|
The Wright WayBeyond Disney WorldBy Robert Painter
Orville, Wilbur and Frank Lloyd have all placed their
indelible imprint on this little community in middle Florida, barely an hour
from Orlando.
But that’s not all! You might want to begin your journey at the iconic and newly renovated Cypress Gardens. In addition to the world famous ski show, the new owners have brought back the lovely Southern Belles that grace the gardens in their ante bellum dresses. A new adventure park has been added with all new rides, including a double decker merry-go-round, Ferris wheel, four roller coasters and plenty of other rides to keep the kids happy while the adults enjoy strolling through the beautifully maintained gardens. If you’re a movie buff, you may remember that Esther Williams and Van Johnson starred in Easy To Love here. Tony Martin was in the cast and so was his beautiful wife Cyd Charisse although she was not listed in the credits. As I recall, they built a special swimming pool for that movie. It was shaped like the state of Florida and they filled it with oranges! The pool is still there, but they did remove the oranges.
If you bring the kids along be sure and take them to Explorations V Children’s Museum. Even if you don’t take the kids, borrow one on the street and sneak in - you’ll have fun at any age. There’s even a miniature Publix grocery store where the little guys can learn to shop and handle money. A favorite among the kids I saw appeared to be the “juice plant” where you can help with the whole orange juice operation.
If you want to take in the Fly-In you need to clear your calendar for mid-April. It’s one of the largest events of its kind in the world and some very special things happen there each year. With more than 500 exhibitors, thousands of planes and lots to do you can’t go wrong. You might even have a chance to see some sort of new aeronautical record being set. It can and does happen at Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In.
If the planes are too fast and the gardens are too slow and you’re looking for something a bit more “outdoorsy,” then let me tell you that Polk County has some of the best bass fishing in the country. I remember fishing for bass here when I was a kid. We used to go find a pond and fish for shiners - usually about three to 5 inches along. We’d catch a dozen or so shiners, put them in a bucket of water and then hike to the nearest lake, usually only minutes away. I think there are more than 500 lakes in the county. We usually caught the shiners with a cane pole. Then we’d bait a rod and reel rig with a shiner and cast out into the lake and wait for a few seconds till a big largemouth bass would hit the bait and the battle would begin. I can’t remember fishing for bass and catching nothing. We always had a string of fish on the walk home. There are plenty of golf courses in Polk County so all you have to do is ask at the front desk in your hotel. You may already know that Polk County is home to the Futures Tour, the official developmental tour for the LPGA. And, it’s where PGA Touring Pro Andy Bean lives and practices his game when he’s not on tour. But, golfers beware. If your wife or husband doesn’t play then the next obvious choice might be shopping. Lakeland has a number of really quaint little antique shops within easy walking distance of Lake Mirror. I saw some bargains but never made it back. One timely little find was a first edition book about Edward Bok. After visiting the Tower later in my visit I regretted not having bought the book when I first saw it.
There’s a lot more to do in Polk County if you have the time. Some things of interest might include Webb’s Citrus Candy Factory in the little town of Davenport, The Florida Flywheeler Park east of Fort Meade, the Phosphate Museum in Mulberry, the world’s largest clown collection in Lake Hamilton, the Polk Museum of Art in Lakeland and the Lake Wales Arts Center. If you’re a Detroit Tigers or Cleveland Indians fan you probably already know that Polk County is home to spring training for both these teams. If you really crave excitement, you may want to visit the Florida Skydiving Center in Lake Wales, the Drivetech Racing School in Lakeland or the Auburndale Motor Speedway. There is so much more to see and do that you probably ought to request a copy of the Vacation Planner put out by the visitor’s bureau. If you’re taking the whole family you might also ask them for information about a vacation rental home. They can provide you with a choice of thousands of furnished rental homes and condominiums ranging from 2 to 7 bedrooms that can accommodate 6 to 12 guests. Instead of eating out 3 times a day you’ll be able to save a bundle on meals and it may even cost less than a hotel or motel. Many have private screened-in swimming pools as well as a washer and dryer. No trips to the laundromat and just think about the advantage of having separate rooms for the kids and a little relaxation in the evenings. You might even want to have a family reunion! So, make the kids happy - head back to Disney and have a new experience in Imperial Polk County. Story and Photos by: Robert Painter (rpainter2006@comcast.net) When You Go: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Florida Southern College Campus:
Cypress Gardens: http://cypressgardens.com/welcome.asp. Sun ‘n Fun Fly In: http://www.sun-n-fun.org/content/. The Terrace Hotel: http://terracehotel.com/main.htm. The Polk Theatre: http://polktheatre.org/. Chalet Suzanne: http://chaletsuzanne.com/newSite/homesweethome.htm. If Golf is your game ask here for a copy of Golf
Destinations: Oh, and why Imperial Polk County? http://www.polk-county.net/index.aspx?pg=bc. |
|
TM
You’ve
been to see the mouse and now you want something different. The kids still want
to go back to Disney World but you’re ready for a change. You will be happy to
know that there is much more to Central Florida. You can spend a day or two
with the mouse and add a whole new dimension to your next Florida vacation.
From
the visionary architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright at the Florida Southern College
to the sunsational annual Sun n’Fun fly-in at Lakeland Linder Airport, the
intriguing array of experimental, built-from-kits and one of a kind aircraft at
the Florida Air Museum, also at the airport, and the extraordinary collection of
vintage aircraft at Fantasy of Flight, the influence of these three men makes
Lakeland a perfect weekend getaway for Florida residents and a special added
attraction for our winter visitors.
After
a day of sun and fun at the Cypress Gardens Adventure Park you’ll need a nice
place to stay. It’s just a short drive to Lakeland and The Terrace Hotel, first
opened in 1924. A historic building, it has undergone a multimillion dollar
renovation and can be found dead center in Lakeland. You can dine at the Terrace
Grille for one of the finest dining experiences in Central Florida. Before or
after dinner you will have the opportunity for a splendid walk around the lovely
Lake Mirror. Along the way the grand staircase will entice you to stroll through
the beautiful Hollis Garden, filled with wonderful plants from all across
Florida and beyond.
If
you’ve dined early and have some time left after your lakeside stroll you might
want to walk a couple of blocks to the other side of your hotel and find an
interesting little place by the name of Picasso’s Cup. This is a different sort
of nightspot where you can enjoy a bit of smooth jazz and sip a latte of your
choice or maybe a healthy cup of green tea. But, that’s not all. You can also
paint your own piece of pottery and have it fired to pick up the next day after
your return from your adventures.
If
you’re a fan of architecture or simply curious about all the fuss over Frank
Lloyd Wright you’ll want to visit Florida Southern College. Wright designed
eighteen buildings for the campus and twelve were finally built. The Annie
Pfeiffer Chapel is probably the best known and was begun in 1938. Others were
eventually completed about 1958, providing Florida Southern College with the
largest single site collection of Wright’s work anywhere in the world.
On
the way to visit the historic and very beautiful Polk Theatre in downtown
Lakeland you will notice a number of butterflies. These are large butterflies
with wingspans from three to five feet. You saw some when you strolled around
Lake Mirror and some in other places around town. There are 88 of these fanciful
creatures flitting about the city as part of a public art project titled
Kaleidoscope, Butterflies in Flight. You can read more about them on the
Kaleidoscope web site. But, on to the theatre. When you realize that this
fantastic theatre was originally built for a small city with a population of
only about 15,000 you will be amazed. It was one of the first structures in the
area to have air conditioning in 1928. As a matter of fact, when the air
conditioner was going at full blast, it dimmed the lights of homes across the
city. But, you’ll have to see it to believe it. Trite, but true. They still
show films on weekends and there is a Performing Arts Series each year. And,
yes, free tours are available.
As
for the brothers Wright, we can thank them for making possible the annual Sun’n
Fun April Fly-In and the Florida Air Museum. The Museum is open year round and
it’s a great place to learn about aviation history and see many unusual
aircraft. There are lots of specialty aircraft here along with a really
interesting exhibit about Howard Hughes. Not only is there a model of the
“Spruce Goose” but also flight suits from the time Katherine Hepburn was a
frequent flyer with Mr. Hughes. One of those suits is believed to have been
hers. Also, lots of other fascinating info about the then not so reclusive Mr.
Hughes.
If
you’re looking to slow down the pace a bit I can suggest a visit to Bok Tower.
This historic sanctuary, located on the highest point on the Florida peninsula
will let you wander through beautiful gardens and enjoy the sounds of one of the
world’s finest carillons. On the way you may want to park your car at Spook
Hill. Turn off the engine, put it in neutral and watch your vehicle roll UP the
hill! The kids will love it - be sure to let them out of the car to watch. 
As
long as you’re in Lake Wales to see the tower, you shouldn’t miss the enchanting
Chalet Suzanne. You can have a delicious meal in the restaurant and take a peek
at some of the rooms. Each one is different and quite interesting. Some famous
people have stayed here and you might want to add your name to the list. They
even have a canning plant for their famous soup, a few packets of which actually
made it to the moon on a space flight.
I
should mention that when you visit Fantasy of Flight you can also opt for a ride
in an open biplane. You can even schedule a flight that will allow you to take
the controls in the air, but I’d leave the landing part to the pilot. Like they
say, when you fall from a great height the fall won’t hurt you, but the sudden
encounter with the ground is what kills you. You’ll love seeing all the old
fighter planes here. They even had a Super Constellation parked in a nearby
field. The Super Connie was the first plane I ever flew in - do you suppose
that could have been the one?