The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

REGION 4 Experience movie - at Daytona International Speedway, along with boat tours and several museums. Events draw visitors to the area as well, with the most intense activity coming during Speedweeks in February, Bike Week in March, the Pepsi 400 in July, Biketoberfest in October and the Turkey Run in November. The Daytona Beach area also offers historical sites with surprising twists. At Dunlawton Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens in Port Orange, visitors can explore the exotic botanical gardens surrounding the ruins of an old English sugar mill or catch a glimpse of the huge dinosaur statues left over from the site’s days as a 1950s theme park. For a change of scenery nearby, the Spruce Creek Preserve offers natural sightseeing trips on pontoon boats, as well as historical tours of a citrus packing house and a Florida Cracker-style house built in 1907. For a touch of whimsy, let the kids visit the Snow White House, a cottage fashioned after the one in the classic 1930’s Walt Disney animated feature film. Visit the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach for a unique combination of art, science and history. Here, families can view 17th-century American art, meet a 13-foottall, 130,000-year-old giant ground sloth, stare at the stars and learn about Cuban culture all in one spot. The Atlantic Ocean and Halifax River provide anglers a variety of fishing opportunities. Back on land, a top-notch links experience can be found at the 18-hole LPGA International golf course. Many visitors to East Central Florida like to escape to the relaxing sands of New Smyrna Beach, called the “World’s Safest Beach” because of rock ledges offshore that protect against undercurrents. Its 13 miles of pristine beaches are a popular stopping place for families with small children. The town’s gentle charm, historic architecture and water views have earned it praise as “Old Florida.” When the sun sets, New Smyrna Beach offers quaint restaurants, and the Atlantic Center for the Arts hosts a variety of theatrical and musical performances. Florida’s Space Coast, which includes Cocoa Beach, Cape Canaveral, Melbourne/Palm Bay and Titusville, allows visitors a chance to spend sunny days on the beach, learn about space exploration at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and commune with nature at the Canaveral National Seashore and the 220-square-mile Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which is home to more federally endangered species than any other refuge in the United States. At Kennedy Space Center, visitors can come face-to-face with a real astronaut, with historic space travelers appearing daily to tell their stories. View the history of space travel through exhibits and actual rockets, or see today’s space adventures firsthand on a bus tour. Moving inland, DeLand features a thriving downtown that was honored with a national Main Street award. Visitors can stroll along a charming row of quaint shops, boutiques and cafes. Nearby, three state parks and a national wildlife refuge offer nature encounters. And for those seeking excitement off the ground, DeLand also is home to the most active drop zone in the world for skydivers. Kids will be kids - and in the Orlando area, with more than 80 attractions, grownups will be kids, too. Reclaiming childhood is easy here, especially with recently added attractions such as Discovery Cove by SeaWorld. Discovery Cove is billed as an exclusive, reservations-only tropical park where guests can swim and interact with dolphins, tropical fish, sharks and stingrays. Universal Studios Islands of Adventure combines technologically advanced thrill rides, including the Dueling Dragons rollercoaster and the Spider-Man 3-D Adventure, with some of the world’s most beloved cartoon characters. For a walk on the wild side, Disney’s Animal Kingdom offers visitors a safari experience, rides, exotic landscapes and animals from around the globe. Familiar theme park favorites include the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s original Florida park. Here, Cinderella’s Castle is a fantastic backdrop for playful rides with Mickey Mouse and his friends. At nearby Epcot, many visitors appreciate the chance to take a miniature world tour, get behind the wheel on a high-speed test drive or learn about exciting innovations. Disney Hollywood Studios allows visitors to see Disney animators creating wonderful characters and explains moviemaking on an entertaining backlot tour. At the center of Walt Disney World’s shopping, entertainment and nightlife is Downtown Disney, with more 60 2009 FRVTA RVers GUIDE TO FLORIDA

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida

The Official 2009 RVers Guide to Florida Contents RV Friendly Logos Meet Roadie Behind the Wheel Region 1 - Southwest Florida Region 2 - Southeast Florida Region 3 - Tampa Bay Area Region 4 - Orlando & Space Coast RV Rentals Region 5 - Florida Panhandle Financing Your RV Region 6 - Northeast Florida Region 7 - North Central Florida Florida Regional Shows Region 10 - Out of State Members Indian Mounds in Florida Springs in Florida What’s Your Type? Lighthouse Tour Insurance, Who Needs It?

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