Sea Life Aquarium- Orlando, FL

This past year a new attraction was built on International Dr enticing passengers to soar 400 yards above the theme parks and chaos of the streets below.  In addition to the eye there are 2 other attractions inside the facility.  One of them is the Sea Life Aquarium and the other is Madam Tussauds wax museum.  A friend of mine was able to get us into all 3 of the adventures and I thought they all are done very well. 

Check it out for yourself - https://www.visitsealife.com/orlando/

Homosassa Springs State Park - Homosassa, Fl

 

I decided awhile ago that I wanted to visit all of the state parks in Florida and I had heard that the Homosassa Springs State Park was unlike all of the other state parks as it actually had animals on display.  After a day of looking at other places in the area Chinsegut Hill and the Yulee Sugar Mill we decided it was time.  Only 5 minutes from the old sugar mill we arrived at the parking area for the state park.  The parking is free and to the left of the street is a tram that will take you free of charge over to the Visitor Center.  The right side of the road is the entrance.  Upon entering there is a gift shop and café to explore.  The prices for the exhibit is very reasonable $13 for adults and $5.00 children 6-12.  Once you pay you walk through the doors and the adventure begins.  The good thing is that it is laid out in a circle so you can begin to the right and not miss anything.  They also have a boat ride that you can ride for free that tells about the area and the animals.  It runs from open to an hour before closing.

 

 

Upon entering the loop you start off with some animals that we don't often get to see that close up

 

 

This Nile hippo was enjoying some of the nice sunshine and beautiful weather

 

The American Alligators were hanging out across the path

 

And so begins the wildlife walk.  Most of the animals here are being rehabilitated and are unable to survive in the wild. 

 

The Red Wolf was very active

 

compared to the Florida Fox

 

The screech owl

 

The Barn owl

 

Bald eagles - I can't even believe how close we were to these beautiful and majestic creatures

 

There were many different species of birds when you walk through the bird wildlife walk

 

The Florida black bear

 

The Florida Panther - he was having a blast with a ball in his cage

 

The Florida Bobcat was on high alert

 

they were in the process of building a surrounded warm area for the manatees

 

one of the main attractions of this state park back in the day was the fact that it was one of the first places you could walk under the water and see the wildlife in its natural state

 

to find out more information - hours - directions - please click here - http://www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/

Kayaking at Mount Dora Canal - Tavares, FL

Life has been crazily busy lately and I realized that I haven't done anything outside in a few months.  I kept reading about the Mount Dora canal and how absolutely beautiful it was.  I talked to a few of the ladies and we set out one Sunday morning.  Most of the places that you can put your kayak in around that area are private or you have to own your own for the public launches.  I called around and found that there was a place we could go and rent them from.  Buzzard Beach Bar and Grille was located in Tavares and rents their kayaks for $10/hr per person - 2 hour minimum.  Upon arriving at the place we parked and were given a brief description on the lakes and the areas. 

We started out on Lake Eustis and had to paddle to the right to make it to the canal that connects Lake Dora to Lake Eustis.  Upon first arriving in the canal we had to be careful with the electric boats, but about a mile in we were able to take a right into a less traveled more peaceful canal.  A blue heron was our guide for the day.  He flew ahead of us pretty much the entire trip, always staying a few yards ahead of us.  The canopy of trees was unbelievable and was so intense in some areas the temperature fell a good 10 to 15 degrees.  Unfortunately, we did not see any gators as mating season just ended and most are with their babies and not normally visable.

After the kayak we stopped into Buzzard Beach bar and grille for a beer and lunch.  The food was delicious the prices extremely reasonable.  I would recommend this to anyone that loves hanging out doors. 

Click here to find Buzzard beach bar and grille