Family Ziplining Over Gators Orlando’s Gatorland is the perfect theme park for the reptile lover in your family to see alligators up close. Try the park’s Screamin’ Gator Zip Line, where you’ll soar from heights up to 65 feet, at speeds near 30 mph, on a 1,200-foot-long course over Cuban and Nile crocodiles. You’ll fl y above an alligator breeding marsh while some 130 gators watch from below. For family members who prefer to stay on the ground, more attractions await including Adventure Hour, Rookie Wrestling, Gator Night Shine, the Trainer-for-a-Day program and numerous wildlife exhibits. ð Screamin’ Gator Zip Line at Gatorland, Orlando SPLASH AND SWIM WITH FLORIDA’S BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS Scan this page with your smartphone to watch a video about swimming with dolphins at Marineland near St. Augustine. Download the free Layar App. See full instructions on pg. 12. Milestones & Celebrations By Amy Shepherd Dow Search { Weddings or Reunions } at VISITFLORIDA.com The ideas below should help you make some major memories. For more ideas, search for your topic at VISITFLORIDA.com. Getting Married? Whether it’s a gala event or a simple ceremony on Sunset Cove Beach, capture the moment at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. If it fits your theme, host a welcome luau barbecue. Near Tampa, Cross Creek Ranch offers two elegantly rustic venues: the Carriage House Stable and the French Country Inn. Having a Baby? The babymoon package at Island Cottage Oceanfront Inn & Spa on Flagler Beach offers prenatal massages and a ‘Baby Shower in a Basket.’ Or, for a glam celebration, relax with Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa’s package for mocktails and spa tummy rubs in Palm Beach. Then shop Worth Avenue and lounge at the resort’s tea bar. Hosting a Family Reunion? A few minutes from Disney, The Palms Hotel & Villas is the ideal family hub with its condo-style accommodations, kids’ pool and sandbox, basketball court, grills and golf access (plus complimentary shuttle to the parks). On Florida’s northwest coast, Sunrise Beach Resort in Panama City offers three-bedroom units and bunk rooms. Popular shopping and entertainment complex Pier Park is practically next door. Milestone Birthday? Sarasota’s relaxed-Miami style is reflected at Hyatt Regency Sarasota, a downtown waterfront gem near Main Street, upscale bars and restaurants, and St. Armands Circle shopping. Down south off Key West, Sunset Key Guest Cottages are on their own private island. Breakfast baskets are delivered every morning to each cottage, some of which have their own plunge pools. A ferry transports guests to Key West’s buzzing Old Town in minutes. Major Anniversary? Set this anniversary in lovely Seaside on northwest Florida’s gulf coast. Design it to include beach bonfires, dolphin tours and tee times through Cottage Rental Agency’s top-notch concierge service. Or celebrate your romantic history at St. Augustine’s Casa de Solana Bed and Breakfast amid the old-world charm (use one of the many romance packages typically offered). ð PHOTOS: GATORLAND; JACK GARDNER PHTOGRPHY FOR COTTAGE RENTAL AGENCY; TIDELINE OCEAN RESORT Top: Cottage Rental Agency, Seaside; Bottom: Tideline Ocean Resort, Palm Beach OFFICIAL VISITOR’S GUIDE 4 49
Visit Florida Visit Florida 2017: Page 49
