Inexpensive and smothered in nature, these scenic campgrounds are the best for RV and tent campers within an hour’s drive of Disney World.
Orlando/Central Florida
Two top campgrounds, pristine beaches, surfing, kayak the lagoon and fab fishing at Sebastian Inlet
Sebastian Inlet has always been a favorite destination, and these two public campgrounds will make your getaway pleasurable.
Ancient oaks caress the soul at Highlands Hammock
Old-growth live oaks draped in air plants and Spanish moss dominate the 9,000-acre Highlands Hammock State Park, one of Florida’s original state parks. It offers lush nature trails, scenic bike riding and shady camping.
Frank Lloyd Wright buildings make Lakeland campus unique — and beautiful
Florida Southern College in Lakeland has been named one of the 20 most beautiful college campuses in the country. The campus is unique: Nowhere else in the world has more buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Local color: Lake Placid Caladium Festival, July 23 to 25, 2021, is about a vivid plant
This small town festival celebrates a uniquely Lake Placid product: caladiums, a colorful plant grown commercially almost nowhere else. There’ll be music, food, a car show, arts and crafts plus bus tours of the caladium fields.
Local sodas are back at Sebring Soda Festival, April 2-3, 2021
Sebring, a small town along the lovely Lake Wales Ridge in Central Florida, is staking a claim for something new — Florida’s first (and only) craft soda festival, the Sebring Soda Festival. Local small-batch sodas made with real sugar are making a comeback, partly as an outgrowth of the craft beer phenomenon. This Sebring festival is a good opportunity to taste what it’s all about.
Top hiking trails near Orlando: Little Big Econ State Forest
Some of the best hiking near Orlando can be found at the Little Big Econ State Forest, where bluffs along a scenic river add interest. The forest is 5,000 acres preserved in a suburban area in the middle of the triangle formed by Orlando, Cocoa and Daytona Beach.
Discover Lake Wales Ridge State Forest for hiking, exploring, camping
Lake Wales Ridge State Forest is for explorers – folks who like to find places that aren’t in the guidebooks. Here you can hike for miles in the woods, hear only nature and have a chance to spot wildlife, including bear, bald eagles and endangered scrub jays.
Deseret Ranches: Tour a surprising Florida cattle ranch
Even many Floridians don’t know that cattle ranching in Florida is big business. This interesting free tour near Orlando offers a peek into one of the biggest cattle ranches in the nation, and it’s owned by a church.
Dora Canal: It’s short but so sweet, so paddle slowly
The Dora Canal could be the prettiest one mile you’ll paddle in Florida. The waterway connects Lake Dora and Lake Eustis in Tavares, just west of Mount Dora.
Florida Strawberry Festival: March 4-14, 2021
Reba, Neil McCoy, Patti LaBelle, Josh Turner, Lynyrd Skynyrd headline 2020 Florida Strawberry Festival
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