Kennedy Spacecenter Visitor Complex. The John F. Kennedy space center is located on the central Atlantic coast of Florida about 50 miles (75 km) due east of Orlando and midway between Miami and Jacksonville. The actual spaceport and launch facilities are located on nearby Cape Canaveral, a vast peninsula with restricted public access. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, just outside of the cape is open to the public daily from 9 AM until 5 PM. It includes many exhibits, films and displays, plus it offers opportunities to tour the actual spaceport and launch facility.
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Florida Beaches. There are a lot of beaches to choose from in Florida. The state is surrounded by ocean on three sides and has over 800 miles of beach front with thousands of miles of additional shoreline on the many bays and inlets. As is common along most of the eastern coast of the US, the Florida beaches are usually located on long narrow islands or sand bars separated from the mainland by back bays or salt water marshes. The beaches are usually accessible via long bridges or causeways.
Universal Studios Escape. Universal Studios Escape in Orlando Florida is making a strong effort to compete with Disney World, and they are off to a good start. With the recent opening of Universal’s new theme park called Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Escape now has two full-sized theme parks and a City Walk area, to compete with Disney’s four theme parks, and Downtown Disney area. Universal also opened its luxurious Portofino Bay Hotel, the first of several new on-property hotels scheduled to open in the next few years. Universal’s continued expansions are ensuring its status as a must-see attraction in the Orlando area.
Disney World. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is not just a theme park, but a huge resort complex covering 47 square miles. The resort contains four separate theme parks, three water parks and 99 holes of golf on several different courses. Miles of outdoor recreation are available including hiking, biking, boating and swimming. It has three separate areas containing shopping, dining and entertainment facilities as well as a fourth area with nightclubs. A fairly new addition to the resort is the state of the art sports complex where Disney hosts a wide variety of sporting events. Finally, there are about 18 Disney owned and operated hotels and several non-Disney hotels in the resort. All this combined with many other attractions in the Orlando and central Florida area can be quite overwhelming.
Tampa, Saint Petersburg and Clearwater. Tampa, Saint Petersburg and the beachside community of Clearwater are all located around Tampa Bay on the western coast of central Florida. They are within two hours drive of Orlando, Disney World, Universal Studios and the surrounding entertainment complexes. This is a popular beach resort area for families that come to Florida to see the Orlando attractions.
. Silver Springs is a hidden treasure in north central Florida that is usually missed by most tourists. It is located near Ocala, Florida just 75 miles (120 km) north of Orlando. Located at the headwaters of the Silver river, the springs gush nearly 550 million gallons (over 2,000 million liters) of crystal clear water every day creating the largest natural artesian spring formation in the world. The waters of Silver Springs and the nearby Silver River are so transparent that this has become a favorite location for the filming of underwater scenes in many movies and television shows.
Sarasota Florida. The City of Sarasota and the surrounding area are known as the cultural hub of Florida. An abundance of sun, sand and water provide a stunning backdrop to museums, botanical gardens, wildlife sanctuaries and professional theater, dance, art and music. Officially recognized as having the finest, whitest sand in the world, beach life couldn’t be better than here.
Panama City, Florida. The northwestern extension of Florida that stretches along the Gulf Coast is usually called the “Panhandle of Florida”. It is less developed than other parts of the state with sparser population and vast expanses of wild pine forests. The climate is a bit cooler than the southern parts of Florida but it still offers mild winters, hot summers and pleasant spring and fall weather. Its beaches are magnificent with warm shallow waters and fine white sand. The Panhandle attracts fewer tourists, and remains a favorite “undiscovered” vacation spot for local vacationers and retired couples from the northern states.
Orlando, Florida. Orlando is located in central Florida 75 miles northeast of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach. It is 50 miles due west of Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. Best known as the home of Disney World, this city is also the center of the largest concentration of family entertainment attractions in the world.
Miami, Florida. Miami is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida at the southern tip. It is warm year around and usually very hot and humid during the summer months. Most tourists prefer to visit during October through April. Outdoor sports and swimming are open all seasons, so be sure to take your swimming suit and plenty of cool clothing. A sun hat and a good sunscreen are essential even in the winter months. In Miami, dress is always casual, with sundresses, jeans or walking shorts appropriate during the day. A few higher-class restaurants require jackets and ties, but most do not.