Orlando is a great escape in the cold winter
months. Temperatures are mild and if you are Canadian like me, wearing
flip-flops and a sundress is a real treat in December. One week just
wasn’t enough time to experience all that this city had to offer. It
seemed that we weren’t alone in our thinking because we met many people
while we were there and very few of them were Orlando natives. People
flocked from all over the country and beyond to sit in the sun or take
the family to Disneyworld.
The
best part of our trip to Orlando was a swim with the manatees. No, this
is not found in Orlando, but a town about 1.5 hours away (by car)
called Crystal Rivers. There are many tours that operate out of that
area. We boarded a boat in the early hours of the morning and given a
guided tour of the area. We actually got to touch several manatees in
the wild. This was such a unique experience – how many people can say
that they have swam with an endangered animal in the wild?
Another
unforgettable experience was Discovery Cove. Situated right in Orlando,
this place has something for everyone. We had trouble leaving the
aviary because there was a bird sleeping on my head and we didn’t want
to disturb her. I will not soon forget that. When we did venture out, we
snorkeled with manta rays and tropical fish and even got to touch them.
Even though it started raining, this didn’t ruin our day at Discovery
Cove as we were well on our way down the lazy river. The water is heated
so a little rain was not going to ruin our day.
We decided to forgo Disneyworld, SeaWorld and Universal Studios as we had just experienced them in San Diego
a few months prior. Instead, we made the trek out to Tampa to visit
Busch Gardens. My husband had a great time on the Cheetah Hunt though –
despite waiting in line 90 minutes (apparently Christmas time is the
busiest time at Busch). We took the sky ride and the train around the
park and visited all of the animals. I especially liked being able to
pat a kangaroo.
Most
people probably don’t go to Orlando to shop but there is an amazing
outlet mall there. Orlando Premium Outlets is a huge mall that has
everything from Coach to Burberry to Tommy Hilfiger. The deals were to
die for! We actually had to leave before we saw most of the mall because
we spent all of our money within the first couple of stores.
One
free exhibit is the duck march at one of the Orlando Hotels. It is very
brief but very neat. The ducks march from their quarters down a red
carpet and into a fountain. We stayed only a few minutes but it was
quite a spectacle.
Last but not least our Orlando Hotel was amazing. The Caribe Royale had friendly staff and magnificent pools. We found all of the hotel information on Orlandoescape.com
If you stay there, look out for the hidden pool behind tower 4 and 5.
Most people don’t realize that it’s there and it is virtually
unoccupied. One thing that this hotel does well is their gym. It has
great equipment and it’s huge. Also, there is a kid’s movie playing
every night outside. You sit poolside and watch a movie under the stars!
For more info on travelling options, check out the following: Explore Earth Travel Blog, UK Travel Blog, and Cheap Travel Blog.
