10 things to do that will get you out of Florida theme parks

Miami Herald

If the holidays or winter months take you to Central Florida — which is the No. 1 travel destination for Pittsburghers — here are ways to get you out of the theme parks and a chance to see some of Old Florida.

Get close to a bald eagle: The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey rehabilitates birds that have been seriously injured or aren’t able to take care of themselves in the wild. The Audubon center in Maitland, just outside Orlando, works with eagles, hawks, osprey, kites and falcons.

Birds who will be able to fly and hunt again are rehabilitated with release in mind. They have very limited Morse Museum with its collection contact with humans so of art glass by Louis they don’t come to depend Comfort Tiffany, the Scenic on them for food, and they Boat Tour of the town’s spend much of their time in chain of lakes, upscale shopping the Flight Barn, which is and a good variety of off-limits to the public. restaurants are within an Birds with injuries that will easy walk. leave them unable to hunt SunRail runs from about or protect themselves are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday nursed back to health, then through Friday. The closest sent to zoos or nature centers, station to the theme parks is or remain at the center the southernmost stop, at where they make public appearances. 8068 S. Orange Ave. Route Visitors can’t and schedule at www.sunrail.com. touch them, but they can get within a few feet of birds in Go wine-tasting: Florida the aviaries or tethered to has about 30 wineries that outdoor perches. Check out have tasting rooms, including the fierce glare of the bald four within an hour’s eagles — the birds are mesmerizing. drive of the parks. But don’t expect local chardonnay and

The center is at 1101 Audubon pinot noir. Traditional wine Way, Maitland; 1-407grapes don’t do well in Florida’s 644- 0190; http:// fl. audubon.org/chapters-centers/ hot, wet summers. Most Florida wines are made from muscadine grapes, blueberries or other

Visit vintage warplanes: fruit, and most of them are The Valiant Air sweet. Check with the winery Command Warbird Museum before you go. Most in Titusville is a gem aren’t open seven days a worth visiting — especially week, and some are only if your trip includes the open seasonally. nearby Kennedy Space • True Blue Winery: Center. The museum’s 45 or Serves samples of several of so aircraft, which date from its own blueberry wines plus World War I to the present, peach, cranberry, citrus and will be of special interest to other wines by a Louisiana history or aviation buffs. winery. It also has a bistro.

The plane the museum The winery is in Davenport, calls its flagship is the Tico about midway between Walt Belle, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain Disney World and Legoland. that served in Europe, 604 Pink Apartments Road, including at D-Day. Other Davenport; 1-863-419-4400; highlights include a Grumman www.truebluewinery.com. TBM Avenger, the U.S. • Hutchinson Farm Navy’s primary torpedo Winery: Makes wine from bomber; and an F-86 Sabre muscadine grapes, also jetfighter from the Korean more traditional varieties War. Most of the warbirds with juice imported from are U.S. aircraft, but the California. Hutchinson is in museum also has a Luftwaffe Apopka, about 28 miles Liaison, a MiG jet north of Walt Disney World, fighter from Russia, a different 18 miles from Universal Orlando model MiG from the and SeaWorld, and 56 Czech Air Force, an English miles from Legoland. 8061 Electric Canberra from the Stone Road; Apopka; 1-407Royal Air Force and a replica 814-8330; www.hutchinsonfarmwinery.com. Fokker Dr.I Triplane, a German World War I • Lakeridge Winery & fighter plane made famous Vineyards: The state’s largest by the Red Baron. The museum winery, Lakeridge offers also has a restoration more structured tours and hangar and a display of aviation tastings than most Florida memorabilia. wineries. Lakeridge makes

The museum is at the wine from muscadine Space Coast Regional Airport, grapes and some traditional 6600 Tico Road in Titusville; varieties, including chardonnay 1- 321- 268- 1941;chardonnay and cabernet, from www.valiantaircommand. grape juice it buys elsewhere.com. It’s about 35 miles

Escape by train: northwest of Walt Disney SunRail makes 36 trips a World, Universal Orlando day between Orlando and and SeaWorld, 51 miles from DeBary, 32 miles north, Legoland. 19239 U.S. 27 N., with stops at several small Clermont; 1-800-768-WINE cities that provide a few (9463); www.lakeridgewinery.com. hours of lunch and leisurely escape. SunRail is a commuter train — it doesn’t run nights or weekends, and it’s busiest at the start and end of the workday. But from late morning to mid-afternoon, it offers plenty of empty seats.

Riding SunRail is one case where the destination is the journey. You don’t do it to get from Point A to Point B. You do it for the pleasure of turning the driving over to someone else, enjoying the backyard views of Central Florida and getting a taste of Old Florida. The train serves 12 stations between Orlando and DeBary in Volusia County but is expanding.

One favorite stop is Lake Mary, an affluent suburb 18 miles north of Orlando, where the Lake Mary Historical Museum offers free admission and exhibits on the town’s history. Walk a few blocks to the commercial center and have lunch or a glass of wine at 4th Street Bar & Grill or Lonnie’s Fusion Cuisine.

Another good stop is Winter Park, where the

• Oak Haven Farms & diving. — a carillon — that plays Winery: Oak Haven makes The park has a boardwalk short concerts every day. wine from strawberries, with observation platforms The gardens that surround it blueberries and muscadine along the 1,050-foot run, — known for their blaze of grapes. This winery on a which once had a steamboat spring color, when azaleas, strawberry farm is open landing. In addition, the historic camellias and magnolias are only during strawberry season, Thursby House has historical in bloom — were designed approximately early artifacts and exhibits by Frederick Law Olmsted. December to early April. and is open for self-guided The Singing Tower is in Oak Haven is about 42 miles tours. The park has RV Lake Wales, 55 miles southwest southwest of Walt Disney campsites and six two-bedroom of Orlando, 43 miles World and 12 miles southeast cabins available for from Disney’s Magic Kingdom of Legoland, just outside rent. Blue Spring State Park: and just 12 miles from our one-hour range from 2100 W. French Ave., Orange Legoland. Edward W. Bok, a Universal and SeaWorld. City; 1-386-775-3663;Dutch immigrant, author 32418 Avington Road, Sorrento; www.floridastateparks.org/ and publisher of Ladies’ 1- 352- 735- 1996; park/Blue-Spring. Home Journal, who bought www.berriesandwines.com. Visit a slice of black history: the land, opened the grounds

Ride a zip line: If you Six miles north of Orlando to the public. It is now designated find the theme parks’ thrill is Eatonville, the first as a National Historic rides too tame, too structured all-black town to incorporate Landmark. or too crowded with in the United States, in 1887. Bok Tower Gardens: 1151 cute characters, a zip line In August, the town Tower Blvd., Lake Wales; 1might get your heart pumping. launched a yearlong celebration Forever Florida, set on a of its 130th anniversary. 4,700-acre wildlife conservation The town was the childhood area south of Orlando, home of the author has three zip lines plus Zip Zora Neale Hurston, a Line Safari, with seven zip writer of the Harlem lines and two suspension Renaissance and Eatonville’s bridges that take almost 2½ most famous resident. hours to complete. Some of her writings,

Forever Florida also offers including the novel “Their “safaris” by horseback, Eyes Were Watching God,” a cattle drive, “cowboy for a are set in Eatonville. In day” adventure, camping turn, the local library and and rides on a “coach” that tiny art museum are both is more like a swamp buggy. named for her. The property has a working The Eatonville Historical cattle ranch, and there is Trail is a self-guided walking wildlife throughout. Some tour of its oldest buildings zips and other activities are and Historic District, which available by moonlight. Address is on the National Register of is 4755 N. Kenansville Historic Places. And every Road, St. Cloud, but it’s January the community closer to Holopaw, 45 miles puts on the Zora Neale and about an hour’s drive Hurston Festival of the Arts from Orlando. Information: and Humanities (Jan. 20-28, 1-866-854-3837 or 1-407-9572018). 9794; www.floridaecosafaris.com. Learn to fly on a trapeze: Orlando Circus School

Watch manatees: As teaches a few skills that temperatures drop, usually might qualify you to join the in November, manatees circus. Most notable is the start returning to Blue trapeze class, a swinging Spring State Park, where the two-hour class open to all. water from a natural spring If you want to learn serious is a warm refuge for West Indian trapeze skills, it will take manatees. They’ll stay more than one class, but a until about mid-February, single session is a fun way when rising temperatures in for an out-of-towner to get a the St. Johns River are more taste. Other classes include welcoming. Manatees don’t aerial silks, aerial hoops and tolerate temperatures lower tumbling for kids and adults. than 68 degrees well, so in Orlando Circus School, 6809 Central Florida’s winter — Visitors Circle, Orlando; 1such as it is — they’re drawn 407-965-1552; www.orlandocircusschool.com. to Blue Spring, which runs consistently about 72 or 73 Visit a singing tower: degrees. Until you get close, you probably

Last year, close to 400 can’t see the elegance of manatees were spotted in the pink tower of marble and the spring run, which is off coquina stone that a wealthy the St. Johns River in immigrant had built as the Orange City, 33 miles north centerpiece of his bird sanctuary of downtown Orlando. Usually almost a century ago. in April, after the manatees The 205-foot Singing leave, the run opens for Tower, also known as Bok swimming, snorkeling and Tower, houses a set of bells 863-676-1408; boktowergardens.org.

Go kayaking: Central Florida offers a wide variety of kayaking opportunities from the St. Johns River to the north to Cape Canaveral on the east coast, and on Shingle Creek in Kissimmee, close to the center of the theme park action. You can leave behind the cartoon critters and see wildlife in its natural setting — manatees at Blue Spring State Park in winter, tiny bioluminescent creatures in the waters of Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in the summer, dolphins, alligators and wading birds year-round.

Start by Googling kayaking and the destination you’re interested in. A few to consider are Shingle Creek, Wekiva River, St. Johns River (including the end of the Blue Spring run, where manatees come and go), Merritt Island or Indian River Lagoon, Blackwater Creek and Cocoa Beach. Many outfitters offer guided tours as well as equipment rental for DIY tours. Ask whether a particular tour is suited for your level of experience, but know that a daylight tour of one to two hours on slow-moving water is a good introduction for a beginner. Expect to get wet, wear a hat and sunscreen, don’t take an expensive camera or phone, and apply bug repellant liberally.