OUTDOORS & NATURE Top Nature Experiences : AN INSIDER VIEW Majestic landscapes and wildlife lie just minutes away from the theme parks. Meet the nature guides who spend their lives sharing their expertise with visitors, then take a walk—or ride—on the wild side. By Suzanne Gerber DAVID LEMIEUX Operations Manager & Rescue Guide, Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park SPECIALTY: Outdoor sports enthusiast who oversaw every detail of park creation WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE: Our aerial obstacle courses are mentally and physically challenging—and exhilarating! During your adventure through the pine forest, you’ll traverse suspended rope bridges and nets, swing like Tarzan and careen down a zipline. There are two courses for kids, three for juniors and four progressively harder ones for adults. WHAT’S TO LOVE: Adults get to be a kid again, and kids feel very grown-up! Everyone gets a stimulating but safe adventure. This is the perfect way to overcome a mild fear of heights. You’re so focused on the obstacle in front of you that you don’t think about how high you are. TIPS: Come early in the day during the summer. Wear gym clothes and sneakers, and bring a hat. ORLANDO TREE TREK ADVENTURE PARK 7625 Sinclair Rd., Kissimmee (407) 390-9999 • orlandotreetrek.com ALEX FRIEDRICH Tour Guide, The Paddling Center At Shingle Creek SPECIALTY: Ecologist, tour leader, children’s program educator WHAT YOU’LL EXPERIENCE: Guests can take a self-guided kayaking, canoeing or stand-up paddleboarding tour along the 2.5-mile Shingle Creek, or join one of our led expeditions. (Newbies can have a free mini-lesson before departure.) Our newest marina, about 5 miles downstream, is an eco-tourism center called The Docks at Shingle Creek. It o ers the same paddling options as well as more advanced tour packages. WHAT’S TO LOVE: The creek flows through one of Florida’s last remaining navigable cypress forests—a primordial fairyland of hanging bromeliads, wild orchids, water lilies and hyacinths. It’s teeming with animal life too: herons, eagles, hummingbirds, wading birds, turtles, otters and more! TIPS: Mornings have less tra ic and more wildlife, and temperatures are milder. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. And dress to get wet. THE PADDLING CENTER AT SHINGLE CREEK 4266 W. Vine St, Kissimmee • (407) 343-7740 (general info) (407) 344-0881 (reservations) • paddlingcenter.com 64 Kissimmee Destination Magazine
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