My Top Orlando Attractions

Orlando and Central Florida are more than just Disneyland. Attractions range from museums to manatees, from Salvador Dali to astronauts, and from galleries to gators.

We've just returned from a month in Central Florida, where my wife was researching a new guidebook to Orlando, with excursions as far as Tampa and St Petersburg on the west coast, and the Space Coast in the east. It was a hectic non-stop trip, and my first visit to the Sunshine State. It was an eye-opener, showing me there's more, much mre to Florida than just Disneyland and the other theme parks. Here's a quick run-down of my personal Florida favorites:

• Boggy Creek Airboat Rides: an exciting ride on Lake Tohoe, seeing gators, snail kites and many more.
• Salvador Dali Museum: one of the biggest and best Salvador Dali collections anywhere.
• Bern's Steakhouse: the best steak I've ever eaten, and the biggest wine cellar in the world.
• Ybor City: the historic Cuban quarter of Tampa, and America's cigar capital.
• Soarin' at Epcot: convincing hang-gliding simulator over the California landscape.
• Discovery Cove: swimming with dolphins, the highlight of the whole trip.
• The Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee: real cowboy skills and thrills.
• Sea World: dolphins, killer whales, manatees and other wonderful wildlife.
• Kennedy Space Center: the Space Shuttle Endeavour was on the launch pad, and we had lunch with an astronaut.
• Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge: seeing gators and hawks, and watching an otter feeding for about 15 minutes.
• Cocoa Beach: laid-back beach resort. We'll go back.
• Spiderman: best theme park ride of all, at Universal Studios.
• Downtown Orlando: great art galleries and impressive restaurants.
• Canoe Escape: a relaxing float down the Hillsborough River near Tampa with an expert naturalist, seeing spoonbills, hawks, woodpeckers, herons, egrets, anhingas and simply enjoying the peace and quiet, and Florida's breath-taking wildlife.

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See what my wife thought was Walt Disney World's Best Ride.

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