If you are looking for something a little more laid back than the usual hustle and bustle of the shopping malls and theme parks of central Florida for your next trip to the Orlando area then you might want to add The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour to your list of places to visit.
Situated at the far end of East Morse Blvd just off Park Avenue in the up market shopping area of Winter Park and less than ten minutes from the hectic centre of Downtown Orlando this is really a step back in time, a taste of real old time America.
The fleet of six pontoon boats which carry up to eighteen passengers each operate from the dock on Lake Osceola. They sail on the hour every hour from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon every day of the year except Christmas Day and have been doing so for the last fifty years. Skippered by very knowledgeable locals, several of whom are ex navy sailors, they take visitors on hour long narrated tours of three of the seven Winter Park chain of lakes and through two of the narrow man made canals that link the lakes.
These tours give you the opportunity to relax and unwind as you pass some of the most beautiful and expensive real estate in the area. The large waterfront properties and estates are stunning and the guides usually have several interesting facts and figures to tell about each one including how many millions of dollars the last one sold for, definitely a case of window shopping rather than house hunting for most visitors!
The main attraction however has to be beautiful scenery with the tall cypress trees and the lush tropical flowering plants plus the abundant wild life that you will see including eagles that can often be seen flying over head or the large cranes that like to swoop down to snatch fish from the lake. If you are really lucky you might even get to see the odd alligator sunning themselves on the nearby sandy bank. Occasionally you might also get to see a water skier or even a rowing crew from the nearby Rollins College out for a practice session.
The cost of the tour is not going to break the bank either at very reasonable $10 each for adults and $5 for children from 2-11 with under two’s going free it is quite inexpensive and it is one of the most relaxing hours you are likely to spend in the Orlando area.
Situated at the far end of East Morse Blvd just off Park Avenue in the up market shopping area of Winter Park and less than ten minutes from the hectic centre of Downtown Orlando this is really a step back in time, a taste of real old time America.
The fleet of six pontoon boats which carry up to eighteen passengers each operate from the dock on Lake Osceola. They sail on the hour every hour from 10 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon every day of the year except Christmas Day and have been doing so for the last fifty years. Skippered by very knowledgeable locals, several of whom are ex navy sailors, they take visitors on hour long narrated tours of three of the seven Winter Park chain of lakes and through two of the narrow man made canals that link the lakes.
These tours give you the opportunity to relax and unwind as you pass some of the most beautiful and expensive real estate in the area. The large waterfront properties and estates are stunning and the guides usually have several interesting facts and figures to tell about each one including how many millions of dollars the last one sold for, definitely a case of window shopping rather than house hunting for most visitors!
The main attraction however has to be beautiful scenery with the tall cypress trees and the lush tropical flowering plants plus the abundant wild life that you will see including eagles that can often be seen flying over head or the large cranes that like to swoop down to snatch fish from the lake. If you are really lucky you might even get to see the odd alligator sunning themselves on the nearby sandy bank. Occasionally you might also get to see a water skier or even a rowing crew from the nearby Rollins College out for a practice session.
The cost of the tour is not going to break the bank either at very reasonable $10 each for adults and $5 for children from 2-11 with under two’s going free it is quite inexpensive and it is one of the most relaxing hours you are likely to spend in the Orlando area.