It’s been a while since my last post – I will try to do better. Happy New Year to everyone. So far, 2012 has been treating me and my family very well. There is so much to be thankful for. It’s been 3 years now since we moved to Central Florida and I’ve got to say, I am very happy to be here. We have established a wide network to include family and friends which we spend much time with and have many of the same interests. Overall, life has been good to us.
I’m learning more and more about our area – Central Florida and I’m eager to share my thoughts with others. The area, Central Florida, spans a vast area just north of Tampa on the west to Daytona, Melbourne and Cocoa beaches on the east and with a turn towards the north you find Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Gainesville. It’s a unique area in of itself. The coast is more temperate, ocean breezes that warm up the winter and cool the summer. Inland, where we are located, has a tendency to be more extreme – cold winters and hotter summers. What’s nice is we are sheltered from the seasonal devastation with hurricanes and are not as much at risk for floods as are the coastal cities. In Central Florida there are numerous state parks, inland lakes and wildlife is abound. It’s mostly country living. As I’ve gotten older, this becomes more and more appealing to me. It reminds me of my upbringing where neighbors are friendly and everyone knows each other. I feel comfortable with my son roaming around the neighborhood on his bike and playing with his friends. In the US, this is something rare today due to child abductions and other risks to young children. Houses are spread further apart and the concept of a true yard is alive and well here. The lake systems are just amazing! The lakes are incredibly huge offering so much to the natives and seasons visitors. Just to give you an idea of how large they are – one of our frequented lakes, Lake Harris, is over 13,500 acres. When crossing, it takes about 1/2 hour in a fast moving power boat to reach the otherside. The lake systems are interconnected so you can go from one to another easily by way of a river. For example, Lake Harris connects to Lake Eustis which connects to Lake Dora. As far as planning a weekend adventure, the possibilities are nearly endless. There’s so much of the culture baked into waterlife – freshwater or salt. The waterways usually cater to the population providing numerous water accessible restaurants, local attractions/nightlife and music. My son Jared loves life on the water. He’s learning to waterski and he is slowly becoming a freshwater angler and saltwater fisherman. As for the wildlife, of course there are gators but this areas offer manatees, Gopher tortoises (local endangered species) and infamous for it’s bird species. Throughout this area numerous campgrounds for those who want to camp with family but also for those who want to “fall of the grid” for just a bit are available. This area also offers coastal camping along the water and on near by islands – just drop anchor and stay a bit!
City attractions are close by with Orlando just to the southeast and Tampa to the southwest. Orlando is a mecca for the entertainment industry with Universal Studios, Disney World, waterparks and Legoland. Tampa is one of the older coast cities along the gulf. It has a strong Cuban presence, award winning beaches (Clearwater & St. Pete’s) and some of the most amazing accomodations for vacation getaways.
To the north is Ocala and Gainesville. I’ve come discover that Ocala is famous for it’s horses. I thought Kentucky was famous but what I’ve come to learn is Ocala is famous for show and competition breeds. There are million dollar horse farms and stables where domestic and international visitors come to view the thoroughbreds for purchase and for breeding purposes. It’s not uncommon for royalty to be seen at some of the events.
Overall Central Florida has and continues to provide many activities for my family and myself. Still, there is still so much for me to discover in this truly unique and plentiful area. In the near future, I plan to spend more time discovering the southern area to include the gulf keys, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, the Everglades and working my way towards Miami/Ft. Lauderdale.
I sound like a representative from Florida tourism but I can attest I am not. Let’s face it, everyone has family that comes down to Florida for the attractions. I usually try and expose them to the other aspects that make this area attractive known only by our locals and seasonal visitors.
Well, enough for now and more to come. Wishing you and yours the very best in 2012.
