Orlando

What makes it different? cont'd

The two world-class theme parks along Interstate 4 – Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando – set Central Florida apart. Nearly 50 million tourists a year make this city the most-visited destination in the country.

But with its lakes for water skiing and wakeboarding, rivers for fishing, crystal-clear springs for swimming, snorkelling and diving, there's also plenty of ways to enjoy this region's natural beauty. You can hang-glide, skydive, horseback ride or take a thrilling trip on an airboat.

Orlando has plenty of restaurants known for quick, convenient meals, but it also offers a wealth of gourmet experiences. The area has three master sommeliers, while Disney's Epcot theme park offers a one-of-a-kind experience where you can sip, snack and stroll your way around the globe with pavilions featuring 11 different countries.

Central Florida is also home to a permanent show by Cirque du Soleil, the world's largest Hard Rock Café and the world's largest collection of Tiffany stained glass.

For sports fans, the Amway Arena in downtown Orlando is home to the NBA's Orlando Magic, while Disney's Wide World of Sports hosts spring training for Major League Baseball's Atlanta Braves. Orlando is also a golfer's dream, with courses here hosting more professional tournaments than any other U.S. city. If it's hockey your after, a short two-hour drive to nearby Tampa Bay, Florida can get you to an NHL game with the Tampa Lightning.

Geography cont'd

The city and surrounding areas sparkle with 1,200 lakes, swamps and freshwater springs dotting the mostly flat terrain. The wet habitats are home to thriving wildlife made up of alligators, turtles, herons, cranes and hundreds of other species.

If you want a feel for "Old Florida," you can paddle a kayak or canoe along cypress- and oak-lined waterways. Or charter a fishing boat for some of the best bass fishing in the state. Adventurers won't be able to resist an airboat ride with a practiced pilot. The boats cover wide areas of wetland while showing off impressive gators, wading birds and water snakes.

The subtropical climate is also friendly to a wide range of plants and flowers—grandfather oaks draped with Spanish moss, palm fronds rustling in evening breezes and bright bougainvillea vines that add colour to the landscape. Long before Walt Disney introduced the tourism industry, citrus was king here. Today, you can still inhale the sweet scent of orange blossoms in outlying areas and nosh on juicy honeybells in the winter. Though cattle ranching has declined over the years, herds of cows still roam rural Kissimmee and other Central Florida outposts.

If you're looking to get out to the beach, Orlando is less than an hour's drive (about 80 km) from popular Daytona Beach, Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach on the Atlantic. To the west, the drive is about 120 km to the more peaceful beach areas of Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

Culture cont'd

Years before it officially became a city in 1885, Orlando was home to small groups of Native Americans. After the Second and Third Seminole Wars, European settlers established cattle ranches and the citrus industry followed soon after. Today, Orlando is known as a major centre for both tourism and the high-tech industry, attracting residents from around the world.

Just north of Orlando, the nation's first entirely African American town, Eatonville, was the home of celebrated author Zora Neale Hurston. Each winter, locals stage the Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities, headlined by celebrities like poet laureate Maya Angelou.

Orlando's ethnic communities include an Asian population near downtown teeming with busy Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, markets and tailor shops. Farther east, Cuban, Puerto Rican and other Hispanic and Latin specialty stores and bakeries offer a variety of treats. Even if you’re not venturing far from popular tourist sites, you can discover authentic eateries offering tastes of Turkey, Greece, India and Lebanon as well. Of course, you won't have trouble finding fresh seafood or good Southern barbecue and soul food.

Close to Eatonville, historic Winter Park oozes with a picturesque, cultural vibe. A haven for wealthy northerners seeking to escape harsh winters in the early 1900s, the city remains a charming diversion. Its 60-year-old Scenic Boat Tour Company offer trips on board a pontoon boat along Lake Osceola, cruising through narrow canals built for 19th-century loggers. The captain may tell stories about the fancy lakefront estates spotted along the way and point out sleek cranes, herons and anhingas (also known as snakebirds) diving for fish.

Other Winter Park and Orlando art museums showcase everything from folk art to Native American artifacts. The Orlando community also boasts great live theatre, ballet, symphony and chorus groups.

Orlando treasures its ties to the land and the lakes that support local tourism. Central Florida fish camps serve up large helpings of fried catfish and southern specialties. Boat captains in Orlando and Kissimmee help eager tourists catch trophy-sized bigmouth bass. Kissimmee's Lake Tohopekaliga (known to locals as "Toho") flows into the Kissimmee River and then onto Lake Okeechobee and the Florida Everglades. It is a treasure trove of creatures including osprey, eagles, snowy egrets, blue herons, wood storks, turtles and alligators.

Transportation cont'd

Renting a car provides an enhanced sense of flexibility and is ideal for younger families, shoppers and golfers looking to get around the city. Renting will also allow you to discover other areas of Orlando, outside of the major attraction and resort areas. In addition, when staying in villa and vacation home rentals which don't offer shuttle services, you'll need a car. When booking a car with WestJet Vacations, all rentals can be picked up at the airport.

If you're planning to rent, expect parking costs around CAD$10 to CAD$12 per day (Disney resort guests receive free parking within the Disney theme parks). You'll also need to pay for any tolls you cross on toll roads—so be sure to carry some U.S. change.