The Orlando You Don't Know: Spend a day in Old Florida

A mere 45 minutes from the parks awaits a lush paradise that is an unexpected surprise. Wekiva Springs State park is a different kind of Florida, the closest you can come to what things were like centuries ago, long before theme parks and interstates and Starbucks. Wekiva is part of the Florida State Park system and it prides itself on being " a glimpse of what Central Florida looked like when Timucuan Indians fished and hunted these lands."

Wekiva is a wonderful break from the ordinary, often hectic rush of an Orlando theme park vacation. Wekiva has acres and acres for you to explore at your leisure. There are trails for hiking, walking, bicycling, and horseback riding. You can take a kayak or canoe (rentals available at the park) ride on the often crystal clear water for glimpses of wildlife both on land and beneath the shimmering surface -- animals like Alligators, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Limpkins, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Woodpeckers, Swallow-tailed Kites, Florida Black Bears, White-tailed Deer, River Otters, and Fox are just some of what you may see. Swimming and snorkeling is available year-round as well, since the spring maintain a natural temperature of 72 degrees no matter what the air temp is--that's refreshing in the hottest Florida summer and still comfortable during cool Orlando winters. Just remember this is a State Park, not a theme park -- all animals are wild animals and you always swim/snorkel at your own risk. I'd stick with the kayaks, myself, but the more adventurous out there might think differently.

Wekiva is one of my favorite places in the Orlando area. It's a peaceful, beautiful haven, the perfect place to relax and get away from all stresses, even the ones vacations sometimes bring. And at $5 a carload, it's a real bargain. This is a day trip well worth making time for, especially with the new Nature Center where you can learn about Florida history as well as local flora and fauna. There are even live wildlife specimens if you're not brave enough to hit the trails on your own. You can bring your own food to Wekiva too, so grab a picnic basket or a loaded backpack; there are also a few concession stands serving snacks and basics.

If you go to Wekiva, be sure to pack plenty of sunblock, bottled water and insect repellent; the Florida sun is strong and the bugs can be plentiful. A small first aid kit isn't a bad idea either, especially for inexperienced hikers. In my opinion, the best way to spend time at Wekiva is relaxing near the big spring swimming hole, stretched out on a blanket with a good book, with perhaps the occasional walk along the 18-mile boardwalk to try to spy some lurking wildlife. Bring your camera, bring a blanket, bring the family. This is the Orlando area at its most unexpected. Make time for it if you can.

Wekiwa Springs State Park\
1800 Wekiwa Circle
Apopka, Florida 32712
(407) 884-2008

Wekiwa Springs State Park

*Photographs credit of The Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Florida Governor Makes Gambling Deal

For most people, a trip to Orlando means a visit to Mickey Mouse, splashing with Shamu and riding the movies at Universal Orlando Resort. But a new agreement by Florida Governor Charlie Crist may change that view, or at least broaden it some. When planning your Orlando vacation, DWTickets.com is the first place you should visit for all of your theme park tickets. We always offer the biggest discounts and greatest deals to your favorite Orlando area attractions. When you get your cheap theme park tickets from DWTickets.com, there is no chance involved at all. It’s a sure bet that you will be a winner because you can get all of your cheap Orlando theme park tickets in one place and at the best prices in town!

With all the money you save on tickets, you may want to play some games of chance and take a day trip over to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino just outside of Tampa. The casino has just undergone a $120 million expansion, possibly to make room for new games that will be allowed under a recent agreement made between the Seminole Tribe of Florida that runs the casino and the State of Florida. The new deal will allow the casino to offer even more games of chance to patrons of the hotel and casino. Currently, the casino’s offerings are restricted to low-stakes poker and bingo-style slots, which already provide plenty of bling for your gambling buck. But this new agreement would allow the casino to expand its gaming choices to include Vegas-style slots, blackjack and baccarat, for a fee…$100 million in royalties to the State of Florida.

Some Orlando tourism leaders are not pleased with the new deal, in fact the State House of Representatives is working to have it invalidated. This effort doesn’t look too terribly dangerous, however, because the federal government has already said they will step in to help the state make this work we can’t do it on our own. The casino is about an hour’s drive from Orlando, and it could offer a fun alternative to a vacation filled with theme park rides and character appearances. But for most, Orlando seems to have all they want in a vacation destination. Another thing all vacationers want is cheap theme park tickets, and you can get those at DWTickets.com. And that’s a winning bet!