Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Snorkeling among tropical fish and floating on the lazy river through the
bird aviary at
Discovery Cove
.
2
Wandering Hogsmeade's cobblestoned streets, flying through Hogwarts
and zipping through Gringotts at Universal Orlando Resort's
Wizarding World
3
Paddling quietly past alligators and blue herons on the Wekiva River at
4
Watching Magic Kingdom's
Main Street Electrical Parade
and sticking
around for
Wishes Nighttime Spectacular
fireworks over Cinderella's Castle.
5
Poking through art museums, window-shopping and sampling some of Or-
lando's best farm-to-fork dining in
Winter Park
.
6
Meeting Sleeping Beauty after sipping wine in Italy and watching the
Beatles in England at Disney's
Epcot
.
History
In 1824, three years after Florida became a US territory, swampy Mosquito County was
established. The first US settlers arrived in 1837, and in 1838 the US military built Fort
Gatlin as a base for the Seminole Indian Wars. Upon Florida statehood in 1845, Mosquito
County changed names to the far more alluring Orange County. Orlando grew and in 1875
the 2-sq-mile city (population 85) was officially incorporated. With the arrival of the rail-
road in 1880, the region became a popular orange-growing and tourist center. WWII
brought air bases and missile building, but it was the 1971 opening of Walt Disney World's
Magic Kingdom that paved the way to the city's contemporary reputation as the theme-
park capital of the US. Today, it is the USA's number-one travel destination, welcoming
more than 57 million visitors in 2013 alone.
State & Regional Parks
Hundreds of lakes, thousands of acres of protected woodlands, wetlands and waterways,
and several excellent state and regional parks offer easily accessible hiking, boating, bik-
ing and other outdoor activities. You can rent kayaks and canoes at both
Wekiwa Springs
State Park
and
Lake Louisa State Park
,
and
Orlando Wetlands Park
is an excellent place
for birding. For horseback riding, head to
Rock Springs Run State Reserve
,
about a half
