; a cluster of seven islands some 70 miles West of Key West – which puts them well into the Gulf of Mexico and can only be reached by embarking on a boat ride which takes two hours in each direction. The third, and most easily accessible, is the Biscayne National Park that lies just south of Miami and abuts the John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park and the Key Largo Marine Sanctuary. Unlike most other National Parks, which focus on the natural beauty of the land, Biscayne’s assets are the sea, the seashore and the ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/delights-of-clearwater-beach.aspx We had spent a couple of hours strolling along the pristine white sand of Clearwater Beach a couple of years back but, on that occasion, we were pressed for time giving us little opportunity for further exploration. On this visit we had put a full day aside and had some preconceived ideas of what we were going to do, thanks to my son’s internet surfing skills and his insistence that we take a speedboat trip. The beach is located on a spit of land separated from the mainland by a two-mile bridge called the Memorial Causeway (US60). Although there are ample parking lots, they do fill quickly, so I would advise arriving as early as possible and if you can, try to visit on a weekday rather than on a Saturday and Sunday. We were soon sampling the delights of the marina, which is home to a plethora of fishing charters and sightseeing boats offering sunset dinner cruises and dolphin tours. For the more adventurous parasailing is also available. The marina area is very much the hub of th... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/culture-in-st-petes.aspx If visitors to Florida have heard of St Pete’s, or to give the city it full title ‘St Petersburg’, then the majority of them will probably associate the city with wonderful sandy beaches which are located about 10 miles southwest of ‘downtown’ at the aptly named resort of St Pete Beach. However there is more to St Pete’s than just sand, and so if you are visiting for a few days and want to sample some of the cultural amenities that the city has to offer then here are some suggestions for you. The St Petersburg Museum of History /b features a variety of permanent and temporary exhibitions, showcasing the history of the city. Founded in 1920, but re-housed to its present location in 1950, one of the most significant exhibits is the First Flight Gallery. Here you can see a full sized working replica of the Benoist Airboat that in 1914 made history as the first commercial flight when tickets were sold to paying passengers to make the flight between St Pete’s and Tampa. In fact this ve... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/lake-louisa-state-park.aspx Some of our favourite places to visit in Florida are the State parks. Not only are they cheap to visit, but they offer some of the most beautiful and calm surroundings you are likely to come across. Lake Louisa, west of the Disney area, and off of Highway 27 is no exception. It comprises of 4, 500 acres encompassing six lakes, two streams and over 100 acres of lake shore line. The park in addition to its campsites and cabins, has plenty of picnic areas along Lake Louisa for a relaxing meal alongside nature. Hikers and bikers can enjoy over 23 miles of trails through cypress trees and eye catching wild flowers. There are also 16 miles of trail available for horseback riding. At any time it may be possible to see Deer, Quail, Gopher, Tortoise, Turkey and many species of birds. The park consists of 11 distinct habitats including sand hills, scrubland, mixed forest, swamp land, marsh land, wet flat woods, hydric hammock, blackwater stream and citrus grove. Lake Louisa’s history spans m... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/driving-rental-car-in-florida.aspx If you are picking up your rental car at the airport it is often best if the Driver goes to the relevant Car Rental Desk whilst the rest of the family waits for the luggage. My Father and I tend to do this and although we leave Mother with the girls she usually gets a porter who will not only get the bags off the baggage carousel but also meet us and then put the bags in the car. We usually tip $2 a case and find that worthwhile. Trolleys (and we usually have two if not three) are charged at $3 each. Accept a copy of the map the company gives you no matter how familiar you are with Florida. Even after 20 years we still refer to ours from time to time. Be sure to check over your hire car for any dents and scratches and make sure the Rental Company know of these before you leave the car park. We once arrived late on a very dark night and missed a dent in the back door. The next morning we phoned the rental company and they made a note of this. Try to quickly read the instruction ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/clearwater-marine-aquarium.aspx There are numerous aquariums around Florida, but the one probably closest to the Orlando attraction area (excluding those at Sea World and amp; Epcot) is the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. This is a non-profit making, working aquarium whose purpose is dedicated to education, research, and the rescue and rehabilitation of stranded and injured marine life. The aquarium was founded over 30 years ago by a group of volunteers and now provides a short or long term home for many animals that have been rescued by the aquarium’s Stranding Response Team; one of the most successful of it’s kind in the US. Although quite a few of the sick or injured animals are later released, some have taken up permanent residency due to the degree of their injuries or disabilities. Some of the animal who permanently reside at the aquarium are several species of sea turtle, river otters and bottlenose dolphins Probably it’s most notable resident is Winter, a female Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Found stranded an... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/tour-st-augustine.aspx On our most recent trip to Orlando we decided to see a little more of Florida and booked three nights in St Augustine, which is located on the Atlantic coast thirty five miles south of Jacksonville and around a hundred miles north east of Orlando. From our research St Augustine was described as the oldest town in the USA with plenty of history to boot. That is certainly the impression upon arrival with a proliferation of trolley tours and ghost walks vying for the tourist trade. They are all eager, not only to point out the major places of interest, but also to give you chapter and verse on the 18th century conflicts involving the English, Spanish and French. These tours are an ideal way to acquaint yourselves with the delights of St Augustine and its immediate environs, and for around $20 per person they represent good value for money. Many allow the visitor to hop on and off at their leisure, so time at any given location is not just limited to a few minutes. When writing about... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/alcazar-courtyard-shops-cafe.aspx Away from the main pedestrian area of St Augustine are the imposing buildings of Flagler College and the Lightner Museum, the latter of which also doubles up as City Hall with all the usual administrative departments necessary to run the city. Both are situated on King Street, which runs west from SR1 to the Bridge of Lions connecting St Augustine with Anastasia Island. For this article we are concentrating our attention on the environs surrounding the Lightner Museum and in particular a little gem of a place…the Alcazar Courtyard Shops and Café. The museum building is set around the lovely courtyard which has well-tended gardens and as its centrepiece boasts a pond area amply stocked with carp spanned by an ornamental but fully functional bridge, which is a favourite place to take photographs. It is a place away from the bustle of St George’s Street, the main thoroughfare of the city, and somewhere to either relax over a coffee, take in a bit a window shopping or just sit awhile a... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/dolphin-swim-florida-keys.aspx For as long as I can remember dolphins have fascinated me. Maybe it was stories of dolphins helping humans in distress or television programmes showing the intelligence and communication skills possessed by them – I really don’t know. However, while on a recent trip to Key West I decided that I would satisfy one of my ambitions, which was to get in the water with one of these amazing creatures. My wife and I had flown into Key West after a few days in New York and had decided to drive up to our villa in Orlando without any planned itinerary. And so, rather than book a specific event at one of the three dolphin experience sites, I opted to turn up and see what was available on the day. The Dolphin Research Centre, a not-for-profit organisation approximately sixty miles from Key West, was the first “Swim with Dolphins” site that we came to on our drive northwards. The DRC features a variety of interactive dolphin programmes, from ‘Trainer for a Day’ to ‘Meet the Dolphins’ and ‘Paint ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/ann-norton-sculpture-gardens.aspx If you are ever in the West Palm Beach area of Florida and feel the need for a cultural ‘fix’ then a visit to the Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens is highly recommended. Ann Norton lived from 1905 to 1982 and was the second wife of Ralph Hubbard Norton, the founder of the Norton Museum; also to be found in West Palm Beach. The 1. 7 acre gardens surround the house where Ann lived with her husband Ralph until his death in 1953. She later designed the gardens with the help of Sir Peter Smithers and the house is now on the National Register of Historic Places. In keeping with Ann Norton’s intention that her work, studio, and garden environment be left for the enjoyment and education of the community the Gardens are now operated as a public foundation with membership open to the public and, as well as occasional artists workshops in the grounds and in Ann Norton and rsquo; s sculpture studio, offer a schedule of exhibitions by a variety of recognised artists. At the time of writing, exh... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/mallory-swamp.aspx In Lafayette County, Northern Florida, lies the recently restored natural beauty of Mallory Swamp. Once owned by Richard W Sears, co-founder of Sears Roebuck and amp; Co. , and president of the Standard Lumber Company, the land belonged to a succession of timber companies and in the latter part of the 20th century industrial landowners attempted to convert the swamp to pine plantations. The building of roads and canals had an adverse affect on the natural flow of water and the water table levels with dramatic consequences. In 2001 a combination of a dry swamp and severe lightening combined to produce one of the largest wildfires in Florida’s history. Fire swept through the swamp and destroyed much of the areas cypress wetland forests, peat bogs and commercial timber. After burning 400 acres, the fire was thought to have been to be extinguished, but later rekindled itself and the swamp caught fire again, eventually burning 60, 000 acres. Smoke was seen as far away as Tampa and even f... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/the-florida-aquarium-tampa.aspx On our early holidays in Orlando one of the attractions our kids used to make a beeline for the Tropical Reef Aquarium at Sea World. Alas due to re-development this attraction is no more. While there are a few small displays at the Living Seas at Epcot you now need to travel to visit a good aquarium. This is why on our last visit to Tampa we decided to take a look at the Florida Aquarium, and were not disappointed. The aquarium is spread over three floors although the exhibits are contained on the two upper floors and trace the travels of water from its freshwater sources down to the sea. From the main entrance you take the elevator to the second floor where the tour begins. Here, under a spectacular glass dome, you can explore the Florida wetlands from freshwater springs to mangrove forests and swampland and see the inhabitants including otters, alligators and freshwater fish. Then come the Invaders – no not you and the other holidaymakers – but a variety of creatures, such as termi...