ORLANDO: A Different Take By Karlene Lukovitz This is one in a series of Off-the-Beaten-Path reports on cities around the world. We know you’re familiar with Disney World and EPCOT; but these city-guides will tell you about places you might overlook-places that our insiders (and long-time residents) have fallen in love with. “MOUSE-LESS” FAMILY THEME AND NATURE PARKS The Orlando area offers hundreds of small (but entertaining) theme parks and attractions that are less crowded, easier to navigate, and far cheaper than Mickey’s Place. “If you like, you can do 2-of these parks in a single day, and many offer really special nature and wildlife experiences,” says Jennifer Michaels, family-travel expert for VisitFlorida.com and editor of http://www.familytravelplanet.com/. Here are some of her favorites: Dinosaur World (5145 Harvey Tew Rd., Plant City FL; Interstate 4, Exit 17; about 1-hour from Orlando) 150-life sized dinosaur replicas in an outdoor, park-like setting — perfect for pre-schoolers and tweens Don’t miss the Fossil Dig, where kids ages 3 to 12 sift through sand in search of authentic fossils (shark teeth, sea urchins and more); each child is allowed to keep three mementos. In the Boneyard, kids uncover a life-size stegosaurus skeleton. The Caves feature a picnic area, dinosaur movies and exhibits. We have more…A LOT MORE…so please, keep reading!

Gatorland (14501 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando) What Florida visit is complete without a half-day in the “Alligator Capital of the World”? This classic 110-acre park and wildlife preserve, founded as a roadside attraction in 1949, still has plenty of bite.

• Get up close and personal with massive alligators and jungle crocs (on foot or via the fun Iron Horse train ride)
• See the gorgeous flamingos and other exotic birds (or snakes, if you prefer), and pet the barnyard animals
• Naturally, you’ll want to watch the old-fashioned alligator wrestling

Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Orlando Odditorium” (8201 International Drive, Orlando) The off-kilter Odditorium (which gives the illusion that it’s falling into a sinkhole) houses hundreds of exhibits ranging from the unusual to the outright bizarre/yucky

• See the life-size statue of the World’s Tallest Man, a shrunken head, an Egyptian mummy, a section of the Berlin Wall, and a two-headed calf

Wonderworks (9067 International Drive, Orlando) Central Florida’s only “upside-down attraction” (the whole building appears to be upside down) is billed as an “amusement park for the mind.”

• Features over 100 interactive family-friendly exhibits. You can simulate-pilot the Discovery Space Shuttle or F14 and F18 fighter jets, have your photo taken inside a Mercury capsule or astronaut space suit replica, play 3-D sports games or try some virtual combat
• Experience a simulated hurricane or earthquake, or, create gigantic soap bubbles
• At day’s end, hit “The Outta Control Magic Comedy Dinner Show” for audience-involved music, magic and comedy (plus, unlimited pizza, salad, popcorn, soda, wine and beer).

Eco-Tours and Fly Fishing at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Grande Lakes (4012 Central Florida Parkway, Orlando) This resort offers an amazing nature preserve right in the middle of Orlando.

• Eco-Tours are private, guided canoe or kayak tours of Shingle Creek — headwaters to the Florida Everglades.
• Spot alligators, bald eagles and other regional wildlife as you learn about the creek’s history.
• Want to learn fly fishing? Sign up for the Orvis Orlando Two-Day Fly Fishing school for class and field instruction.
• Other attractions include a butterfly garden, nature walks, fish feeding and catch-and-release fishing.
• Bonus attraction: At the adjacent JW Marriott, the whole family can use tubes to float down a winding river pool.

Super-inexpensive fun: Rock Springs Tube Rafting (Kelly Park, 400 E. Kelly Park Rd., Apopka, FL; Interstate 4 to State Road 434, 30 minutes from Orlando) Kids and adults can ride tubes or floats down a crystal clear running stream (25-minute run), swim in the natural lagoons along the way, relax on the shores, picnic or camp overnight in this 245-acre Orange County park. Bargain rates.

INSIDER TIP: Check out the Orlando Go Card. The card gets you discounts of 15% -50% off general admission to over 50 popular Orlando/Kissimmee-area attractions. Visitors save an average of $34 on attractions.

MUST SEE/DO FOR GROWN-UPS

Winter Park/Park Avenue
Just north of Orlando, the historic suburb-city of Winter Park and adjacent Park Avenue are famed for quaint brick, tree-lined streets, unique shops, outdoor cafes, lake boat tours, and overall romantic ambience.

• Start at the Winter Park Welcome Center (151 West Lyman Ave., open 9 am to 5 pm, weekdays only).
• Shop Orlando Vintage Clothing (2117 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park) Even if you’re not a vintage aficionado, you’ll have a ball perusing one of the largest women’s and men’s collections anywhere, ranging from Victorian to 60’s mod to 70’s disco and 80’s power outfits.

HIP NIGHT SPOTS

Independent Bar (70 N. Orange Ave.) Billed as a “retro revolution,” Independent features dancing, great disc jockeys and tunes ranging from 50’s to 80’s pop/rock, depending on the night of the week.

Back Booth (37 W. Pine St.) Friendly, hopping bar offering an eclectic mix of live music (jazz, soul, rock, punk) plus theme nights and karaoke.

HOTELS

Park Plaza Hotel (307 Park Avenue South, Winter Park) Quainter, comfortable and friendly.

• This two-story boutique hotel (opened in 1922) has a lobby and guest rooms filled with antiques, wicker, plants and ceiling fans. The balcony garden overlooks the exclusive shops and restaurants of Park Ave. Complimentary continental breakfast.

The EO Inn & Urban Spa (27 N. Eola Dr.) A premiere boutique hotel overlooking Lake Eola and the downtown skyline

• Spa facility, rooftop terrace with whirlpool, a nationally-renowned bakery-caf, and plenty of amenities, including all the technology you need to do business

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The Veranda (115 N. Summerlin Ave.) A classic European-style B&B in Thornton Park

• Five historic buildings dating from the early 1900’s

Features cottages and a carriage house, as well as traditional rooms.