Oak hammock at Lake Kissimmee State Park

One visit that everyone should make at least once is to Lake Kissimmee State Park. Situated just off State Road 60, about 15 miles East of Lake Wales, this is  nearly 6,000 acres  of oak hammock, floodplain, forest, prairie and flatwoods.   There are also three lakes in the state park;  Lake Kissimmee, Lake Rosalie and Lake Tiger.

Lake Kissimmee State Park was once used by Native Americans because of the abundance of fish and game in the area, making it an ideal place to live for thousands of years.

The park is named for Lake Kissimmee, the third largest lake in the state. The 5,930 acres of Lake Kissimmee State Park are teeming with plant and animal life. The park offers outstanding fishing, bird watching, picnicking, camping, boating and hiking on 13 miles of beautiful trails. For nature lovers and photographers few parks offer the variety of plant and animal life that Lake Kissimmee State Park has to offer.

European man arrived in Florida in the 1500’s but his presence was not felt here until the 1800’s. During the third Seminole War Fort Gardiner was built nearby as a temporary fortification. Later the area was widely used for timber and turpentine. The town of Rosalie was built and later abandoned after the turpentine industry pulled out of the area.

During the Civil War the area was used for raising cattle that were shipped to the Confederate Army or traded with Cuba for supplies. After the war, cattle were the main industry and this continues to the present day.

In 1969, the state of Florida purchased 5,030 acres of land from the William Zipprer estate for use as a state park. Lake Kissimmee State Park was opened to the public in 1977. An additional 900 acres were purchased in 1997 and added to the park’s western boundary.

More than 50  protected or endangered species of wildlife can be found here.

Many activities are available in the Park, including fishing, boating, kayaking and canoeing.      You can camp here in the special campgrounds, or horseback ride, or hike the thirteen miles of trails.  You may see whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, bald eagles, and hawks.

From floodplain forest to prairie hammock there is a variety of seldom seen plants. The ’spark botanical bounty includes delicate mosses, butterfly orchids, sawgrass, cutthroat grass, fetterbush and gallberry. Expansive, colorful fields of lotus and pickerelweed stretch towards the sun.

Scrubby flatwoods are host to the Florida scrub jay, scrub oak and longleaf pine. In fact Lake Kissimmee State Park hosts over two hundred species of birds making it one of the best birding areas in central Florida.

Other animals you may catch sight of are grey foxes, wild turkeys and deer.  You might even get really lucky and catch sight of a bobcat, although they are very reclusive..

Sandhill cranes are quite common here in Central Florida, although they are a protected species, and they are well known for their distinctive call.  The birds  can sometimes be quite aggressive if you enter their territory, especially if they are nesting or have young chicks around.  You will often see family groups of  up to two adults and three or four chicks.    They will definitely warn you off if you get too close!

Wild turkeys are very common in our parks and scrublands.  They forage for bugs and worms in our grassland, and frequently can be seen with many hens and one grand turkey cock lording it over his ladies.    The hens are a bit smaller than the male, who has a long wattle hanging down from his neck.  Do not look for a bird that looks like our Thanksgiving turkeys;  these are wild birds and are more streamlined, longer legged and less plump than their cultivated cousins.

If you are in the park in the early hours of the morning or later in the afternoon, you may catch a glimpse of the white tailed deer.  These are very shy animals and well camouflaged in the woodland habitat.  Very often, unless they move, you will not notice them.  Again, you may see younger deer as well as the adults.

sunrise over lake Kissimmee

FISHING

Located on the shores of Lakes Kissimmee, Rosalie and Tiger, the park offers some of the best fishing opportunities in the state. A variety of fish that can be caught include the largemouth bass, crappie, catfish, chain pickerel and bluegill. A boat ramp in the park offers direct access to Lake Kissimmee. For those without boats fishing opportunities from the canal banks, marina and dam offer the same variety of fish.

Freshwater fishing in Florida requires a license for those who are 15 years or older. You do not have to have a license to fish with a cane pole as long as you are fishing in the county of your residence.

Horse riders can use the 6 miles of riding trails, while fishermen have a treat ; with lots of fishing docks to cast a line from, they will thoroughly enjoy themselves.

There is a large picnic area located in an oak hammock near the bottom of the park. Large, sprawling live oak trees provide shade for those interested in picnicking at the park. There are numerous picnic tables and four pavilions available. At the edge of the picnic area is a 40 foot tall observation tower where you will be able to view the upper part of Lake Kissimmee.

There is also the Cow Camp to visit, which is a piece of living history that depicts an 1876 cattle camp, including Florida Scrub cattle.  These cattle are descendants of the cattle that were brought to Florida by the Spanish in the 1500′s, and which  bred without interference from local settlers.  They have developed natural resistance to the diseases and pests of Florida, and can survive on minimal vegetation.  Local cattlemen were commonly referred to as  Cracker cowboys.   The name came from the Crack of their long whips as they rounded up and moved the cattle through the brush and undergrowth.   The Cow Camp is open on weekends and holidays from October through May

Dateline; Wimbledon, England June 24th 2010. Today the tennis world saw history made as John Isner and Nicolas Mahut completed their marathon 5 set, 11 hour game.
With the match lasting over three days, lasting so long it was suspended because of darkness – two nights in a row – play resumed today at 59 all. The crowds on court 18 were overflowing due to the interest generated by this long running match.

The Tampa, Florida resident, Isner finally won the match with a backhand up the line to win with 980 points – beating Nicolas Mahut 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, and 70 – 68. He collapsed to the floor at the end of the winning shot before leaping up to applaud along with the crowd.
Isner commented that when you’re out playing in a match like that, in such an exciting atmosphere, you don’t realise how tired you till it’s over.
The game finished with Isner having 112 aces and Mahut 103 – both totals beating the sport’s previous high of 78. Both players dominated with their serves

John Isner trains at Saddlebrook Resort in Pasco County, said “it stinks that someone had to lose, but to share this day with him ( Mahut) was an absoute honour.

Six foot 9 inch tall Isner won a match that was the longest in tennis history in terms of games and time. The fifth set alone took 8 hours, 11 minutes , passing the previous longest match record of 6 hours, 33 minutes at the 2004 French Open.

Both Mahut and Isner were very complimentary about each other’s abilities. Mahut commented that “We played the greatest match ever in the greatest place to play tennis. John deserved to win. He just served unbelievable”.

The crowd applauded loudly when both players walked on court this morning. Mahut looked nervous and strained, while Isner smiled and waved.

Isner will be back on court for the fourth day in a row on Friday as 23rd seed, to play a second round match.

With the Queen watching from the Royal Box, Andy Murray defeated Nieminen of Finland 6-3, 6-4,6-2. Both players bowed when they entered the court, and bowed again as they left, and they then met with Her Majesty on a balcony overlooking the outer courts. When the Queen arrived an hour before the day’s first matches she walked towards Centre Court through lines of spectators. She met with several players including Roger Federer, the Williams sisters and Andy Roddick. Former Wimbledon champions Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King were delighted to meet with the Queen and have a quick chat. Billie Jean explained it was a real honour and a big thrill.

Maria Sharapova beat Ioana Olaru 6-1, 6-4. on Court 1.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth Second missed the end of the marathon match, having already left the All England Club following her first visit to Wimbledon since 1977. She was able to watch Andy Murray win his match on Centre Court.

Daniel Radcliffe and friends meeting and greeting at the Grand Opening of Harry Potter’s Wizarding World at Universal Studios. Thousands of people went to Universal Studios this morning to experience the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter.

Harry Potter fans

The books are so popular and the fact the J K Rowling wrote the last book three years ago ( Deathly Hallows) means that the followers of the stories have been tremendously interested in the progress of the building of the Wizarding World  here at Universal Studios, Orlando.

The parking garage was opened at 5.30 a.m. this morning to cater for the expected influx of vehicles.   The gates to Universal opened at the normal time, and had to shut at 11.00 a.m. due to the capacity crowds waiting in line for the visit to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts School. There were some unhappy people who were turned away.   Those who were lucky enough to get in before the gates were closed needed all their patience and stamina.

It was reported that there was a four to six hour wait from Toon Lagoon, and certainly aerial photos of the crowds would bear that out;  the crowds were stretching all the way from City Walk waiting to get on the ride Forbidden Journey.   At one point it was reported that the Forbidden Journey ride had broken down, but that rumour was later denied, and at this time the rides are working.

Executives at Universal were somewhat surprised by the numbers, and some guests were unhappy with the long lines, especially with the heat today.   Many of the other rides and restaurants within Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios benefited from the large numbers of guests, with some longer than normal wait times as well.    Despite the lines and the temperatures, many fans came dressed as their favourite characters, and a general feeling of goodwill prevailed – although one or two guests grumbled at the delays.

If your child is a fan of Disney characters or a Lego construction dreamer,  Downtown Disney is the place to take them on a perfect sunny afternoon.    The  Marketplace has all sorts of wonderful things to see and do,  and not just for kids.  Downtown Disney Marketplace provides an appealing place to take a break from Disney Theme Parks and Water Parks—especially if you’re in search of Disney merchandise. . Or, for more of a respite, relax and dine at a lakeside restaurant.  From Fulton’s Crab House, to the Cuban cafe, or Raglan Road Pub there are styles and menus to suit every taste and age group.

On October 3, 1996, World of Disney Store, the largest merchandise location of its kind at 50,000 square feet, opened in Downtown Disney Marketplace.   From the Bibbity Bobbity Spa for dressing up for girls to Toy Story Ranger uniforms, there’s everything for your child’s pleasure.   Sunglasses to sweatshirts, with soft cuddly toys from all their favourite stories;  from Mickey and Minnie in various costumes to Princess Tiana, no one will go away empty handed.

The Lego Imagination Store in Downtown Disney is another wonderful and amazing place for kids to let their dreams run riot.  From the Lego family outside the store to the Tyrannosaurus Rex guarding the entrance , this is one fantasy land for children.  The whole range of Lego themes is here, from the Prince of Persia to Toy Story,  to bricks for making cities, planes, ships and almost anything else you can think of.  There’s a huge wall of all sorts of Lego bricks where a child can pick and choose their selection of blocks to buy.  There is even a circular seated section where children and there parents can design and build together.

The bustle of all these kids having fun, the laughter and the smiling faces, and the amazing designs that are available make this  a wonderful store to visit.  If you can’t find your Lego pieces here, then you can speak to a customer service representative, give your details and they will contact you online.   One of the most interesting facets of this particular store is that it’s all about the kids. And they make the most of it!!

If you go there, make sure you leave plenty of time to browse; and be aware that your children , like me, won’t want to leave.

horse riding

Strange as it may seem, not everyone is a beach person or a theme park person, and when families get together in our vacation rental homes, there are odd occasions when the itinerary doesn’t suit each member of the group.

Here are a few suggestions for other activities that can be undertaken here in Central Florida, with particular emphasis on the more family minded venues that are available to our guests.

Horseback riding is one outdoor activity that makes for a memorable day out.  Trail riding through the woods and along lakeshores in the warm Florida sunshine is a great way to relax.   Several good stables are available in Polk County, and one popular spot is the Turkey Creek Stables in Plant City, which offer 2700 acres of wooded trails that run adjacent to Edward Medard Park  www.turkeycreekstables.com

St Petersburg is not the only arena where you can see a baseball game together.  The Lakeland Flying Tigers team plays at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland from now  till the first week of September.   They are a minor league team affiliated to the Detroit Tigers.

If it’s wine tasting that you fancy, there is a winery to visit near  Plant City.  The Keel and Curley Winery has a  tasting room that is open daily and offers live music on Friday nights.  Many local stores and bars in Polk cater to wine-lovers and we recommend ABC wines in Winter Haven for a grand selection of international wines to suit all tastes.

Bok Tower also has lots of summer events going on; anytime is a good time to visit the gardens,  but during the summer  you should remember the Live at the Gardens summer music series.  Concerts start at 7.30 in the evenings,a nd all you need is a lawn chair, blanket and picnic basket.

What about a Drive in Movie;  there are not many of these drive in  movie theatres left, but Lakeland’s Silver Moon theatre is still going strong after more than 60 years.    If a movie under the stars is for you, then you can also attend Movies in the Park at Lake Eva Park in Haines city.

Ice Skating more your thing?   The Lakeland Center offers Ice Skating o the public from July 9th to July 19th.  Not long enough for many people but an ideal opportunity if you want to take advantage while you are here.

You cant go wrong with Downtown Lakeland or Downtown Winter Haven in the summer.  Both towns feature a number of regular community gatherings and special events.

An evening walk around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland is a scenic and relaxing way to get some fresh air. Enjoy Lake Hollis gardens as well as  taking in the views of the water and  the stately homes surrounding the lake.

Finally, if it’s picnics, birdwatching, hiking or just enjoying the scenery, Circle B Bar Reserve is an ideal spot for a summer’s day out with the family.

Our knowledgeable office staff are always happy to discuss your vacation needs; we  have children of our own and know how difficult it is sometimes to keep everyone happy.   With the choices available, there’s no need for that cry of  “I’m bored” or “what can we do next”.

And this is just a small selection of the other things to do.   There are many other activities that we can help you with.  Just let us know……………

Many of the guests who stay in our vacation rental homes on a regular basis, frequently ask what they can do once they have been to all the major parks. Everyone loves to visit Disney or Seaworld, Universal and the other major theme parks. But sometimes it’s good to take a break from them.
Some of the suggestions we make can include off road driving, trophy fishing, scuba diving and beachcombing; occasionally we suggest shopping, but away from the main malls and brand names.
We also like to suggest to our vacationing guests that they take a drive tour away from the main tourist areas and explore some of the unspoiled and natural towns that can still be found in this diverse State.
You can visit small towns with the charm of “old Florida”, lazy days and rocking chairs on front porches, or go gambling at a casino in Tampa and experience the nightlife.

Ocala is one of those “old Florida” towns, where small local shops line the main street, alongside the courthouse and city hall. It’s a town where time seems to stand still; you will be greeted with a friendly smile and a warm welcome.

Ocala was established in 1846 by Matthew Edward Hall near the site of Fort King, a military outpost of the Seminole Wars. Ocala is a derivation of the Timucua word “Ocali” which is believed to mean the “Big Hammock”.
Hernando de Soto passed through a Timucua village or province named Ocali or Ocale near the present site of Ocala during his famous expedition through what is today the southeastern United States in 1539. Greater Ocala is known as the “Kingdom of the Sun”. Ocala itself is know as the City of the Horse, and rightly so.
The first thoroughbred horse farm in Florida was created by Carl G. Rose in 1943. Earlier, in 1916, Rose had come to Florida from Indiana to oversee the first asphalt road ever constructed in the state. When he ran into problems with the asphalt, he improvised and experimented with one of Florida’s abundant resources: limestone. He also realized that the Limestone would be a good source of nutrition for raising strong horses, so he took a gamble in 1943 and bought acreage along State Highway 200 at $10 per acre, which became Rosemere Farm. The next year one of his horses, Gornil, won at Miami’s Tropical Park, making him the first Florida-raised thoroughbred to win a Florida race. Close on Rose’s heels, the entrepreneur Bonnie Heath soon set up his own thoroughbred horse farm and produced the state’s first Kentucky Derby winner. Both of these men have prominent Highways named after them in Ocala. Bonnie Heath Farm is now owned and operated by his son Bonnie Heath, III, and his wife Kim. Rosemere Farm was sold long ago, and Ocala’s Paddock Mall and Central Florida Community College were built on the site.

In 1956, the Ocala area Thoroughbred industry received a boost when Needles became the first Florida-bred to win the Kentucky Derby. In 1978, Marion County-bred and -raised Affirmed won the Triple Crown. Today, Marion County is one of the major thoroughbred centers of the world, with over 1,200 horse farms in total and about 900 thoroughbred farms totaling some 77,000 acres. Ocala is well known as the horse capital of the world, one of only five cities (four in the USA and one in France) permitted under Chamber of Commerce guidelines to use this title based on annual revenue produced by the horse industry.

Driving through the countryside towards Ocala , one can see the numerous horse ranches that abound in the area.

Ocala is also known for nearby Silver Springs, Florida, site of one of the largest artesian spring formations in the world and Silver Springs Nature Theme Park, one of the earliest tourist attractions in Florida. We have always enjoyed visiting Silver Springs ; it’s easy to find, quiet and peaceful for families to visit, and the glass bottom boat rides are great fun. Watch the fish swimming below you in the crystal clear water.

The 110 mile long Ocklawaha River flows north from Central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka, Florida.

Marion County is also home to the Ocala National Forest which was established in 1908 and is now the second largest national forest in the state. The Florida Trail, also known as the Florida National Scenic Trail, cuts through Ocala National Forest.

Silver River State Park was established in the early 1990s to preserve the areas around the Silver River to the east of Ocala near Silver Springs.

Only 70 miles from your Central Florida vacation home, Ocala is an easy town to visit in a day, and will give a totally new experience for even the seasoned Florida visitor.

Having just made a telephone call that left me holding on for over twenty minutes , I have come to a startling conclusion.  Telephone rage has taken over from Road Rage.

A telephone call that should have taken just minutes to complete and a decision that could have benefited everyone concerned has just left me with a raging headache and a state of despair and anger.

When I have to wait on the phone while tinny music plays in my ear, and a disembodied voice returns every five minutes to tell me I am important and my call will be answered in due course, I want to scream.  The music is mostly what I call elevator music, and does not transpose comfortably to a telephone earpiece, and the disembodied voice reassuring me is less than reasssuring, to tell the truth.

Should I really be listening to  that recording telling me that my call is in a queue and will be answered within the next 30 minutes, because then the question arises, do I cancel this call and try again later, or do I hold on to this call in case I lose my turn?

If I decide to hang up on this call, how long will I have to wait next time I dial this number before my  call gets selected for answering.  If I hold on, I put the phone on speaker and wait ……….. and wait………..and, yes, I can do other things while I’m waiting, but one of my lines is now tied up with tinny elevator music and going nowhere fast!

So, this leads to frustration, frustration lends itself to growling at the poor soul who does eventually answer the phone, and who then asks the inane question of where shall I direct this call?  Well, how about the people I’m supposed to be speaking to right now!!!

Doesn’t a lot of business still get done over the phone , even  in these days of internet, e-mail and social media?   Is there a problem with employing sufficient numbers of staff who can answer the phone comfortably and happily.   Do large corporations not realise how very aggravating it can be when you are put on hold even before you speak to a living breathing person.

If I have to get past the “gatekeeper” or receptionist , that’s fine, at least I have a fifty -fifty chance of explaining why I’m telephoning, and my blood pressure stays relatively calm.  It’s the call that simply doesn’t get to a human being at all that bugs me.

It’s strange -  one of the services that we are most proud of, in my office, is the fact that the telephone call gets picked up by one of the staff members.   Yes, a caller may get asked to hold while we switch the call through to the addressee, and yes, we may then move to e-mail discussions, but the very first contact that anyone has with our staff is with a real live person.

Road Rage is bad, and I’m not too keen on Telephone Rage, but while companies use machines to answer phones, there’s no getting away from it.   So, deep breathing, count to ten , then ten again, and with a bit of luck , your call will go through like a hot knife through butter.  Good Luck!!