| The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, founded in 1938 | | | | bamboo, a plant called firespikes and an interesting |
| and located just 15 minutes north of downtown | | | | arrangement of "air potatoes", round tubers hanging |
| Orlando, is one of these lovely side trips that combine | | | | down from a tree branch, adorned our journey through |
| beautiful scenery, a bit of local history, some close-up | | | | the canal.At 450 acres and 30 feet deep, Lake |
| exposure to local wildlife and vegetation with a relaxing | | | | Maitland is the largest of the 3 lakes covered by the |
| outing in a slow-moving 18-passenger pontoon boat, all | | | | boat tour. A dam controls the water level and |
| complete with expert (and sometimes humorous) | | | | interestingly, the lakes all drain northwards into the St. |
| narration provided by the boat's captain.The tour takes | | | | John's River which flows into the Atlantic near |
| you through 3 lakes: Lake Osceola, Lage Virginia and | | | | Jacksonville. The Kraft Azalea Gardens, located on |
| Lake Maitland. On this gorgeous day, with brilliantly blue | | | | Lake Maitland on Alabama Drive off Palmer Avenue, |
| skies, the boat whisked us past hundreds of beautiful | | | | feature thousands of azaleas, tropical shrubs and |
| water-front estates, many of which were originally built | | | | trees. Azaleas are in full bloom January through |
| in the 1920s and originally sold for $20,000, while | | | | March.Our expert captain also pointed out various |
| fetching between $500,000 and several million in | | | | mansions that have been used as backdrops in |
| today's booming Central Florida real estate market. | | | | various movies and commercials. Lake Maitland also |
| Even boathouses are worth between $30,000 and | | | | features several small islands with rather naked looking |
| $40,000.In Lake Virginia we came up close to the | | | | trees that house colonies of cormorants, fishing birds |
| grounds of Rollins College, one of the top rated private | | | | that consume up to a pound of fish a day.We slowly |
| liberal arts colleges in the South Eastern United States, | | | | made our way back from Lake Maitland to Lake |
| founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists. | | | | Osceola where our relaxing and scenic boat tour |
| Rollins College is the oldest recognized college in the | | | | came to an end. On this gorgeous day it was a |
| state of Florida with a small student body of 1,700 | | | | fabulous outing that provided an appropriate historical |
| students, housed on a beautiful 70 acre Mediterraean | | | | context for a further exploration of the beautiful city of |
| Revival Campus. Our expert captain / tour guide | | | | Winter Park.The Scenic Boat Tour, a Winter Park |
| mentioned that tuition at the college is $38,000 and the | | | | institution for almost 70 years now, is located at the |
| ratio of students to professors is 12:1.Condos are | | | | end of Morse Avenue on the shores of Lake Osceola. |
| located right next to the college, selling today for | | | | It is a very affordable outing at $8 for adults and $4 |
| between $450,000 to $1 million. As we approached the | | | | for children (children under 2 ride free). Boat tours run |
| narrow Venetian Canal that would take us from Lake | | | | every day from 10 am to 4 pm (except Christmas). |
| Virginia to Lake Maitland, our captain made us aware | | | | For further information contact the Winter Park Scenic |
| of all the interesting vegetation growing alongside the | | | | Boat Tour.Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a |
| canal: Egyptian papyrus, Spanish moss (an airplant and | | | | website called Travel and Transitions ( Travel and |
| not a parasite), the Princess flower, colourful | | | | Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is |
| bougainvilleas and resurrection fern. We saw a variety | | | | chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, |
| of birds, including an Osprey eagle, a snake bird, a | | | | interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights |
| great blue heron and a white egret, which used to be | | | | and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and |
| the good luck bird of the Seminole Indians.On Lake | | | | many other features. You will also find stories about |
| Maitland we learned that there was an alligator cave | | | | life and the transitions that we face as we go through |
| from which 150 alligators were removed into the | | | | our own personal life-long journeys.Submit your own |
| Florida Everglades to prevent a rather dangerous | | | | travel stories in our first travel story contest ( and |
| collision between local wildlife and civilization.Along the | | | | have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on |
| Venetian Canal we also saw variegated ginger and | | | | the Amazon River."Life is a Journey Explore New |
| banana trees, as we slowly passed under the arched | | | | Horizons". |
| Palmer Avenue Bridge. Philodendrons, palmgrass, | | | | |