Best of Orlando - Lakes and Beaches

It may be hard to believe that a weekend in Orlando can be more that standing in line to ride Space Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom. If you can break away from the grip of Disney’s “mighty mouse”, it’s just a hop-skip-and a-jump to the real downtown Orlando - where the locals live.

The new Downtown Orlando is right on one of the nicest lakes in the county. Still, all of the parks are actually south of the main downtown area. And most locals head to Myrtle Beach and Titusville for the beaches there.

Right now Orlando proper is in the midst of a construction boom. Not long ago the skyline was simple. But look out today and you’ll see construction cranes building luxury condos like the Vue at Lake Eola, the Paramount on Lake Eola, the Star Tower… in all, more than 3000 new units are planned here.

Just opened, the new “City Arts Factory” which will be an anchor for downtown arts, with galleries, a performance center, and a beautiful glass-blowing studio. And even with all the construction nearby, anyone venturing a visit will agree that Orlando is still, “The City Beautiful.”

The current thinking of the city fathers is that when the construction is complete, the town’s cozy feel will remain intact - thanks to the city’s centerpiece - Lake Eola Park. Near by is the historic neighborhood of Thornton Park, where quaint homes, brick streets and majestic moss-covered oaks recall an earlier era.

A little of Orlando history is next… and no, it didn’t begin with Uncle Walt.