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/cruise-ships-from-port-canaveral.aspx If you have enough time to combine a cruise with a vacation in a beautiful villa in Orlando, then Port Canaveral is an ideal choice of port to embark from, due to its location just an hour away. Although it does not yet have the range of ships to choose from that are available from either Miami or Fort Lauderdale, its very closeness to both Orlando, and the Space coast, makes it a superb choice. At the moment only three cruise lines have ships which use this as their homeport, but some new and innovative ships are set to join the fleets in the near future. The first cruise line to recognise the advantages of sailing out of Port Canaveral was Carnival. Two ships homeport here – Carnival Glory and Carnival Sensation. Seven day cruises to the Caribbean are undertaken by Carnival Glory, which is one of the largest ships to sail on the seas, whilst Carnival Sensation does 3 and 4 night cruises to the Bahamas. In December 2009, the new and beautiful Carnival Dream joins the fleet when it a... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/port-canaveral-the-passenger-terminals.aspx Port Canaveral boasts six passenger terminals, including one designed specifically for the Disney ships, which embark and disembark passengers from several cruise liners. As the port expands it is beginning to attract many more cruise ships. Whilst not offering the wide range of ships and cruises that Miami or Fort Lauderdale has, it is developing rapidly, mainly because it is so close to the Orlando area, and people can combine a two week visit to Disney and the theme parks with a 3, 4 or 7 night cruise. The first terminals dedicated exclusively to the cruise industry were Terminals 2, 3 and 4. In total these terminals have nearly 2, 200 feet of continuous dock and can accommodate two large or three medium length cruise ships. Each terminal is capable of dealing with 1, 800 passengers. Terminal 5 is used by Carnival Sensation, and it can deal with upwards of 3, 000 passengers at one time. It is an elegant triangular building which spans two storeys, and inside it has a 30ft high a... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/rent-a-dodge-durango.aspx We always find that the car that you rent whilst in Florida becomes a large part of your vacation experience. Most of us can almost certainly remember the differing types of vehicles that we have rented over the years whilst enjoying the sun and fun of Florida. During our last trip we chose to once again rent a 4X4 as one of two cars selected for our vacation, using the Alamo rent a car service available through this website. We arrived at Orlando airport between international flights which meant the desks were nice and quiet and we could be served straight away. A swift exchange of information, then handing over our car hire voucher, we were given the keys to an almost new silver Durango 4. 7L SXT 4x4. The model supplied to us had the new Flex-Fuel V8 engine giving the option of using what is known as E85 fuel. This is a blend of ethanol and petrol and is supposed to provide a more efficient fuel burn, both cleaner and more economic. Flex fuel engines do allow regular unleaded fue... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/golf-in-florida-part-1.aspx Many of our guests come to Florida just for the golf after all Florida has some of the best courses in the World and you can barely swing your putter in central Florida without hitting at least half a dozen great courses but if you’re a regular and you fancy venturing a little further away from Disney you will find yourself spoilt for choice with some of these amazing courses. Almost all of them are well within an hour of the Disney area and those that aren’t are definitely worth the drive! So pack your clubs in the back of your SUV and get exploring some of the lesser known clubs! Winter Park Golf Club is located in the historic and fashionable Winter Park, this club is the second oldest in golf club in Central Florida, it was opened in 1914 as a nine hole course and still is today. There are no tee times, it’s a first come first serve system and a great favourite with local residents. Legacy Club at Alaqua Lakes, this sophisticated semi private course has been rated four and a ha... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/johns-pass.aspx Johns pass lies on the Gulf of Mexico South of Tampa on a strip of Land right on the Oceanfront West of St Petersburg. This quaint turn-of-the-century fishing village hosts a wonderful beach and a waterfront boardwalk of 1100ft along the picturesque inland waterway. The village has a variety of shops and restaurants that will keep you occupied for hours. They are not the usual “junk” gift shops either (although you can find the odd one). I am not really a shopper but I found our time roaming around the outlets very interesting. After a meal or just a cooling drink on the boardwalk you can then try out one of the many water activities right from the deck. These include a local fishing fleet, cruise lines, boat rentals, parasailing and jet skiing. Wilson Hubbard built the boardwalk in 1980 over the fishing marina and restaurant although the village itself was around at the turn of the centaury. The best way I can describe the geography of this charming fishing village is in a tri... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/silver-spurs-rodeo.aspx Did you enjoy watching cowboy films or remember TV programmes like the Bonanza and Rawhide? I’m sure many a boy wished they could have had a go at being one of those cowboys! Or maybe you just wanted to see a rodeo with professional cowboys in action? Well if you are on holiday in Central Florida in February you can visit The Silver Spurs Rodeo, the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi. This event has grown immensely since it started in 1941 moving from the north of the state to Central Florida where in 1951 the club held its first winter rodeo. In 2003 the Silver Spurs Rodeo moved to a brand new multi purpose indoor building. This is situated on the Osceola Heritage Park and seats 8, 300 and has become one of the main events for Osceola County. Events include bareback bronco riding – very popular – watching cowboys hang on as they grasp the rigging with one had as they are tossed, twirled and bucked. Scoring is based half on of the bucking action of the bronco and the other half ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/golf-in-florida-part-4.aspx Many of our guests come to Florida just for the golf after all Florida has some of the best courses in the World and you can barely swing your putter in central Florida without hitting at least half a dozen great courses but if you’re a regular and you fancy venturing a little further away from Disney you will find yourself spoilt for choice with some of these amazing courses. Almost all of them are well within an hour of the Disney area and those that aren’t are definitely worth the drive! So pack your clubs in the back of your SUV and get exploring some of the lesser known clubs! Falcons Fire Golf Club is where it all comes together! The designers have combined a resort style atmosphere with a links style course in a great location only minutes from the airport and central Florida attractions. The signature 13th hole (394 yards par 4) doglegs right accompanied by bunkers, sand and lakes. It takes a dexterous long iron to land on the spherical sloping green. Grand Cypress Resort –... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/orlando-museum-of-art.aspx If you fancy a little culture to balance out ' The Mouse' then head for the Orlando Museum of Art. This is located on North Mills Avenue (about an hour from your holiday villa) This museum was founded in 1924 and it has been a cornerstone of the Orlando arts scene ever since. It first got under way via a group of local artists getting together to show and assess each others work. Very soon the local community got involved and eventually The Orlando Museum of Art was born. On average, there is a new exhibition every month to view. There is also a programme of video presentations, gallery tours, lectures, classes and lunch time lectures. As I write, for instance, they are holding a display of African textiles with about 45 stunning skins, textiles and examples of bead work to seeand marvel at. Every so often they hold an art sale with all proceeds going to the museum. Among the artists displaying their work will be porcelain, ceramics and jewellry with also some antique furnitur... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/manatees-at-tampa-power-station.aspx For anyone who wants to see Manatees in the wild then a trip to the Tampa Electic Manatee Viewing Centre is highly recommended. It is situated at Apollo Beach close to Tampa and opposite the outlet of the Big Bend Power Station. The warm water surrounding the power station means it is ideal territory for these beautiful but endangered animals and they flock there in the hundreds when the water in the bay turns chilly-below 68 degrees F. The manatees make their way to the warm water and simply enjoy themselves swimming around in the high temperature. They share the water with other species -the day we went we saw lot of Spinner Sharks-these creatures -as their name suggests- they leap from the water and spin before their re-entry making a beautiful sight as they shimmer in the sunlight. Another species we saw in good numbers were Tarpon , large fish that are abundant in the area. Swimming slowly close to the bottom of the inlet we saw many Ray hoping that we would catch sight of one of ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/fantasy-of-flight.aspx For an alternative day out head approximately 15 miles from Disney World, heading west on I4 towards Tampa take exit 44 and head towards Fantasy of Flight. This air museum has a collection of over 40 aircraft from various periods in history, plenty of seaplanes and a huge collection of restoration works in progress and odds and ends of aviation hardware. All based in several hangars, the main complex has been designed very much in the Art deco style and when you first enter you really have no idea of what you are about to encounter. The initial section takes you through an interactive walking tour based on planes of World War I and II, you actually get to explore through a WWII bomber – just be careful … the bomb bay doors are open! This really did make me appreciate what the air crew of this time went through. You see these massive bombers from the outside and they look big (okay, not Airbus A380 big, but still! ). Once inside, it is cramped and noisy and there are no creature comfo... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/sea-screamer-at-clearwater.aspx If you are planning to spend a day at the Gulf coast, why not head for Clearwater, which is easily accessible from the Orlando area via the Interstate 4. The journey takes about an hour and a half and is an easy drive through Tampa and then on to Clearwater. When you approach the harbour area in Clearwater, you will come across an unusual phenomenon in Florida – a roundabout! Take the second exit and drive past the harbour on the left and you will then see some large parking lots on the right hand side. Park here. Cross over the road to the harbour area where several large boats will be moored. Here there are several boat trips with their own ticket booths. I can highly recommend the Sea Screamer (if you are brave enough – it is not for the faint hearted). This boat has three or four trips per day (depending on the season). If you buy your tickets immediately, you can book for a later trip if you want to, so that you have time to wander down to the beach, or get a spot of lunch, kn... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/trolley-stop-5-st-augustine.aspx On our first day of exploring St Augustine our first stop had been to see the Old Jail and St Augustine History Museum. We then hopped back on the trolley bus to get off again at Stop 5. A fabulous site to see here are the Old City Gates at the north end of St George Street. These columns mad of stone were at one time were the only entrance to St Augustine. They had been built in the early 1800s as a defense for the city for the original American colonists. We then went into the Spanish quarter and felt like we had gone back 200 hundred years. Here we strolled amongst the various buildings of this restored colonial village and learnt about the lives of the colonists who called Spanish St. Augustine their home. We then took a tour through the Government House Museum, where Spanish governors once administered the colony of La Florida and current exhibits showcase the city' s past. We saw professional costumed historians relive the life of Spanish soldiers and their families. Blacks... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/alligator-farm-st-augustine.aspx On our last day in St Augustine before we headed back to Orlando and Disney we decided to pay a visit to the Alligator Farm as other guests staying at our hotel had visited it the previous day and recommended that we go. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm is one of Florida' s oldest zoological attractions opening in the 1890s. Over the years it has had millions of visitors keen to see these captive reptiles who have long been regarded as mysterious, dangerous and frightening at the same time. I think this Alligator Farm has helped people feel less threatened by the species. Adult admission is approx $21 and children three to eleven years approx $11 whilst children under three years of age are free. We were surprised how busy the farm was on the day that we visited. First of all we saw Maximo who is the largest animal at the park at over 15 feet long and weighing well over 1000 pounds. Maximo is a Saltwater Crocodile or ' Saltie' as they call them in Australia. You can also get a gr... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/sanaa-restaurant-animal-kingdom.aspx One of the newest restaurants to be opened by Disney is the Sanaa Restaurant which opened at Animal Kingdom Lodge in May 2009. Disney describes this restaurant as “African cooking with Indian spices. ” Sanaa is pronounced “Sah-NAH, ” and is the Swahili word for “artwork. ” Here they can seat 150 and aim to be a family orientated restaurant. You will find Sanaa on the lowest floor of Kidani Village’s main building. It is a table service restaurant serving Lunch from 11:30am to 3:00pm and Dinner from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. The main difference between Sanaa and any of the other Animal Kingdom dining venues are the animals. The restaurant overlooks a huge savannah and zebras, giraffes, wildebeests and ostriches can be seen grazing outside the many 9 foot floor to ceiling windows. The interior is equally impressive with very elegant décor rather like the Boma Restaurant. The menu is divided into 8 sections which are; Indian-style Bread Service, Appetizers, Salad Sampler, Soups, ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/red-wing-restaurant-groveland-fl-34736.aspx This small and friendly restaurant is a good 45-minute drive from Davenport and hence a good drive out and quite off the beaten track. Don’t let this put you off though as the food was really good and the experience turned out to be not only unique but as always in Florida extremely enjoyable. The Red Wing restaurant, in Groveland, was recommended to us by a local Florida resident, which is usually a good start. The Red Wing advertises itself as ‘good food in a country setting’ /b and both I can confirm in my humble opinion for us was quite true. The building itself is an old family home and was actually built in 1948. The Red Wing restaurant has been reported to be a popular place for locals to meet and eat since then. This isn’t really a place for anyone who might be offended by taxidermy, as the bar area is decorated by a number of stuffed birds and animals. The little dining room, where we chose to eat (as I believe that you can also dine in the bar area) is known as the Pheas... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/driving-across-seven-mile-bridge.aspx Although we had heard of the Seven Mile Bridge, which links the small islands of the Keys like a necklace of pearls, we were quite bowled over when we actually drove over it. It is truly spectacular, and if you have time to drive all the way down to the Keys then it is well worth doing so. The bridge itself, which is situated in Monroe County, separates the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Strait. It connects Knight’s Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. At the time of its construction it was one of the longest bridges in the world. Should you want to visit the Keys then you will need to take the South Dixie Highway, or US Highway 1 as it is also known, from Miami. The southernmost part of US Highway 1 is known as the Overseas Highway, or the Highway That Goes to Sea. Seven Mile Bridge has become quite famous, being the location for several major movies, including the James Bond film, Licence to Kill, Up Close and Personal, and True Lies. It is also used each Ap... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/bahama-breeze-after-orlando-premium-outlets.aspx If you find yourself feeling hungry and you are near to Orlando Premium Outlets (just off the I4) take a visit to Bahama Breeze. The tasty Caribbean cuisine (although all the usual steaks and burgers are served here) makes this restaurant group different from many found in Central Florida. Here a happy lively atmosphere greets you, whilst the building structure simulates those found in the Bahamas and Caribbean Islands. White wooden structures with wooden steps up to balconies around the building exist to walk around – ideal for taking a pre-dinner drink from the outside bar where the ambiance is enhanced when the steel drums and a singer perform live. Inside the restaurant the atmosphere is pleasant with a décor of natural wood tones, large ceiling fans and lush tropical plantation. The service is cheerful and attentive. Our last visit was at a busy time on a Saturday evening so while we waited for our table, we enjoyed some coconut coated onion rings served with a chilli horserad... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/a-day-at-dunedin.aspx Theme parks and sunshine are possibly the two most important ingredients to encourage holidaymakers to come to the Orlando/Kissimmee area of Florida. And long may it continue. However, there is an amazing wealth of alternate locations and pastimes virtually on the doorstep, to keep everybody entertained and add another, more relaxed dimension to what is normally a hectic vacation. Eighty five miles due West on the Gulf of Mexico is the delightful town of Dunedin (pronounced Dunneedin) which was discovered and inhabited by two Scottish traders. The name ' Dunedin' comes from the Scottish Gaelic for their home town, Edinburgh and the Scottish connection is as strong today with annual Highland Games being held in the town with a background of bagpipes and pipe bands. The annual meeting of the Highland Games is in March and another event is the Mardi Gras which falls on the same day in February as its' big brother in New Orleans. The local par 3 golf club is, not surprisingly, called t... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/key-west.aspx We have visited Key West several times and have always been charmed by its quaint houses and fascinating museums and shops. Located in Monroe County, Florida, 129 miles from Miami, Key West is a delightful place to visit if you have time to spend a few days away from the Orlando area. It is a mere 94 miles from Cuba, and has developed, in recent years, as a major destination for cruise ships. Indeed, our very first foray into Key West was when we docked there as our first port of call one Christmas. At that time we dropped anchor offshore and had to be tendered in by small boats, but we soon became enchanted by its colourful buildings, busy streets, white picket fences, gingerbread cottages and its laid-back atmosphere. The main streets are full of pavement cafes, conch restaurants, and dozens of t-shirt shops, and it is an easy place to explore. Frequented by many famous people, who often made their homes there, Key West has a huge number of historical buildings and museums to fasci... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/dining-at-dixie-crossroads.aspx There are several reasons you may find yourself on the East coast of Florida, perhaps you' ve had a trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in North America and definitely worth a visit. Or perhaps you' ve been to the picturesque little village of Cocoa or its' beach a couple of miles further on. If you' ve been very lucky you may have spent a few hours at the Kennedy Space Centre or its' vicinity, watching the launch of a rocket or one of the Shuttles, Endeavour, Atlantis or Discovery. Whatever your reason, it' s a fair bet that you' ll be hungry and looking for somewhere to stop and eat. I' m sure you are all aware that finding somewhere in America that serves food is not a serious challenge but finding the right place is important especially if you are saddled with hungry youngsters. If this is the case and you are anywhere near Titusville, head for Dixie Crossroads at 1475, Garden Street. This restaurant is famous for its' rock shrimp, a delicacy the owner, Rodney Thompson, discov... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/history-of-st-augustine.aspx If you wish to spend the day away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando and it’s fantastic Theme Parks, what better way than to take a drive to St. Augustine. As the oldest, continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, St. Augustine has played varied and prominent historic roles. Juan Ponce de Leon, in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth, landed in this area around 1513, and took possession of the region for Spain. In 1565 King Phillip II sent Pedro Mendenez de Aviles to colonize the new territory. Mendenez de Aviles arrived in Florida on the Feast Day of St. Augustine and named the landing site after the saint. Its location made the town both strategic and vulnerable. Pirates sacked St. Augustine in both the 16th and 17th centuries. Military importance soon came to the forefront as England extended its holdings southward down the coast. Spain responded by starting to build Castillo de San Marcos in 1672. By the time St. Augustine was ceded to England in ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/showcase-of-citrus.aspx If you were asked to name 3 things that you associate with Florida, there’s a fair chance that apart from sunshine and theme parks you’d mention freshly squeezed orange juice or the groves where they grow. So next time you visit Florida, why not take time out of your hectic schedule and take a trip to Showcase of Citrus and see what makes Florida fruit taste just so delicious? Located at 5010 US Highway 27 Clermont FL 34714 you’ll find the home of this 2500 acre working citrus and cattle ranch. Entry is free and all ages are welcomed. Here you can pick your own selection of fruits depending on season, all grown without the use of pesticides etc. Old favourites, oranges and grapefruit and more exotic ones like kumquat, with more than 50 varieties there’s sure to be new ones waiting to be discovered. The farm is laid out with many paths and bridges over the river, so you can easily spend a few hours strolling through and picking the odd piece of fruit as you explore. Bags can be mixe... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/wild-waters-ocala.aspx Situated just to the east of Ocala, Wild Waters sits adjacent to the more well known tourist attraction of Silver Springs and is a wonderful place for the whole family to cool off and escape the extremes of the hot Florida sunshine. Think of water parks and immediately Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach spring to mind, and there is no doubt that Wild Waters is a serious competitor with its plentiful choice of thrill rides and water slides. Being in Ocala, some ninety or so miles from Orlando, it does have the benefit of not being as busy as the Disney water parks. It is also has the advantage of being newer, with more rides, and all for a very modest cost. Indeed a day ticket can be had for around just $25 which compares extremely favourably with the offerings from its rivals along International Drive or Walt Disney World. So, just what has Wild Waters got to attract visitors. Well, for those of you who just like to relax, there is an opportunity to soak up the sun on the man-mad... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/congo-busch-gardens.aspx One year when visiting Florida we decided to buy tickets for Busch Gardens, Tampa which allowed us to enter as many times as we liked in a seven day period. Busch Gardens is a fairly easy drive from our villa (providing the traffic on the I4 keeps moving) and we could reach it in under an hour and a half. We got good value out of these tickets as we managed to go five times within the seven day period. This particular day we decided we would like to also go to some of the beaches on the Gulf Coast so we combined this with a stop off at Busch on the way. As we were only going to spend a few hours at the Park we decided to just visit the Congo area. Here you will find Kumba, Congo River Rapids and Ubanga- Banga. Kumba if you translate it from the African Kongo language means ' roar” and that is what this roller coaster was designed to do. First of all you go up 143 ft. into a 135 ft. drop after which you speed up to a giant loop and your heart really is in your mouth. As if this ... http://www.uscarhire.co.uk/florida-trips/myakka-state-park.aspx Myakka State Park is situated in Sarasota on the S. R. 72. This park covers 58 square miles od natural prairie and encompasses The Myakka River. This area was once occupied by the Seminole Indians and it was they who named the river Myakka. The lands were dotted with cattle. By 1900 it had become a ranch and The Parks Department purchased the lands from the ranch owners. The park was developed from 1934 in a joint initiative by the Civilian Conservation Corps and The State Parks department. It then opened to the public in 1942. Here you can see many of the original buildings and enjoy boating, hiking, biking and fishing. One of the best things to do is to take an air boat ride accessing some of the areas only negotiated in such a way. Afterwards you could catch a tram safari which reaches 7 miles into the back woods of the prairie. The nature trail takes you through the tree tops to a tower which stands some 74 feet where the view is breathtaking. The park concession holders ...