Page 6 - AAA Shelby County – AAA Now! – January/February 2017

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The UlTimaTe Family VacaTion DesTinaTion
cenTral FloriDa
There’s always something new and exciting happening in central Florida. With so many family-oriented attractions you could easily spend several days in the area and still not experience everything you want to.
up-close encounters with penguins, dolphins, sea lions and sharks. On one of SeaWorld’s newest adventure rides, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, find yourself being transported into the rarely seen and icy world
of Antarctica. Another new ride, Mako, is the tallest, fastest and longest coaster in Orlando.
If you’re looking to capture some of central Florida’s cultural attractions, pay a visit to the Orlando Museum of Art, which features American art ranging from pre-Colombian to contemporary, plus an African collection. The family-friendly museum also features interactive children’s areas where kids can create their own works of art.
Quaint Winter Park, about a 10-minute drive north of downtown, was established in the late 19th century as a winter getaway spot for wealthy snowbirds. The best way to see Winter Park, its historic estates and lush greenery is onboard the guide-narrated Scenic Boat Tour, which travels the Winter Park chain of lakes.
One such estate is the Albin Polasek Museum and sculpture Gardens, adjacent to Lake Osceola. The villa, a retirement home that Polasek designed and lived in until his death in 1965, features more than 200 of the Czech-American sculptor’s finest creations, in addition to antiquities from his private collection.
Perhaps Winter Park’s greatest claim to fame is The charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, with the world’s most comprehensive collection of
the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany. One of his greatest works is the astoundingly intricate interior of the Tiffany Chapel, designed for the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. The museum painstakingly restored it onsite over a span of two years, opening it in 1999.
With a mild climate year round, Florida makes an ideal vacation destination any time of year!
Certainly one of the region’s biggest attractions is universal Orlando® Resort, which features two sprawling theme parks, a large dining and entertainment complex, and five on-site hotels.
At universal studios Florida® theme park, enjoy cutting-edge attractions based on pop-culture icons, blockbuster films and hit television shows that transport visitors into a highly imaginative world where they can become heroes of their own adventure.
universal's Islands of Adventure® theme park features some of the most innovative rides and attractions ever made on seven themed islands, including the new and wildly popular The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which brings the excitement and adventure of the Harry Potter books and films to life.
When your day of thrill rides and exploration comes to a close, head to universal cityWalk, a 30-acre entertainment complex offering live music, multiple dining venues, dancing and shopping.
Walt Disney World’s four Orlando Theme Parks
– Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom Theme Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios – make the real world seem far, far away.
In 2016, Disney’s Animal Kingdom became the site of some new additions. Sunset Kilimanjaro Safaris has expanded to include a nighttime schedule that leads visitors through Africa’s savanna, while introducing African wild dogs and hyenas to the park. Also new is “Rivers of Light,” an innovative entertainment experience set along Discovery River.
In late 2015, Disney opened Star Wars Launch Bay, located on a new 14-acre park site at Hollywood Studios. Star Tours – The Adventures Continue provides guests with insight into the latest movie franchise installment, Star War Wars: The Force Awakens.
If you’re in the Tampa Bay area, be sure to visit Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. This theme park has received many media accolades, recognized for being an entertainment company that blends imagination with nature.
At the Animal Care Center, guests can observe
and even take part in the animal care experience. The Serengeti Plain, a 65-acre habitat, is home to many African animals, including reticulated giraffes, rhinos, wildebeests, antelope and ostriches, which can be seen from the Serengeti Railway, Skyride and various walkways. New in 2016, the park has put
a spin on family thrills with Cobra’s Curse. This spin coaster features a 70-foot vertical lift, taking riders on a whirlwind adventure.
Tampa Bay’s lowry Park Zoo is known for having one of the most beautiful tropical wildlife settings in the world. Connect with more than 1,300 unique animal species and visit the David A. Straz
Jr. Manatee Hospital, where the zoo’s veterinary and animal-care staff treat sick, injured and orphaned manatees, and return them to the wild after
full recovery. The zoo cares for the most diverse collection of Florida wildlife anywhere, and has won numerous awards for animal preservation.
At seaWorld Orlando, enjoy thrilling rides and
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