Orlando Page
Orlando is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the world. One of the biggest attractions of course is Disney World. This is only one reason why thousands of people flock to Orlando yearly. The streets are lined aesthetically with palm, pine, and oak trees. There are also many lakes and parks that add to the beauty of the city.

The area was originally settled by army volunteers after the Seminole wars in the, late 1840’s. However the area received the name Orlando in 1835. It was names after one of a soldier named Reeve Orlando. He earned this honor by notifying his unit of approaching Indians.

By the time the Civil War started, Orlando was a tiny settlement that mostly survived by the production of Cotton. Unfortunately the war brought harsh poverty to the area. Between the lack of money to hire farm-hands and no transportation to the market, the cotton industry was slowly crushed. Then in 1865, the first of the famous orange groves were planted for harvest. The citrus industry didn’t really take hold until 1890, when English settlers bought state land and railroad interest for $1 an acre.

In the early 50’s space exploded only 50 miles away at Cape Canaveral. That did help to boost the economy, but it was only the tip of the ice berg. In 1971 Walk Disney opened his Walt Disney World Theme Park. This park also led to other businesses and theme parks to build in the area. The area exploded and put Orlando on the map as one of the most popular travel destinations.

We had been in Tampa for a few days, but decided to head over to Orlando for a couple of days before heading home. The drive to Orlando was pleasant and very exciting. It was almost exactly the way I pictured it to be. Lots of greenery and palm trees. Once we got into the Orlando area, we decided to stop at a souvenir shop and get a couple of more souvenirs. After shopping we ended up going to McDonalds for lunch, I know, I know, but it was fast, easy, and turned out to be an interesting McDonalds. The only reason I mention it is because we were hit up by a woman who was trying to sell time shares while we were sitting there eating. She was really friendly and offered us two free tickets to a show. We had been to a couple of other time share presentations so we decided why not go and get some free tickets. We set a time to go the next morning. The McDonalds is really cool. It is the one on Internation Drive if you want to check it out.

After we left McDonalds we headed for the Kennedy Space Center. This is a truly amazing place. You can just feel the pride as you walk around the center. It is often called America’s Spaceport. President John F. Kennedy once said “Man in his quest for knowledge and progress is determined and cannot be deterred. For the eyes of the world now look into space, the moon, and to the planets beyond!”

The space program began in the early 50’s and have manned over 110 flights since than. They began with the Mercury and Gemini programs, which were followed in the 60’s by the Apollo moon missions aboard the gargantuan Saturn V rockets. When they say gargantuan, they aren’t kidding. Then in the 70’s the remodeled the facilities to accommodate the Space Shuttle program.

Their current project is the creation of the International Space Station. When finished this station will be cover an area the length of two football fields. This new space station will contain labs for scientific research, and eventually became an essential step for manned missions to Mars.

When we entered the center we were at the visitors complex. From there we got on a bus that took us deeper into the center. I was amazed to find out that it was also a wildlife reserve. The grounds were very beautiful. We learned that there are over 300 types of birds living on the reserve, including a bald eagle we saw while we were there. Later through the tour we even saw an alligator. That was interesting, but all I kept thinking was that I was glad I was on a bus and not in the water.

Eventually we made it toward our first of three stops which was the 39 Observatory Gantry. On the way we passed the Vehicle Assembly Building. This building is considered one of the tallest buildings in the world.. Once we reached the Observatory we were all herded into the theater to watch a short film about the space program, and how it has developed. Afterwards were went into another room that had a model of a space shuttle and we watched a mock launching. A little later we went outside and walked around the building. From here we could see the actual launch pad. On the day we were there they were getting ready for a launch, so we actually got to see part of the shuttle of the launch pad. That was really exciting for everyone on the tour.

Our next stop was the Apollo/Saturn V Center. We had heard it was huge, but I was completely shocked. My mouth was on the floor. It is incredibly huge. It is 363 feet in length and weighs 6.2 million pounds. It is definitely something worth seeing. I was completely shocked. We spent quite a while there looking at all the paraphernalia and accessories.

Our third and final stop was the International Space Station Center. As stated earlier, this is where we learned about what the space center was, and how it was being created. It will be amazing when it is all finished and placed in space. There will be a lot more talk as the program comes to completion.

After the tour we walked around the center for a while, but it was late and we were tired. But it was a very interesting trip and defiantly worth seeing if you’re in the Orlando area.

The next day we left the hotel and went to the time share presentation at the Diamond Resorts International (formally know as Sunterra Resorts). We had initially planned to turn them down, but they had one of the best programs we’ve seen. Three hours later we left owners of a small piece of Florida property. We also left with our two free tickets to the Arabian Night Dinner Show.

Still excited over our new purchase we headed toward our next stop, the Daytona Rack Track. The first thing you notice as you walk into the museum are the two replicas of Daytona’s famed twin tunnels. The actual tunnels were created to allow convenient access to and from the infield area, while cars are racing on the track. This exhibit, as well as others at Daytona USA, have been supported by such companies as Ford, Dupont, Goodyear, Gatorade, STP, Advanced Auto Parts, Pepsi, ESPN, Chevrolet/Pontiac, and Circuit City.

One of the highlights of the museum is the Sir Malcom Campbell’s world famous Bluebird V. This was the car that he set the world record to; 276.82 mph in 1935. It is now the cornerstone of Daytona USA.

Again we arrived late at the museum so all we had time for was the Tram Speedway Tour. This is a 30-minute tour of the world center of racing. The tram tour took us through the garage area, pit road, the world famous 31-degree bank, and finally Victory Lane. It was very exciting. Eugene especially liked the banking turns. And no matter what we told the driver of the tram, she wouldn’t go faster than 10 mph while we were on the track. Oh well, maybe next time. It was a fascinating look into the world of racing.

It was a hot day for May, so we decided to stop and go swimming on out way back to Orlando. We were told a good place to go was Blue Springs State Park. This is a wonderful park. Not only is this park great for canoeing and swimming, it is also the home to the Manatee. We didn’t see any however, because they are usually only there from November through March. The water was very clear and great for snorkeling, unfortunately there wasn’t much to see. It was enjoyable however, and the water felt great.

We left the park and continued our way back to Orlando. We were running late as usual, so we had to go straight to the Arabian Nights Dinner Show. This was an incredible show. If you are someone that loves horses, you will absolutely love this show. This breathtaking 25-act equestrian show features over 50 of the world’s most famous horses and expert riders. The highlight of the show is a princess and a genie. I don’t want to give away too much of the show, but believe me the act are stunning and amazing. After the show was over some of the actors and horses stayed around to talk to and to pet. It is a wonderful show well worth the price we would have had to pay. If you are a horse lover, you have to see it.

The next day was our last day, so we decided to do the Disney World thing. My best friend Laurie works at Disneyland in California, and she gave us two free tickets into the park. The ticket was a hopper pass, which was good for all four parks. We wanted to see as much as possible, so we got up early and headed for the park.

We were incredibly surprised at the park. It was absolutely gorgeous, and incredibly large. We were told that Disneyland in Anaheim could sit in Disney World’s parking lot. It was that much larger. Unfortunately we were barely able to see a small part of the Magic Kingdom, and MGM Studios. The park is so huge that we could have spent a whole week just doing 2 or 3 of them. Oh well, so other time maybe.

We both agree the worst ride was the tram ride at the MGM. The line was unbearably long, and that really wasn’t that much to see to make it worth the wait. I think I would have enjoyed what we did see, if we didn’t have to wait so long. The line was three times longer than any line we had been in all day.

We both also agreed that the best ride was the Tower of Terror. This was an absolutely awesome ride. It is a runaway elevator that bounces and drops you up and down thirteen stories. It was so fun, we did it twice. You have to try this one for yourself if you are ever in the area.

We had a great time running around all the different parks, but needless to say we were completely exhausted by the time we headed back to the hotel. I would love to go there and spend a week just at Disney World. It would be so much fun, but there are so many other places I want to see. Maybe someday we will get back there.

Here are some other attractions we would like to see the next time we are in the Orlando area. Enjoy!

SeaWorld Orlando Wet 'n Wild Universal Studios Florida
Wonderworks Titanic The Experience Ripley's Believe It or Not


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Page last updated August 2014