Heading to Orlando with the family

Couple weeks will see me leaving the snowbanks behind for a week or so and I can't wait. Can any of my fellow professionals recommend "out of the way" spots say within an hour or two? So far have been to Disney Kingdoms, Sea World, Gator Land and this time we're hitting Discovery Cove, Bush Gardens, Downtown Disney and maybe a beach if we can find one.

Thanks,
Chip
McKnight Wildlife, LLC
Orrington, Maine

Let me know if you find something interesting to do while there. I'll be down there the first week of june.

I grew up just south of there, what do you like visiting?

I was raised over on the east coast, Merritt Island/Cocoa Beach area. There are some great places to visit within an hour or two of Orlando. Lone Cabbage Fish Camp ,just east of there has some great food and airboat tours of the St. Johns River, Sebastian Inlet, also Haul Over Canal up by Titusville has great fishing and lots of Manatees for kids to watch, Playalinda Beach by the Space Center, very remote and goes for miles(keep the kids away from the far north end, nude beach). If you like to eat good southern cooking here is a list of my favorites in that area....The Catfish Place in St. Cloud, Dixie Crossroads in Titusville, great seafood and all local, J-B's Fish Camp, up around Oak Hill-New Smyrna Beach area, and if still there, a place in Oak Hill called Packwoods. Great place to visit, especially this time of year when the weather is finally bearable there.

As i type this i am at a resort now 11 miles from orlando airport...flew in today...fly back next wed....my youngest has a big fever now too....we r goin to universal studios n sea world

Printed off....Thanks for the info!!!

I'm a foodie...Love to find off the track diners....sandwich shops (cubanos)..Some seafood (coming from Maine I get my fill) Like BBQ as well.

Liked the natural area of Gator Land. Always looking for walking tours of natural areas/refuges/conservancy etc.

Love hunting, fishing and trapping but might be hard to find time to do that unless I ditch the wife and kids for an afternoon:)

My kids start each day by yelling how many days till we fly out!

Check this place out, it's just outside of Titusville, and on the way to Playalinda Beach. It is a nature trail, through the heart of Kennedy Space Center and the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. Excellent fishing in the area, especially up SR 3 around the Haulover Canal Bridge. To fish there, make sure you go online and fill out the permit and carry it with you, stating you have read and understand the regulations while on the refuge.
You can't go wrong eating at any Bar-B-Que joint you might run across named either "Fat Boys Bar B Que", or "Sonny's" ,they both have great food.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Point-Wildlife-Drive/156308554417845

Awesome info!
Thanks!

If you get the itch to go further south, Jupiter has a cool lighthouse in a small park with relocated historical houses and a free (small) museum on local history dating from the prehistoric, when it was ruled by the Spanish, Seminole and civil wars, up to about wwii. The lighthouse tour was less than $25 for 3.


Also with 2 hours is St. Augustine, which has a Spanish fort, etc.

The city walk outside of universal is pretty neat, and you don't have to pay to get into it.

Doin citywalk tomm

I would skip Gator Land and go to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The kids enjoyed it and I was impressed.

If its better than gator land than im game. I was impressed by GL..cold day and nothing was moving too much but got my $ worth and then some and WOW what a gift shop

Don't forget the haunted lighthouse.