Site seeing ideas near Orlando needed

Don't knock gatorland reefmonkey my best friend works there. ;D

cocoa beach is the closest to orlando. melbourne is probably equally close, not as nice as cocoa but less touristy.

gatorland is cool, but its a bit expensive for what it is. Not something you could kill a whole day at and you pay a whole day price IMO.


Someone mentioned discovery cove which is really cool but expensive. I think its $199 if you want to swim with the dolphins and $99 if you don't. Basically they have a the dolphin thing where they take you into the (freezing) water with the dolphins and you get to pet it and they take a picture of you with it, then you get to ride the dolphin a short distance. By ride I mean you hold onto its flipper and it pulls you across the pool.

They also have a "coral reef" you can snorkel in which doesn't have any coral at all, it basically looks like a lot of really big concrete rocks that vaguely look like they may in some way if you squint look like real coral, and a ton of fish. You will see several large wrasses, tangs, groupers, and several giant sting rays.

 

Your post was the first thing I read this morning and it nearly had my morning pop pouring from my nostrils!
ROFL. Your friends a bit of a crocophile then? LOL JJ
Expensive seems to be the trend down there. I'm not down with paying $199 to hang on a dolphin no matter how cool I think they are that's a tad high. LOL Or the management is. ;D
I'll have to google areas around Cocoa Beach and see waz happineen around there.

 

It is not a far drive from Orlando to St. Augustine, and there is a great fort there; light house, beaches, etc. and it is layed back. St. Augustine is a small town and is way more relaxed than Palm Beach. The A1A restaurant is a great place to sit on the balcony, watch the sunset over the Bridge of Lions. They make great beer there, and the food used to be pretty good.

 

You could drive an hour east to my neck of the woods. New smyrna beach is a pretty fun town with great beaches, restaurants, funky bars . . . and you can tell all your friends back home you went to the shark bite capital of the world.

~Will.

 

Have to chime in here. I was born and raised in Orlando so most of it is old had. I am a definite beach person. She will love that. Just to go find a restaurant on the water and enjoy!!!. Another thing that is nice is to go to Downtown Disney and wander around. It is very pretty at night with all the lights and shops and doesn't cost to get in. Very family oriented.

I vote Gatorland also as a must.

St. Augustine is a definite if you have time. Not sure what will be open over the Space Center but that is pretty neat too.

Blue Springs park is beautiful for the manatees in the winter, but this time of year going to be full of summer kid camps and not so many manatees.

good luck

Sherry

 

The fort is intriguing. My wife would get to experience the beach and I would get to learn a little more. I'll definitely be looking into this. Thanks!

 

We have a couple evenings to site see so this is a good possibility. Just can't tell her it's the shark bite capital of the world or she won't leave the car. lol I have to admit if we do go there you comment will be at the front of my mind as I wade into the surf. ;D
Thanks for the input!

 

That's two for St. Augstine so that will be a definite go. We'll be there the first week of Sept. Is that still to early to see the manatees? My son would get a kick out of that!

 

O.k. Get over to Longboat Key, go south on the key and you will see the Chart House Restaurant (remember this), keep going a bit past the restaurant and you will come to St. Armands Circle. The "circle" has probably over 100 bistros and stores to shop. It is "the" place for shopping. After you are exhausted, head back to the Chart House for an elegant dinner on the bay. The dress is dress/casual dress. You will not be disappointed. If you go ask for Marciel to wait on you!!

 

Really depends on what your idea of fun is, for someone who lives here its all about going fishing and the beach for me, the better half and I occasionally head to Tampa and grab year passes to Busch gardens (which used to be better before inbev bought it and did away with free beer samples, those nazi bastards). Tampa has other things like ybor and the aquarium there which is kind of pricey but hey at least its not Disney prices, actually the only bad thing is its on the gulf coast which is kind of dull in terms of fishing and wave action. Orlando on the other hand is the tourist attraction of the state and I avoid going there like the plague, and besides it doesn't have a beach. I know you have kids and they would like to see Disney, what kid doesn't but I would recommend heading down A1A checking out St. Augustine, then continue down to the keys like others suggested and take your picture with mile marker 1 in key weird. Then Check out tampa on the way back then back to JAX and to home. Have fun. Oh yeah, and avoid Miami, its like a 3rd world country and I know because if been to many....anywayy as far as im concerned its not even part of the United States.