Pensacola has something for everyone from babies to retirees. Sun lovers will have fun in the sun on Pensacola Beach. Golfers, fishermen and race car drivers alike will enjoy the activities that Pensacola offers.

Dining is not a problem for visitors with so many choices including many seafood restaurants. Other favorites include McGuire’s Irish Pub, The Angus and Will Call Sports Grille. For seafood, check out Atlas Oyster House, Crabs, The Fish House, Flounders Chowder House, Palace Oyster Bar at Seville Quarter and Skopelos On The Bay Seafood and Steak Restaurant.

Bring some spare change for the Pensacola Greyhound Track and the Florida Lottery. The Pensacola Greyhound Track offers fully enclosed and climate controlled facilities to enjoy greyhound racing. The on-site restaurant offers dinners and a wonderful view of the track.  

The Florida Lottery has many retailers in Pensacola who offer the Florida Lotto, Power Ball and the fun instant-win scratch-offs. To learn more before playing, visit this website.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular Pensacola attractions:

Pensacola Beach

Aside from live music, air shows, shopping and dining, the beach itself offers beautiful white sand and relaxing ocean breezes. Swimming, boating, surfing, fishing and diving are activities practiced at Pensacola Beach. The most active time to visit the beach is from April to September. Learn what is happening now at the beach on their website.

The Blue Angels Air Show

The Blue Angels Air Show flies over Pensacola Beach in July and also performs at NAS Pensacola in November. This is a must-see demonstration of aerobatic maneuvers of the four plane diamond formation. They have more information posted on their website. 

Five Flags Speedway

Home of the Snowball Derby, this half mile asphault round track features Super Late Models and five other classes of cars for Saturday night racing from March through October. Scheduled events and information can be found online at www.5flagsspeedway.com.

The Gulfarium

Dolphin lovers and marine life enthusiasts will want to travel just outside of Pensacola to visit the Gulfarium, home to bottle-nosed dolphins, marine mammals, fish and birds. Visitors can arrange to have a dolphin encounter with a spotted dolphin named Kiwi. More information is available online at www.gulfarium.com.

Seville Quarter

Seville Quarter is Pensacola’s Premier Entertainment and Dining Complex, known for its night-life and music as well. Live music is playing in different areas of the quarter nightly and offers something for everyone. The website shows current schedules and events at http://www.rosies.com.

The Zoo

Just outside of Pensacola in Gulf Breeze are more than 30 acres of free-roaming wildlife. The Zoo offers more than 1,200 animals. Hand-feed giraffes and take a ride on the Safari Line Limited Train to view the animals. Hours and information are found on the zoo’s website at http://www.thezoonorthwestflorida.org.

Visit the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The museum offers free parking and admission. The museum is located at the Naval Air Station, just seven miles west of downtown Pensacola. Their website is http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org and offers additional information.

With so much to see and do, Pensacola is the perfect spot in northwest Florida for visitors. Accommodations, maps, weather and information can be located here.

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Disney is like a magical wonderland to all who visit.  Bursting at the seams with lively colors, larger than life characters, and sounds and smells galore, it can be hard to get your bearings when you first arrive, and figure out what the best attractions are to help you jump start your day.

That being said, I am going to go over the top 7 must see attractions available at the Disney theme parks, to start you off on the right foot! 

First up is Disney’s Magic Kingdom.  The Magic Kingdom was the original Disney theme park, and is now a staple feature in all Disney locations.  The top attractions here are for the thrill seekers, namely the mountain roller coasters, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain.  There is a third one, but those are the two most popular at Magic Kingdom.

At Disney’s Epcot Center, it is really a bit like a constant fair.  Featuring an around the world international pavilion it is a great place to try international cuisine and see many a live show.  Probably one of it’s best attractions however is the IllumiNations fireworks show presented after dark over the lagoon.  It’s beautiful and not an attraction you will want to miss!

Disney’s MGM Studios has several great attractions, but one of the most popular there is the Tower of Terror.  Once again designed for the thrill seeker, just making the trip to the tower is an experience in and of itself.  And once you find yourself inside the elevator, plummeting in a mere seconds long free fall you will understand the appeal, and most likely want to do it again!

Another very popular attraction at MGM is Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3-D, which is an excellent choice for the whole family.  The spectacular technology coupled with the lovable Muppet’s make this attraction a must see for everyone.

Finally, we have Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which is an amazing experience all on it’s own.  It’s focus, while still having rides like a typical theme park also features an awe inspiring African animal safari.  The two top featured attractions for Animal Kingdom are Expedition Everest, which is the first ‘true’ roller coaster available there, and Kilimanjaro Safari.  Be aware though that Expedition Everest is for the real adrenaline junkie.  The roller coaster tops out in speeds almost twice that of Space mountain, roughly 50 miles per hour, with some hair raising bends and turns.

Kilimanjaro Safari is suitable for all ages, and basically you get to ride an open sided, safari truck across Harambe Wildlife Reserve.  The ride can be a bit uncomfortable for some if your not into bumpy, but the rewards are well worth it.  You will see spectacular wild animals like zebras, giraffes, elephants, flamingo’s, cheetahs, and baboons, just to name a few.  And since animals are fickle creatures no safari ride is ever the same.  You will see what you will see, and next time around you could just see something amazingly different.  Definitely a do not miss attraction of Animal Kingdom!

OK, so that wraps up the top 7 must see attractions inside the 4 Disney theme parks.  There are tons of other things to do inside each park, and tons of things to see, so don’t limit yourself to just one or two.  It could in fact take you several days to wade through all the great things to see and do inside Walt Disney World theme parks, so you might want to just plan on taking your time and getting a 4 day pass or something similar.  Trust me, you will have a blast!

However, there are some basics that hold true for all theme parks and that’s what I will cover here!

First of all, buy your tickets in advance.  There is nothing worse than wasting two hours of your day standing in a long line to purchase entry tickets.  That is not getting off to a good start at all!  Also remember to arrive at least an hour early to park.  Lines are extremely long in the morning, and many times the parks will open early to allow for parking.

Because both Cast members and the animals are just starting their day, mornings are very busy.  Rafiki’s Planet Watch and viewable medical procedures happen in the morning, and also morning is the best time for animal spotting’s on the Safari, so you will need to decide ahead of time which you’d prefer to do.

If you decide ahead of time whether or not your group is willing to split up to ride the Expedition Everest coaster can also shave some time off your day.  Instead of heading there first thing and fighting the huge morning crowd, you can wait until later in the day and use the single riders line.

Another thing to note, is don’t attempt to walk all the nature walks.  It’s impossible and you can still see a good chunk just by varying your routes from attraction to attraction.  Also, remember to dress appropriately.  Florida is hot and muggy and tends to rain when you are least expecting it.

So go prepared, and if you find yourself running out of steam due to heat and lack of food, head on over to Africa’s Tusker House to grab an afternoon lunch and much needed rest.  It is one of the few places offering indoor dining, and a great place to have a bit of a noon time break with out actually leaving the park and fighting to get back in.

You can also get a little wet if you find yourself getting hot mid day and want to do a bit of cooling off, at the Kali River Rapids.  It is a thrill ride with a message and you are sure to get a kick out of it.

You will also want to remember that Animal Kingdom closes a little earlier than the other parks.  As early as 5pm in off season, and 8pm in peak season.  When creating your schedule for the day, keep that in mind so that you can be sure to see everything you hope to see.

Also take advantage of a bit of psychology, and look for empty lines to the left.  Unless something is roped off, it is probably not closed, but because most people tend to veer to the right, many don’t even realize there are less crowded rides off to the left.

Finally, don’t forget to enjoy the details of Animal Kingdom.  Part of it’s charm is that it’s a theme park and animal habitat all wrapped up into one.  Nature trails abound, and there are tons of unique things to see and do besides the major attractions.  Enjoy that, as it’s something you won’t necessarily find at other theme parks, and have a wonderful Animal Kingdom experience!

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From Pink Floyd to Bob Marley, the Space Transit Planetarium at the Miami Museum of Science offers its visitors Friday laser shows. In the past, the laser shows were given once a month on Fridays, however, they are also hosted on special occasions.You will have to contact the museum directly since the schedule might have changed. After the laser show is over, there is also free telescopic observing from 8am-10pm. Laser show admission is $7.00 for adults and $4.00 for children. Laser glasses are included in the price. The Miami Museum of Science is located on 3280 South Miami Avenue in Miami, Florida.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

As a native of Florida for 27 years, and a resident of Fort Walton Beach for five years, I have learned a few things about getting around the Fort Walton Beach and Destin areas (for more travel information, please see The Small Towns of Florida.  This area of the Florida Panhandle is located between Pensacola and Panama City, and until recently was one of the few beaches left in Florida not spoiled by waves of tourists.  Unfortunately, overdevelopment in these cities has made it more difficult for both the first-time visitor and the residents to get around.

Getting There

At the present time, there are no major cruise ship operators in the Destin and Fort Walton Beach areas, so in order to get to this area of Florida you will need to fly or drive.  There are two commercial airports in the area, one in Valparaiso (just north of Niceville) and the other in Pensacola.  At the present time there are more carriers flying in and out of Pensacola, and the competition causes airfares to be about $100-$150 cheaper than Valparaiso.  Driving from the Pensacola airport to downtown Destin will take about 1 ½ to 2 hours depending on traffic and the time of the day, however, whereas driving from Valparaiso takes only 15 to 20 minutes.   

The I-10 corridor brings most of the driving tourists into the area.  As you come from either the east or west you will see many signs for the Mid-Bay Bridge exit.  This bridge (and exit) was built specifically for tourists who want to get into the middle of Destin as quickly as possible.  The bridge connects Niceville and Destin, and costs $5 per car (more for semi-trucks).  Although the drive is pretty, there is a way to avoid the toll.  The next two exits directly east of the Mid-Bay Bridge exit go to SR-85.  This road is the one the locals use, and it goes through downtown Fort Walton Beach.  If you stay on this road, it will connect to Highway 98.

Getting Around

While in the Fort Walton Beach and Destin area, Highway 98 will be the main road you will take to get to your hotel, restaurants, and entertainment.  Due to overdevelopment in recent years, however, this highway can be very congested during the peak tourist season.  Unfortunately, city planners never left any room for an alternate route for this road, so the only thing to do is avoid driving during peak times of day.  Rush hours on 98 are typically between 7AM to 8AM and 4PM to 6PM.  For a tourist, these times are easy to avoid simply by sleeping in late and going to the beach in the late afternoon and early evening (this is also the best time to visit the beach if you like smaller crowds and less sunburn). 

If possible, try to get a hotel or cottage-rental on “Old” or “Scenic” Highway 98.  This road runs parallel to a portion of Highway 98, and is frequented by tourists.  Although the speed limit is much lower, you will be able to see the beach and avoid a lot of the commuter traffic along the “new” highway.  A lot of people also enjoy walking along this road; it is much easier to get around than driving a car and it’s easier to see the beach.

If you get tired of Destin, travel west on Highway 98 to Fort Walton Beach.  Although there are no public beaches within the city limits once you are on the mainland, Fort Walton Beach is where most of the “natives”  live, and therefore it has cheaper shops and restaurants.  SR-85 (labeled as Eglin Parkway) is full of cheaper restaurants, and Mary Ester Boulevard has a lot of good shops.

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Jacksonville, Florida is a wonderful place to spend time visiting and there is plenty to do there. Whether you are old or young, Jacksonville has something for everyone.

The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is a popular tourist attraction if you want to spend an entire day with your family outdoors. You can pet live sting rays here, kids can climb into a tree house and act like monkeys, and this zoo has many animals for you to see, including panthers, lions, and elephants. You can even feed giraffes at this zoo.

Be sure to check out the Annabelle Lee River boat while you are in Jacksonville. Located at 1840 Perry Place, this old-time stern-wheeler boat will take you on a never-to-forget historic tour of the St Johns River. This boat accommodates up to 150 people and even has refreshments on board. You will feel like one of the earliest Floridian pioneer.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is a must-see if you enjoy outdoor gardens. Take a walk down this museum’s beautifully winding pathway and enjoy fragrant blooms It also has a gift shop, indoor art, coffee shop & bistro for you to spend your whole day here if you desire. There is quite a bit of Japanese and porcelain art featured at this museum.

Don’t miss out on Riverwalk, a popular riverside meeting place for locals and tourists alike. You will enjoy a scenic view of the bustling city skyline and there is over one mile of restaurants, bars, shops, and even a marina.

The mature side of us (at long last, age has its benefits) can appreciate the effort, talent, and creativity that goes into the theatrical productions and state-of-the-art rides, while our youthful, emotional side is energized with the nostalgia and excitement of being transported into magical and fantastic environments.

With this said, our ideal vacation to the theme parks did not include long lines with thousands of noisy teens and whining kids. Here’s where planning comes in – and while it might sound like work, it is really fun and exciting, as you learn about the parks and anticipate what you will be doing at each one. 

 
“Disney Magic Kingdom’s parade thru the lens of an empty nester”

Plan the Trip

The first thing you want to do is decide when to be in Central Florida. For a relaxing empty-nester experience, choose a time when there will be relatively pleasant temps and reduced attendance when most teens and kids are in school. A December trip prior to the Christmas holiday week is a good time to avoid crowds, while having the added benefits of holiday decorations and daily seasonal events.  The first five months of the year are also good choices for the theme parks, but some attractions may be closed for maintenance, or the park staff may be working on new shows.

Before creating the itinerary, decide where you will stay in the area, as your choice may affect your itinerary.  Accommodations are plentiful in the Orlando-Kissimmee area.  Options include park-owned hotels, other commercial hotels and motels, and timeshare resorts. Some of the hotels on park properties offer free shuttles that bring you to their respective park entrances. However, if you plan to attend other parks, or want to come and go as you please, a rental car is still an attractive alternative to relying on taxis or waiting for shuttles that charge a fee per person.

We booked a week at Sheraton Vistana Resorts in Kissimmee, where we are timeshare owners. Timeshare units have the comforts of home (or apartment) in a resort setting: our unit had  a living room, a dining area, a full kitchen, two bedrooms and two bathrooms (with bedding and towels supplied), free housecleaning one time during the week, and a washing machine and dryer. Many resorts are like mini-villages, with their own shops, restaurants, sports and activity centers, pools, tennis courts, and golf courses. Some of the resorts in the area will also rent units when there is availability. You can also go online and find timeshare owners looking to rent their unit or week. Believe it or not, the rental rates can be less than a hotel room. Plus, you can’t beat the value when you include all of the additional benefits, and the opportunity to save money or manage diet restrictions by preparing your own meals and snacks.

All of the Orlando-Kissimmee parks are huge, which equates to a substantial amount of walking outdoors on a daily basis. Planning will make the difference between avoiding stress and physical discomfort, and having a miserable time. The planning phase is a great time to start a walking program to prepare for walking on miles of concrete. This doesn’t mean that if you are physically challenged you should reconsider vacationing at these theme parks. On the contrary, the major theme parks have made substantial efforts to provide for park attendees with physical limitations, including renting motorized wheelchairs for a nominal fee. While we walked around the parks, we noticed many people who took advantage of this service. 

Create an Itinerary

Create your empty-nester, theme park itinerary using a grid of days, parks, and options. Research theme park web sites and other Internet resources to help identify attractions that seem exciting to you. We also referenced a wonderful paperback book whose title was apropos — Birnbaum Guides 2008  Walt Disney World Without Kids, Expert Advice for Fun-Loving Adults. 

After we decided which parks we wanted to attend, we added the names for the four Disney parks at the top of four days in the grid, and set aside one day each for Sea World and Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. With all of the walking we were going to do, and all of the park options we were anticipating, we didn’t want to waste time each morning deciding where we were going, or figure out what we should do next.

Identify potential attractions within the same theme areas in each park. We focused on selecting shows and multi-sensory attractions.  Rides were rejected or placed on a secondary list if we felt they could be physically problematic for those with motion-sickness or back and neck injuries. We also investigated parade times at the various parks, and noted attractions along the parade routes. Lines into attractions close to the parade routes are usually the lightest during the parade. 

Many of the parks that remain open after sunset provide multi-media shows at the end of the day. These spectacular productions run between 20 to 40 minutes long, and may include fireworks, a theatrical component, laser lights, recorded narration and music, and even video projected onto fans of water. Park sources recommend that you should get to the location of the show as early as ninety minutes prior to show time.

Add the evening shows to the itinerary to help you gauge when you should start making our way across the large park to the show area.  It will also show you when you have available evenings to do activities outside of the theme parks. On one of the free nights, we attended Cirque Du Soleil’s show at Downtown Disney (cirquedusoleil.com). The unique, acrobatic and aerial acts in “La Nouba” were set against a background of ethereal, live music. The show seemed more geared to a mature audience than some of the other Cirque productions we’ve heard about. We found the production emotionally dark and depressing, reminiscent of a sci-fi techno thriller. 

Include Meal Times and Reservations

Most full-service restaurants in the parks require reservations for lunch and dinner, even during off-peak seasons.  Make sure you book weeks in advance for these restaurants. Identify restaurant names, reservation times, and phone numbers on the itinerary, so you can plan where you should be in the park for the restaurant, or when you should leave the park to get there. By adding this information to the itinerary, the phone number will be easily accessible to reschedule or cancel a reservation..

We didn’t want to tie ourselves down to specific dinner times every day, so we opted for one full-service meal in one of the parks.  Our choice was the Shark’s Underwater Grill at the Shark Encounter in Sea World (for reservations, call 407-351-3600). We ate a delicious seafood dinner (entrees range from $17 to $25) while watching the sharks, rays, and other fish swim in the large glass aquarium. The waiter was very knowledgeable about the 50 or so varieties of marine life, and assured us that these particular fish were not potentially the entrees on the menu. 

Many of the parks now offer healthy choices, such as salads, fruit, and yogurt at the cafeterias, fast-food and cart-style locations. The parks also allow attendees to bring food and water. This is certainly helpful if you have dietary or health restrictions, or just want to keep expenses down.

Our timeshare unit had a full kitchen, so we decided to shop at a local supermarket. We ate breakfast in our unit, and prepared lunches. We brought our lunches into the parks in the morning, and kept them in park lockers along with our jackets. Lockers in the parks are plentiful during an off-peak week. You have unlimited use of the locker for a rental price of $5 – $6/day, depending on the park.

The only drawback to visiting the Orlando-Kissimmee parks during the off-peak season is that many of them close early in the evening. We used this opportunity to take advantage of other dining options. Our resort concierge recommended two restaurants on International Drive in Kissimmee. We went to Vito’s Chop House for dinner , and made sandwiches the next day with the leftovers from the perfectly seasoned, on-the-bone aged steaks. 

The second restaurant was Café Tu Tu Tango’s, a tapas restaurant designed after an artist’s loft in Barcelona, Spain. We were there on a Tuesday night when local artists come in weekly to paint and display their work at various art stations throughout the restaurant.  We enjoyed Café Tu Tu Tango’s flavorful and zesty tapas so much, that we also ordered take out from the restaurant the next night to eat dinner on our patio, and had the leftovers for lunch on the following day at one of the parks.  

During planning, we thought that seven days in Orlando during an off-peak, non-holiday week would be plenty of time. By the end of the week, we realized that ten days would have been a better length for us. There were many other Orlando-Kissimmee parks and attractions that we would have loved to visit, if we had more time (including Sea World’s Discovery Cove – we took a short tour of the beautiful tropical village park,which offers a day of swimming, snorkeling, and dolphin interaction for one entrance fee per person (check out pricing and the all-inclusive day package at www.discoverycove.com).   

Our Favorite Attractions

We are partial to marine mammals, so we recommend all of the shows at Sea World, which demonstrate the special relationship we humans can have with marine mammals. This Sea World also has a wonderful live exhibit about the fragile existence of Manatees in the Florida waterways.

The live performances of Disney’s animated movies (some with puppetry and singing animatronics), such as ““Voyage of the Little Mermaid” in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and “The Festival of the Lion King” in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, were like watching Broadway-level, Disney musicals.

One of our favorite multi-sensory movies was, “It’s Tough to be a Bug,” which is hidden underneath a 145-foot, man-made Tree in the center of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Part of the fun of this attraction, in addition to wearing 3-D glasses, is that you will feel physical sensations coming from the chairs that emulate bug activity. 

This was the first time we weren’t rushed through Epcot Center by bored kids. In fact, we decided to spend two days in Epcot and forgo Magic Kingdom.  We spent an entire day just in Future World — where the iconic dome is located — interacting with hands-on exhibits and shows with environmental themes. We leisurely strolled in and out of the shops in the World Showcase area on the next day.and watched street performers from the represented countries. Make sure you stay until the end of the evening for the “IllumiNations” show over the big lake in the World Showcase area – bring jackets for the cooler evening.

The new “Toy Story Midway Mania” ride in Disney Hollywood Studios (this park used to be called “Disney MGM Studios”) is a perfect empty-nester ride. While wearing 3-D glasses (called Carnival Games Goggles), the car slowly moved us across five interactive screens that replicated classic carnival midway games, while we aimed our individual toy cannons and shot simulated projectiles at the virtual, moving targets on the screens. It is one of the most technologically sophisticated attractions developed by Walt Disney’s Imagineering team, costing an estimated $80 million to design and build. The ride tallies points, and measures accuracy, for each player. Laurie received more points, but Marty’s accuracy was better – so, we both won! What a hoot!

“Nostalgia awaits empty nesters at Disney Hollywood Studios”

Check Out 2009 Information

Disney is offering free admission to one theme park on guests’ birthdays in 2009. Register birth dates on one of the Disney web sites (disney.go.com or https://disneybirthday.delivery.net/reg.jsp?source=wdw) and present the confirmation page and valid ID to the Will Call window at the park of your choice.

Rules and prices (which change seasonally) for parking, entry, park hoppers and park passports, as well as attraction information, can be found at each park’s official web site (for example, disneyworld.disney.go.com, seaworldorlando.com, universalorlando.com).

Do or Don’t Use a Fast Pass?

In the itinerary, we placed a check mark beside shows and attractions with a Fast Pass option.  The Fast Pass is a ticket you retrieve at a particular attraction in the park in place of waiting in a long line to get in. You return anytime after the posted time marked on the Fast Pass ticket, and walk right into the attraction.  It sounds like a great idea, especially when the park is crowded. However, there are some drawbacks with relying on a Fast Pass ticket:  there is no central station for you to pick up the Fast Pass tickets, so you still have to walk over to the attraction, which could take up a lot of time just to get to that part of the park. Birnbaum’s Guide recommends that you pick up a Fast Pass early in the morning before the limited number for an attraction run out. By the time you can take advantage of the Fast Pass option, you may find yourselves on the other side of the park. Even with all of the pre-trip planning, you may find that by this time, you have no desire to walk back, or there might not be enough time to get back for the next show! Luckily, we we didn’t need to obtain Fast Passes, as we either walked right into a show, or stood in line for an acceptable wait time of under 30 minutes.

Empty-nester Checklist for Orlando-Kissimmee Theme Parks

When planning your trip to the Orlando-Kissimmee area, we suggest that you remember to take the following items into the parks:

1. Smiles – prepare for a wonderful journey into magic and fantasy.
2. Detailed itinerary – for a stress-free week, allow for spontaneity, but include first choice shows/attractions, meal ideas and reservation times, park closing hours, etc.
3. For those who have a tendency for motion sickness (like we do), consult your doctor for either an over-the-counter product or prescription to prevent motion sickness.    As long as we remembered to take our favorite over-the-counter, non-drowsy brand before we left for a park, we never developed motion sickness after sitting through a simulator ride. 
4. Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses. If it isn’t raining in Central Florida, then sunny days even in winter are usually bright and warm. Protect yourself from sunstroke, heatstroke and dehydration while walking around. Bottles of water are available for purchase in practically every shop and food stand.  Or, bring your own bottles of water into the parks.  You can always refill them with water from the cooled water fountains. For a reprieve   from the sun, all restaurants, shops, and attractions are air conditioned.
5. Raincoat, long sleeve shirt, jacket.  The parks don’t close with bad weather, so be prepared by bringing these items with you and throw them into a locker. Evenings can get cool; in fact, December temps can go from a pleasant 75 degrees during the day to a chilly 40 degrees when the sun sets. If you forget to bring a raincoat, you can always purchase a thin, plastic hooded rain poncho at the park shops.
6. Comfortable shoes.  Each park has been developed on hundreds of acres. You will be walking on literally miles of cement.  Make sure you bring shoes that provide good arch, calf, and back support!  Motorized wheelchairs can also be rented at the parks (call or check the park web sites for prices).
7. Cell phones.  When we separated, we called or text messaged our whereabouts.

Image taken by Author

After some careful observation, it appears that all of the springs nestled within the foliage of the park have similar Geology, consisting of circular pools and drifting off the banks made of limestone, dirt, and clay. The water is crystal blue, with light brown and yellow algae on the bottom.

Image taken by Author

Image taken by Author

The springs are surrounded by cabbage palms and Spanish moss, draping the trees, as you venture down the trails into the winding forest. Stay away from the edges and the mass amounts of marsh and brush, there’s alligators everywhere!

Image taken by Author

Source

Image taken by Author

According to Rosenau “et al. (1977, pp. 396-7), the small spring was originally just a seep that was deepened by a well 100 feet deep. Hydrostatic pressure caused the well to flow, creating what looks like a natural spring today. All three springs have relatively high salt content.”

The History

Gemini Springs was a great place of commerce and government during the early days of the Florida frontier, and the city of DeBary. In the 1800’s, farming of citrus, timber, and the tapping of longleaf pine trees for turpentine, were of great importance on the land. During the turn of the century, John H Padgett constructed an estate near the entrance of the springs where his family “raised cattle and grew sugar, operating a cane press and selling sugar juice to passengers on the trains as they passed by on the railroad to Enterprise.”

Image taken by Author

In 1969, the Gray family purchased the park, naming it Gemini Springs and continued to raise prize-winning Santa Gertrudis cattle on the property. They built a dam and holding center for a section of the springs, where several different species of fish are breeding including Garr, shadow sunfish ( who typically spawn in freshwater, but they mature in the ocean), Sand Darter, and many more.

Also check out these Geological pieces:

Eight of the Most Scenically Breathtaking Natural Springs in the World

Astounding and Terrifying Facts and Photography: Polarity Reversal

The World’s Most Spectacular Sand Dunes

World’s Insanely Mysterious Crop Circles Around the Globe

The parking lot is 100 percent unfenced dirt, good and flat with a shade tree or two. A smiling pink plyboard pig on the railing holds up a ‘Barbecue’ sign in hopes of luring customers.

“I’ve never worked in a restaurant, so I don’t know how it’s supposed to be done,” says owner operator Judy McGee. “I never go to another restaurant.”

“I just always wanted to bake. I wanted a bakery. I was baking all the time,” says Ms. McGee. “I always wanted a big table to cook on. So my husband made it. My husband has made every table in the place.”

John McGee also made the counters, chairs, benches, the front desk and just about everything else. But not the dough.

Dough at the Bread House is made fresh everyday the old fashioned way: By hand.

“My bread stays two days,” says Ms. McGee.

“Then it’s discarded. There are no preservatives. The pizza places roll stuff up in dough that has no flavor at all. We make our own bread or it can be a loaf of Stromboli,” she says.

“Our dishes are very labor intensive. And if it don’t look right, it’s not going to taste right to the customers,” she says. “Somebody actually sneaked my Stromboli recipe. I had to change it.”

Judy McGee of Citra and Norah Cossak of Ft. McCoy are chief cooks, bottle washers, order takers, and phone answerers. They are the floor moppers and dishwashers. And they keep a watchful eye on whatever is in the oven.

“We experiment a lot. If it turns out wrong, we sit down and start laughing,” says Ms. McGee.

“After my stroke, I tried to get people to help. I thought I paid them good money. Now Nora helps me. She’s my friend,” she says.

“I don’t get many people in to eat. Today we had three. But we get nice people. If they get grouchy, they go elsewhere.”

The Bread House is one of those things you put in the back of your mind and keep it, says Jim Deal, a Home Depot representative traveling from Jacksonville.

“I’ve seen this place a million times. Today I stopped. I’m glad I did. I love Stromboli.”

The Bread House aims to please, says Ms. McGee.

“We gave up trying to make money five years ago.”

Disney Transportation is Amazing

• When we stay at a Disney hotel, we can park our vehicle and not return to it until the morning we check out of our hotel. My husband enjoys this because he doesn’t have to get directions each day or follow a map. A big plus is that we don’t have to spend any money on gas for the week.
• Disney transports their guests by using busses, boats, and monorails. My kids were especially thrilled by this when they were younger. One of our favorite memories is from riding in the front of the monorail with the driver. Anybody can do this; you just need to ask the person working at the monorail station. Sometimes you will have to wait for the next monorail and usually, you will have to change back to one of the regular seats at the next station to give other guests a turn. It really is a great thrill.

Disney Hotels are Themed

• Disney hotels are themed so well, that they feel like their own little world. We love staying at the Polynesian because it feels like you are in Hawaii. When staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, everything makes you feel like you are in Africa. It’s not just the landscaping and the buildings. Disney even makes an effort to choose some of their employees to fit the theme. You will see many Africans working at the lodge and many Hawaiians at the Polynesian. There are too many hotels to list, but each Disney hotel is expertly themed. It’s a great part of the trip.

Afternoon Naps or Swims Can Be Easily Accommodated

• The best thing about staying on site is the proximity to the parks. It’s really easy to head back to your room and take a nap or afternoon swim. Many times, we will come back to the hotel and relax before heading to dinner at one of the parks. That way you are refreshed and can enjoy riding a few more rides or enjoy the parades or fireworks.

Disney Extra Magic Hours Alone Could Make the Decision

• Disney’s extra magic hours allow guests of Disney resorts to enter the park early or leave the park late. You will be amazed at how many rides you will be able to enjoy before the parks get busy. Our family particularly likes the late night hours. On these days we sleep in and have a nice late breakfast at the hotel before heading to the parks. Sometimes we spend the day swimming or shopping at Downtown Disney and head over around supper time. It’s wonderful to be able to miss the heat of the day and enjoy the rides late into the night.

These are the reasons that we consistently choose to stay on site these days. The biggest con to staying on site is the price. You can always find nice clean rooms off site for a lot less. As long as we can afford to stay at a Disney hotel, we will keep choosing to stay on site so we can enjoy the benefits. These little things really add up in allowing a Disney vacation to be a relaxing vacation.