A Florida Vacation to Remember

Here’s a terrific website for discovering luxury deals and convenient accommodations for your next trip to Florida: Ocean Florida. They showcase some of the most beautiful Florida villas and vacation packages I’ve seen. The villas are incredible, something right out of a book. You can rent them for your Florida vacation stay, or even purchase a villa. The villas are nestled in small cul-de-sac areas, very close to major Florida attractions (such as Disney World), but still distant enough from all the crazy traffic and activity.

New Yorkers have a special affinity for Florida. Most of my Mecomber relatives permanently live down there, now. I don’t see how they can tolerate the Florida heat and humidity. I’d much prefer to visit every year, especially come late February in the the dead of New York winter. Ocean Florida offers some attractive packages including “last minute” packages. These packages are geared toward travelers from the UK, as Ocean Florida is managed by Como St Travel, and is based in Romford, Essex. They are one of the largest and most popular service in the UK, blending knowledgeable consultants and great rates. Customer satisfaction is high.

The photos and package deals are incredible. There’s also a terrific Florida guide page, with maps and articles detailing various attractions for the different regions of Florida. So if you’re looking for a place to hang your hat this winter, or are even daring enough to brave Florida’s heat for a summer trip to Disney World, do check out the website. Besides the excellent deals and accommodations, you can glean a wealth of travel information from Ocean Florida.

The No. 1 Out of State Destination: Florida

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Kissimmee Tourism. All opinions are 100% mine.

For New Yorkers, Florida is like our front porch. We go there to relax, to have fun, to build our retirement homes, and to save money on taxes! Almost all my relatives live or have lived in Florida now. It’s a New York tradition: want to avoid freezing your butt off this winter? Want to have an affordable out-of-state vacation? Destination: Florida!

I have visited the state a few times. One of the most memorable was when I was a young lady and got to stay for several weeks in the Orlando/Kissimmee area. It was incredible! I got to see Disney World (this was when Epcot had just opened), and a terrific Universal Studios wax museum. Then, we spent some time at the coasts, both Atlantic and Gulf. Wow. I can still see the aquamarine water lapping on the white beaches. It was quite an experience. I want my kids to see it someday. I wish I still had my photos of my time there; unfortunately, they burned in a house fire. I guess I’ll need to take more photos, eh?

I stayed in Kissimmee. Kissimmee is a beautiful, family-friendly city. It’s south of the hustling, bustling Orlando– if you want to see Orlando or be able to see both Florida coasts, I recommend you stay in Kissimmee. The tourism department there is superb– they really know their stuff and they are very eager to please. Plus, the entire area is geared for tourism. Besides the usual amusement parks, boutiques, shops, golf courses, and entertainment venues, Kissimmee has even more spectacular attractions for anything you can think of. This is a really good time to go, too, because the season is just beginning and the New York snowbirds are coming home (which means more elbow room for you). And the birds are migrating- my boys are bird-watching freaks. Imagine seeing a Tri-Color Heron or White Ibis swoop down in front of your binoculars! That would be cool.

Bird Watching
Kissimmee is surrounded by parks, and many of the parks are boggy and filled with birds. The parks are meticulously kept– they have wooden decks for pedestrians and bicyclers. The countryside is just amazing.

Flower Power
Going on right now until May 16th is The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Imagine seeing Florida’s best flowers all in bloom in vivid displays (The name “Florida” means “Feast of flowers”). Plus, there’s a butterfly garden, hosted by “Minnie Mouse.” You can go to enjoy (and breathe in) Florida’s luscious flowers, as well as meet some expert horticulturists who offer tips on gardening.

The Heritage Trail
History! This is right up our alley. Kissimmee has a spectacular historical tourism venue: a Historical Society & Pioneer Museum with a village set in the late 1800s; the St. Cloud Historical Museum with historical stuff on cowboys, the railroads, and military paraphernalia; historical museums about Osceola County and Kissimmee, and loads more. We love this kind of stuff.

Airboat Rides
TOTALLY COOL. What would I like to do? THIS!!!!

But best, best, best of all— Kissimmee has (are you ready?) a Medieval Castle! I SO want to see this. It’s a “dinner theatre” kind of attraction, but the place is HUGE. They serve Medieval-times food in an Medieval-times atmosphere. Actors and actresses perform shows. And best of all, knights hold lancing contests. Wow! I love the Middle Ages– I study the history in my free time– and this would be THE thing to do in Kissimmeee. Plus, Kissimmee has other dinner theatres: Arabian Nights, Pirates, and more.

Guess What, There’s More
Plus in nearby Orlando, there’s the incredible Titanic Museum (I am a big fan of Titanic history)! The kids and I have studied the history of the ship and other ships, as well as the “Gilded Age” of America. This would be an incredible experience.

And… we would never go to Florida without seeing THIS: TBN’s The Holy Land Experience. Wowsa!!!! Have you heard of it? It’s near Kissimmee, in Orlando. It’s a huge, huge reproduction of ancient Jerusalem and the ancient Holy Temple. They have shows, historical tours, and so much more. That would be the experience of a lifetime. Wow, after thinking of all this stuff, I think we need to ramp up our plans to see Florida! It all sounds so amazing, doesn’t it?

Kissimmee superbly blends the cultural, historical, and natural attractions. You can drive 10 miles in any direction and experience something new and amazing. It’s so impressive! Check out Kissimmee, Florida, for your next vacation– the rates are good and they’d love to have you visit! Click the link for more ideas of what to see and where to stay.

Catch the Manta Wave

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always wanted to see SeaWorld in Orlando. I did SO want to go when I visited Orlando, years ago. Still haven’t been there (yet). I love aquatic-oriented vacations– my favorite place to visit are aquariums and other such oceanic places. There’s just something about the oceans that fascinate me, always has– shipwrecks, deep sea creatures, underwater exploration– it is all just marvelous to me. So to read and hear about SeaWorld’s latest feature– Manta– is very exciting! Take it from Ted– it’s exciting!

(Just for the record, I think I’d be barfing by the end of it– I’m looking forward to the aquarium!!)

So obviously, SeaWorld is promoting their new attraction in a big way– win front-of-the-line tickets! It’s really easy to enter. There are six activities to particpate in, all very easy to do. They include: a Manta quiz (it’s easy– if I can do it, you can do it); submit a creative photo of you displaying “I Heart Manta”; email three friends to sign up and try the activities to win; create a short video of how excited you are about Manta and upload it to YouTube; download the Manta mask and snap a photo of you wearing it; send a short tweet to SeaWorld @RealShamu. Go through all six steps and you could win a free “Front-of-the-line” pass! What have you got to lose?!

Win a Free Trip to Florida!

Who doesn’t love a sweepstakes giveaway? And- hey- you have nothing to lose by entering. It’s the Kissimmee Freedom to Enjoy Sweepstakes going on now. There are three getaway packages up fpr grabs: (3 days/2 nights) for two people, and two week-long vacations for four people. The next drawing will be held on June 1, 2009, so be sure to check out the details now before it’s too late!

Kissimmee is a fantastic place to have a vacation- there’s historical places to visit; nature trails; amusement, water, and theme parks; Seaworld, Disney and Epcot nearby; places for kids; romantic beachfronts; and more. Star planning your vacation by checking out the Kissimmee website, and maybe you’ll win your vacation! The website has a lot of stuff to peruse– places to visit, places to stay, things to do, a travel guide, and a page of special offers and deals for the whole family (like stay 2 nights, get the third night free, etc). I’d just love the chance to SEE Florida again– the Gulf of Mexico is stunning and how I long to sink my toes into that pearly white sand and watch the turquoise waves wash up on the beach. I think we’d really enjoy to see the many colonial-era homes there, as well. Florida is loaded with history and nature trails, which are right up our alley. I’ve entered the contest– it’s easy to enter. See the site for more details. And for more chances to win, if you visit Kissimmee, FL, before May 22, 2009, you can collect game pieces from participating tourism partners– use these pieces to enter the codes onto the Freedom to Enjoy sweepstakes site to win a trip back to Kissimmee! Nice!

May Manta Mania at SeaWorld

If this does not look like the most incredible thing, I don’t know what does– SeaWorld Orlando is opening up a new attraction– Manta– in May. This new attraction includes a FLYING rollercoaster in the shape of a Manta Ray, and it looks amazing! The Manta at SeaWorld seamlessly blends high-technology, science, and, uh, gravity!

Manta is an underwater, floor-to-ceiling, massive aquarium– except that it’s much, much more than an aquarium– of tropical rays and other fish, where you are so close to the underwater world that you feel you are right there. And you practically are! The star of the show is an enormous “manta ray” on steel rails. People are strapped to its belly, ready for the ride of their lives. TOTALLY cool!

The website has more information including some very stunning theatrical video shorts that show what Manta is all about. It left me speechless; it’s so beautiful. When I take the kids to Florida, we are GOING, no doubt about it. It’s just so beautiful.

Manta opens May 22, 2009, and a heavy turnout is expected (yeah, no kidding). SeaWorld is offering a promotion for the new attraction– go to the Manta website and look for the button that says “Participate & Win.” You can get some great prizes and, if you finish all six activities on the website, get a “front of the line” pass for SeaWorld Manta. SeaWorld has made it easy to particpate, too– check out and follow SeaWorld on Twitter (@RealShamu) for tips and hints, and/or find answers for the Manta quiz on the Manta website. This is definitely an attraction you will not want to miss!

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