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There is more than Mickey Mouse

Central Florida's world-famous family oriented theme parks attract millions of visitors every year. With magical mice, mammoth sea creatures, glitzy movie stars and a wide variety of outdoor activities, it's no wonder Orlando is a top choice of visitors of all ages the world over. Families experience Orlando's magic at more than 80 area attractions, including Sea World of Florida, Universal Studios Florida, and the family entertainment mecca - Walt Disney World.

Kids of all ages thrill at the familiar sight of Cinderella's castle as they come into view over the Central Florida landscape. For more than 25 years, Walt Disney World has been making dreams come true and turning fantasy into reality. The Walt Disney World Resort is a 30,500-acre world-class entertainment and recreation complex featuring three, soon to be four, theme parks - Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Animal Kingdom, opening in spring 1998 - plus resort hotels, a complete shopping village, nighttime entertainment, water parks, campgrounds and restaurants.

Built around Cinderella's castle, Disney's Magic Kingdom branches out into seven whimsical lands with rides, shows, restaurants and shops based on the favorite Disney themes of Fantasy, Yesterday and Tomorrow. Families can take a Jungle Cruise in Adventureland, sing along with country bears in Frontierland, visit a haunted mansion in Liberty Square, take flight with Peter Pan in Fantasyland, encounter aliens in Tomorrowland, and that's just for starters! Be sure to take a break between rides to enjoy the colorful parades that dance through the streets several times a day. And the children will love the chance to dine with their favorite Disney characters. Disney-specified resorts serve eight breakfasts and five dinners with Mickey, Minnie and all their pals each day.

Another world-famous Disney landmark is the massive silver geosphere of Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Here visitors will find two amazing dimensions of discovery. In Future World, visitors can explore the newest inventions, plunge into the mysteries of the deep or take a nerve-wracking ride through the human body.

While at the 11-nation World Showcase, visitors can stroll around the world, enjoying rides and sampling food and entertainment from Mexico to Norway and Morocco to Japan - all in a day!

At Disney-MGM Studios, fantasy becomes reality every day. Here, such movie favorites as "Beauty and the Beast," "The Little Mermaid," "Indiana Jones" and "The Twilight Zone" come to life in dazzling shows, exciting rides and colorful parades.

Venturing out of the Walt Disney World theme parks, visitors are faced with a dizzying array of family-oriented attractions. At Sea World of Florida, the world's most popular marine life adventure park, children delight in watching the creatures of the deep flip, flirt and frolic. In more than 20 major shows, attractions and educational exhibits, the park opens a window into the fascinating mysteries of the sea. Visitors can chat with friendly dolphins, touch baby stingrays, laugh at the antics of polar bear cubs, play in Shamu's Happy Harbor and, of course, watch a "killer" show starring the 5,000-pound whale and friends. Watch out for the splash zone!

At nearby Universal Studios Florida, families can actually step into the action. Soar through the air on E.T.'s bicycle, rocket into the future in the Delorean from "Back to the Future" and try to escape the terror of the Terminator. Guests can also experience a behind-the-scenes peek at Universal's working motion picture and television production studios. Kids will love touring Nickelodeon Studios, where they can test out new games that may be used on Nickelodeon television shows. And if the kids should happen to get slimed or soaked, just head over to make a splash at Wet 'n Wild. With acres of slides and flumes to choose from, visitors to Wet n' Wild's water park can float down the Lazy River or experience the exhilaration of the Black Hole.

From racing cars and jarring movie rides to crooked mansions and spooky fun houses, visitors can enjoy full- and half-day excursions to more than 80 Central Florida attractions. Swashbuckling, arrow throwing and fire blowing aren't usually allowed at the dinner table, but at the themed dinner theaters in the Orlando area, expect the unexpected. Families can end their day in Orlando with plenty of great food and riveting live entertainment.

Location, location, location - right at Walt Disney World's doorstep - may be what brings many visitors to Kissimmee-St. Cloud. But what keeps them there is the area's beautiful scenery and small-town charm, along with unique attractions all its own, making Kissimmee-St. Cloud a favorite family destination. Visitors can explore the mysterious Orient, wander past lovingly restored warplanes, gaze at exotic flowering orchids and gasp at huge alligators - all within in a few short miles!

To the southwest, Polk County offers plush gardens, daring water skiing and the fantasy of flight. The most famous Polk County attraction is the 61-year-old Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven, known for its premier botanical gardens, world-famous water ski revues and old-fashioned Southern hospitality. At this botanical paradise, guests can meander through a wonderland of free-flying butterflies, meet the world-famous Southern belles, stroll past gigantic topiaries, thrill at the high-octane ski shows or take a leisurely boat cruise through the gardens and nearby lake.

Visitors can also explore the area's fantastic aviation attractions, featuring aerial adventures ranging from high-tech flight simulators to antique aircraft.

Polk County's historic districts offer families a slight change of pace and scenery. Stroll through more than 30 antique shops and boutiques in the heart of Lakeland's Munn Park Historic District. Or take a delightful walking tour of the area's historical buildings.

To the northwest, Marion County's family attractions include deep springs, drag racing and horse farms. Just outside of Ocala, Silver Springs, Florida's oldest attraction, has been thrilling visitors for more than a century. Tourists first arrived by stagecoach and steamboat in the late 1800s to marvel at the largest artesian spring system in the world. Today, Silver Springs is a 350-acre nature theme park, where glass-bottom boats glide through crystal-clear waters as pure as they were more than a century ago. And the pristine, undeveloped Florida wetlands are still teeming with native wildlife. But modern-day families will find plenty of exciting new attractions, such as a Jungle Cruise past giraffes and monkeys, a Jeep Safari through a teeming alligator pit or a Lost River Voyage past the vessel remains from early Spanish settlers. The park's newest exhibit, the "World of Bears," offers heart-pounding encounters with huge grizzly and Kodiak bears. At the wildlife rehabilitation outpost, naturalists talk about the wild animals that are rescued and rehabilitated at Silver Springs.

At other Marion County attractions, vacationers can trace the history of drag racing or view art and antiquities from around the globe. Driving through the rolling countryside of Marion County, travelers will spot numerous horse farms. Home to champion thoroughbreds, the county boasts more than 400 horse farms, many of which are open to visitors.

Off-the-Beaten-Path

Beyond the fireworks and neon glow of Orlando's world-famous theme parks are a myriad of cultural and historical sites that should not be missed. Although off the path most tourists take through Orlando, many of these unique, smaller attractions can be easily reached thanks to Culture Quest, a shuttle service to the area's top cultural venues - Orlando Museum of Art, the Orlando Science Center and the Harry P. Leu Gardens, to name a few.

Scattered just outside Orlando are a handful of charming small towns with plenty of personality all their own.

Winter Park offers eclectic art and distinctive scenery. The world's most comprehensive collection of Tiffany glass has been gathered at the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. While the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, housed in a Spanish-style villa at Rollins College, features European and American paintings from the last three centuries. After strolling through art museums, drift through history and nature on a Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour along picturesque lakes and past magnificent mansions.

The tiny enclave of Eatonville is America's oldest African-American municipality and home to Zora Neale Hurston, a famous Harlem Renaissance writer. The town's historical significance is portrayed through churches, buildings and the Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts, which rotates exhibits by artists of African descent.

Further up the road, Maitland offers numerous treats for curious travelers, from the avant-garde Enzian Theatre to the Victorian-era Historic Waterhouse Residence and Carpentry Shop Museums. Visitors will also want to explore the Maitland Art Center, which is both a gallery and a working art school. Charming artists' cottages and studios surround the main gallery, where contemporary art is showcased through changing exhibits. For a tour through this small town's past, visit the Maitland Historical Museum and Telephone Museum, where historic photographs and old-fashioned telephone switchboards are on display.

Walking along Kissimmee's main street, visitors can take a step back in time. The Arcade Theatre, built in 1925, and the turn-of-the-century Makinson's Hardware Store are still in use today. Representative of a typical Florida cracker-style house, circa 1905, the Spence-Lanier Pioneer Center houses a museum, smokehouse and washhouse. Next door, the 1890s Tyson House country store sells locally produced crafts. Just across the street, visitors can stroll along a wooden boardwalk through an 8-acre nature preserve.

Southwest of Orlando, Polk County showcases dinosaur bones, bell towers and water skiing memorabilia at several out-of-the-way attractions. Located in Polk County's "Bone Valley," the Mulberry Phosphate Museum is home to more than 3,000 petrified fossils, ranging from the skulls of a rare three-toed horse and six-horned antelope to an 18-foot skeleton of a 10-million-year-old Baleen whale. Most of the fossils were discovered within a 50-mile radius of the museum during commercial digging for phosphate.

Built on the highest point in peninsular Florida, Bok Towers is one of Florida's most famous landmarks. Although its place in the Central Florida landscape is well known, its unique structure and beautiful gardens are less familiar. The tower, constructed of pink and gray Georgia marble and coquina stone from St. Augustine, houses more than 57 bronze bells, which ring out daily recitals across the hills of Central Florida. Visiting musicians and moonlight recitals are scheduled throughout the summer and winter. The surrounding 157 acres of gardens and nature trails feature azaleas, camellias and magnolias, and provide habitat for a colony of wood ducks and 126 other wild bird species.

Due to its rich water ski heritage dating back to the 1940s, when water skiing came into its own at Cypress Gardens, Polk County is today recognized around the globe as the "Water Ski Capital of the World." The area's strong attachment to the sport is underscored at the Water Ski Museum/Hall of Fame, which houses the world's largest collection of water ski memorabilia. Special exhibits include the Pioneer Hall, where water skiing's early years are shown on film and in still photographs and the Barefoot Display, which traces barefoot skiing from its start in 1947 to the present time. Adventurous visitors can learn from and ski with some of the world's best skiers at numerous championship-level ski schools throughout

Polk and Lake counties.

As strange as it may sound, the world's largest group of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings is on the campus of Florida Southern College in the small town of Lakeland. Built in the 1940s with the help of students, the college only had enough money to build 12 of the original 18 structures designed by Wright. Today, many of the buildings are open to the casual visitor. Walking tour maps guide visitors through the only planetarium Wright ever designed, and to small but splendid chapels.

The small towns and extraordinary roadside attractions cradled between graceful rolling hills and shimmering lakes along U.S. Highway 27 are often overlooked by motorists heading south toward Orlando on Florida's Turnpike. But curious travelers will find a trove of unique stops along Lake County's highways and byways. Driving along uncommercialized County Road 48 in Lake County, Yalaha Country Bakery's colorful gingerbread-painted building should be enough to make passers-by stop for a closer look, and the bakery's mouth-watering pastries and breads will make them glad they did.

In nearby Clermont, stop along U.S. Highway 27 at the National Presidents Hall of Fame to see an amazing reproduction of the White House - in miniature. The 60-foot-by-23-foot model is an exact replica of the real White House, down to President Clinton's books in the Oval Office.

Perched atop a hill outside Clermont, the Spanish-stuccoed architecture of the Lakeridge Winery speaks more to the famed valleys of Europe than to the once-famed citrus groves of Central Florida. But American wine making actually began in Florida, when in 1562 some French Huguenot settlers started fermenting wild muscadine grapes near present-day Jacksonville. As the only winery in Central Florida, Lakeridge is now helping the industry make a comeback in the Sunshine State. Visitors can take free winery tours and enjoy wine tasting. Just down the road is a U-Pic-Em muscadine grape grove, where visitors can pick grapes and try their hand at wine making. If the grove's owner does not happen to be around, a friendly sign asking them to take a bucket and leave $4 greets visitors.

Off U.S. Highway 441, wayside travelers can explore Mount Dora's charming collection of antique shops and turn-of-the-century hotels or enjoy the art festivals frequently held in the village.

Although famous for its man-made attractions and entertainment venues, Central Florida is also home to an extraordinary mixture of ecological systems and natural park reserves.

Known for its thrilling animal shows and up-close sea creature encounters, Sea World of Florida also plays a major role in marine research, endangered species breeding and animal rescue and rehabilitation. Through the park's specially designed programs, visitors can experience firsthand the majesty and mystery of the ocean. The Dolphin Interaction Program educates visitors about bottlenose dolphins, giving people the opportunity to touch, feed and communicate with the friendly marine mammals.

Wildlife and nature study are full-time activities at Tosohatchee State Reserve, near the festively named town of Christmas, in eastern Orange County. With 19 miles of frontage on the St. Johns River, the reserve offers scenic hiking routes along dikes and numerous vantages for wildlife observation.

Although only minutes from Orlando's hustle and bustle, Kissimmee-St. Cloud has acres of cattle pastures, miles of peaceful lakes and rivers and quiet parks where Florida birds and wildlife abound. One way to explore the area's natural beauty is on a narrated nature cruise on Lake Tohopekaliga where there is ample evidence of the area's Native American history and where bald eagles, wading birds and alligators grace the scenery.

To the southwest, Polk County offers natural adventures ranging from a frontier cow camp to the Green Swamp. A little known slice of Florida history comes alive at Kissimmee Cow Camp in Lake Kissimmee State Park. Here, the life of the Florida cracker cowboy or "cow hunter" is recreated as visitors travel back in time to the year 1876. Visitors will find cow hunters at work in a frontier camp, where cows are rounded up and branded each spring. Those observing the Florida cowboys at work will need to phrase any questions about their history in the proper context of time because these cow hunters pretend to know nothing of the modern world. The park also features 13 miles of nature trails through habitat for bald eagles, sandhill cranes, turkeys and bobcats. Camping and fishing are also welcome throughout the park.

Bird-watchers will be pleased to discover the 42-acre Lake Region Audubon Nature Conservatory in Winter Haven. Winding nature trails and a boardwalk over the waters of Lake Ned provide excursions into the world of nature, where visitors can observe numerous species of wildlife. Famous for its bird watching, the conservatory is home to over 140 species of birds, including a flock of bald eagles, red-tailed hawk and green-backed heron.

Polk County's Green Swamp offers an ecosystem with few intrusions from the industrialized world, leaving the habitat truly natural and undisturbed. Within Green Swamp, visitors can canoe and fish in the headwaters of five rivers, bike along abandoned railroad corridors - including the 28-mile-long Polk County Rail Trail that passes through the swamp - or simply marvel at the spectacular natural beauty of this rare habitat. The swamp is the wintering ground for numerous migratory birds, and panthers have been spotted on rare occasions.

With hundreds of lakes to choose from and cooperative weather throughout the year, active visitors will always find a place and a time for a water skiing adventure in Polk and Lake counties.

Aptly named Lake County boasts more than 1,000 shimmering freshwater lakes. Not surprisingly many of the area's activities center around water.

Want to learn how to measure the length of an alligator that is mostly underwater or hear giant Japanese bamboo crackle as it grows or spot playful otters romping in the water? Then hop aboard Captain Charlie's pontoon-boat tour of picturesque Dora Canal. Visitors will learn all about the area's historic lakes and canals. After floating beneath the dense canopy of green formed by ferns, cypress trees and a lush variety of vegetation along the canal, travelers will see why one awed visitor once called this the "most beautiful half-mile of water in the world."

Ocala National Forest, home of the largest sand pine forest in the world, covers more than 300,000 acres, three-quarters of which are in Marion County. But don't be fooled by the name - Ocala National Forest offers much more than just lush, unspoiled forests. Visitors can canoe through miles of marshlands, hike across dry prairies and past sinkholes, camp beside clear springs, under moss-draped water oaks, and swim in natural freshwater pools.

Along Lake County's tracts of the Ocala National Forest, cyclists and horseback riders will also find plenty of activities. Conquer Lake County' first all-terrain bicycle trail, which runs 22 miles through the Ocala National Forest. The scenic rural route enables cyclists to enjoy Lake County's natural beauty while at the same time giving their legs a work out on some of the most challenging hills in Florida. The local cycling club coordinates organized rides on Saturdays and Sundays. Commune with nature by horseback riding along tranquil forest trails and stopping for a picnic lunch beside a babbling brook. Nestled along the edge of the Ocala National Forest, Fiddler's Green Ranch offers guided trail rides lasting from a couple hours to overnight. Overnight campouts can be arranged for groups of six or more and include a barbecue dinner, campfire entertainment and a chuck-wagon breakfast.

At Rainbow Springs State Park, near Dunnellon in Marion County, visitors can kayak down the crystal-clear Rainbow River or walk along paths past 50,000 native plants to unique waterfalls.

Forty-five minutes northeast of Disney World, Seminole County provides a natural alternative to the typical Central Florida vacation. The area's 2,000 freshwater lakes and the clear-running rivers that course around three sides of the county provide plenty of unique adventures. To the east runs the St. Johns River, which at 342 miles is the longest navigable inland waterway in

Florida. The St. Johns River basin and the surrounding wetlands provide a natural habitat for a wide variety of plant and animal life. Exploring the area aboard a guided nature cruise, visitors may be lucky enough to spot bobcats, wild boars or even the Florida black bear. Glancing into the water during the winter months, visitors may spot a slow-moving endangered Florida manatee munching on aquatic vegetation.

Running along Seminole County's western frontier is the popular Wekiva River, where spring-fed waters flow through the shade of an ancient and delicate semi-tropical forest. Wekiva Springs State Park, located at the headwater of the river, provides locales for horseback riding, fishing, bird watching and nature hiking on more than 13 miles of trails through distinct landscapes ranging from wet, marshy swampland to dry, sandy elevated plateaus. But the best way to experience the river and see its inhabitants is by canoe. Several canoe outfitters operate along the river. In addition to canoe and boat launching, Katie's Wekiva River Landing offers half- and full-day eco-adventure trips featuring kayaking, all-terrain cycling, hiking, horseback riding and educational lectures.

Nearby at Lake Jesup in Oviedo, take a wild airboat ride deep into alligator country. Local fisherman attest to seeing sunning alligators "stacked like cords of wood" along the lake's banks. Unofficially, the lake claims to have the nation's highest concentration of alligators per acre. But each September, thrill-seeking trappers help keep the population manageable through a state-regulated alligator harvest. Offering the thrill of a big game safari, the statewide harvests attract both curious observers and plucky participants.

To the south, Highlands Hammock State Park, near Sebring, has served as a model for the Florida State Park System for over 60 years. Back in 1931, local residents, with the help of Civilian Conservation Corps, saved this pristine cypress swamp and hardwood forest from being turned into farmland. Today, visitors to the 4,694-acre park can explore a boardwalk through a cypress swamp, 11 miles of horse trails and ranger-conducted tram tours through the backcountry. Visitors will also spot alligators gliding a few feet below the boardwalk and see towering trees, some more than 1,500 years old.

Couples can start their Central Florida morning off with a sunrise balloon ride over Orlando, sharing a champagne toast while sailing on warm breezes over breathtaking views of the city. Magic and romance are also in the air at Walt Disney World. Already one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the world, couples can even get married here and ride to the reception in Cinderella's carriage.

For quaint historic districts ideal for walking tours, antique browsing, shopping, dining and sightseeing, visitors should head south to Osceola County. Main Street in Kissimmee, housing a variety of unique shops, has changed little in appearance over the years. In nearby downtown St. Cloud, visitors will find many Spanish colonial-style historical structures, and an antique district featuring a wide variety of shops and family-oriented restaurants. Pick up a map at the historic chamber of commerce building and create a personalized leisurely walking tour for two.

On a high limestone bluff overlooking a lake, historic Mount Dora beckons visitors with its dozens of quaint antique shops, several turn-of-the-century bed-and-breakfast inns and the only hotel in the county to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The village has plenty of old-world charm but it is also gaining a reputation as an artsy Central Florida enclave.

Newfangled gourmet eateries, stylish coffee shops and unique art festivals give the wayside traveler plenty to explore. For refreshment, stop in at Windsor Rose Tea Room for high tea or Dickens-Reed for books, conversation and a cup of joe.

Spend romantic nights aboard a 1940s-style Great Lakes steamer called the New Rivership Romance. Docked in the small Seminole County town of Sanford, the New Rivership Romance plies the St. Johns River in grand style, with Tiffany-style lamps and plush seating. Or climb aboard the majestic river queen La Reina and take a 60-year step back in time. Built in the 1930s from native Florida woods, the craft once gave pleasure rides to such illustrious guests as Jimmy Stewart and Babe Ruth. Newly refurbished and outfitted as a pleasure cruise craft, La Reina once again reigns over the scenic waters of Lake Harris in Lake County. Couples can enjoy watching the sun set while sipping champagne aboard the boat.

St. John's River Cruises offer nature tours on a pontoon boat, as well as, airboat tours of the St. John's River. Visitors to this attraction can spend time learning bout Florida's natural environment and savor Florida favorites at Gator Landing, the restaurant affiliated with St. John's River Cruises.

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