Gallagher's Travels: Destination: Florida

Central Florida Offers Family Fun

By Kathie Farnell

Cypress Gardens—an old-time favorite now enjoying new popularity—is just one of the Central Florida attractions designed to appeal to families shunning the bright lights of Disney. Currently entering their 66th year, the gardens at Winter Haven on the shores of Lake Eloise were started in 1936 by Dick Pope. The gardens are in bloom 365 days a year, and the grounds were laid out to offer the best vantage points for photographers; Pope used to have a worker on staff whose job was to help visitors take pictures. Today the gardens are popular with the bridal set—500 weddings were performed last year.

Cypress Gardens' landscaped grounds

The 8000 plants in the gardens' annual beds are changed roughly every four weeks. The gardens' Butterfly Conservatory houses hundreds of butterflies, various tiny birds and at least one contented cat amidst its luxuriant foliage. Nearby, a huge banyan tree grown from a 25-cent seedling towers over surrounding trees.

The famed Cypress Gardens daily water ski show, begun in 1943, continues to draw crowds with the human pyramid and other thrilling maneuvers. Cypress Gardens skiers have claimed more than 50 world records. The "Cypress Roots" museum at the Gardens features memorabilia including the water skis used in the original shows.

Bok Tower Gardens, a national historic landmark located three miles north of Lake Wales, features a bell tower housing one of the world's largest carillons. The 205-foot marble and granite tower stands atop the highest point of ground in peninsular Florida.

This is the lightning capitol of the world-the statues of herons atop the tower are all equipped with lightning rods. Since 1929, the "singing tower" has presented a daily bell concert for visitors. The Gardens' 128 acres of camellias, azaleas and other flowering shrubs nestle beneath towering oaks; the Window by the Pond, an observation area, enables the visitor to get a glimpse of the gardens' abundant wildlife.

The 1870s Cow Camp at Lake Kissimmee State Park

Nearby Lake Kissimmee State Park offers fishing, hiking, camping and the unique "Frontier Cow Camp," where cow hunters from the 1870s recreate their way of life. "Mr.Chester," the cowpoke on duty during my visit, described his life working to round up cows for the "Cracker King of Florida," Jacob Summerlin. Florida was an open range state in those days; the cow camps, located every fifteen or twenty miles, were used by cow hunters rounding up cows to be driven to Punta Rasa for sale to Cuba. During the Civil War, the cow hunters were issued pistols and became known as the "Cow Cavalry."

Lake Kissimmee is also home to Southland Scenic Water Tours, offering guided cruises down the Kissimmee Waterway. Pontoon tour boats depart from Camp Mack River Resort, one of the oldest fish camps on the Kissimmee chain. Birdwatchers and wildlife photographers come from all over to see rare birds like the snail kite and whooping crane. During my tour we saw bald eagles, ibis, grebes and sandhill cranes, as well as several of the 8,000 cows, descendants of the Spanish herds, which roam the area.

Airboats leave Camp Mack River Resort year round

The Best Western Admiral's Inn, right next door to Cypress Gardens, makes a convenient headquarters. Antonio's, the restaurant located in the motel, features Mediterranean food cooked tableside, live piano music and singing-everything from opera to Broadway favorites-by Antonio himself as well as waiters and guests.

Another increasingly-popular lodging option is Sunsplash Vacation Homes, rental homes from 3-6 bedrooms, complete with swimming pools, located in Northeast Polk County just eight miles south of Walt Disney World. Rates currently start at $100/night; even lower rates are occasionally featured.

Polk County's many restaurants include the Antiquarian in Lakeland, located in an old Studebaker dealership, which features excellent seafood and homemade desserts in an art-filled setting. Lakeland is also home to the elegant Terrace Hotel, built in the 1920s, which has now been completely restored; the menu includes a notable clam chowder as well as pork, steaks and seafood.

Chalet Suzanne Country Inn and Restaurant, located in Lake Wales, has been voted one of Florida's' Top Ten Most Romantic Places to Stay. Situated in its own 70 acre National Historic District, Chalet Suzanne has been operated as a family-owned resort and restaurant since 1931.

For more information about visiting Polk County and other central Florida attractions, call the Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau at 1-800-828-7655.

Getting There: Polk County, Florida, is located approximately 100 miles south of Ocala via US Highway 27 South and Interstate Highway 4. U.S. Airways serves the area through daily flights into Tampa International Airport.

Gallagher's Travels

Central Florida Offers Family Fun

Pick a Destination

Features

Breaking News

HELPING THE HUNGRY

Contributing Journalists

CURRENT MOON