Winter Park
Remember when I said that Orlando had culture, but you just had to look harder for it and drive further to it? Well, I did. Just because you don't remember doesn't mean that I never said it. Anyway, this past Sunday while my Mets were losing their 4th game in a row and the Magic were starting their first game against Boston (and first lost of the post season), I was on the bucolic lakes of Winter Park, Florida.
For just $12, The Scenic Boat Tour of Winter Park will take you on a guided one hour tour of the lakes and canals of Winter Park. From their website:
Located on Lake Osceola in the quiet suburb less than 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, the boat tour offers hour-long, guided cruises through three of the seven lakes and two, narrow manmade cannals on the tranquil Winter Park chain.
On any given tour, participants may observe large cranes swooping waterside to snag a large fish or a lazy alligator languishing on a nearby bank. An occasional water skier or racing shell full of crew members from the areas private liberal arts college, Rollins, are also enjoyable sideshows for tour goers.
This is the second time that I've taken the tour, and it is a great experience for the native Floridian, recent arrival, or tourist. I have found that it is a great way to show visitors and guests a part of Central Florida not associated with a certain high-pitched rodent. Soon after I moved down to Orlando, I invited my parents (long Florida residents) to join me on the tour, and this past weekend my girlfriend's family was in from out of town. After a week of Disney and the Outlets, I think they really enjoyed the change of pace.
