Janet Groene - Romantic Getaways in Walt Disney World, Orlando & Beyond

Romantic Escapes: Walt Disney World, Orlando & Beyond

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

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IN CANADA :

Ulysses Travel Publications

4176 Saint-Denis , Montral, Qubec

Canada H2W 2M5

514-843-9882 ext. 2232 / fax 514-843-9448

2009 Janet Groene & Gordon Groene

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Brief extracts to be included in reviews or articles are permitted.

Every effort has been made to insure that the information in this book is correct, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

About The Authors

Janet Groene began her writing career when she was hired as a stringer for her hometown newspaper while still in junior high school. Since then she has written thousands of newspaper and magazine pieces, and more than a dozen books. When Janet and her husband Gordon sold their home and furniture and headed south, her typewriter and his cameras came along. It was the start of their new life as a travel writer and photographer team. After traveling full-time for 10 years in their sailboat and RV, they settled in Central Florida . Janet is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers; Gordon belongs to the North American Travel Journalists Association. Both are members of the American Society of Journalists & Authors.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Lori Chester of the Tampa/Hillsborough Convention & Visitors Association; Danielle Courtenay of the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau; Geiger Associates of Tallahassee; Maureen Gonzalez of the Orlando Peabody Alliance for Arts and Culture (OPAAC); Bert Lacey and Robyn DeRidder of Cypress Gardens; Brian Parrish of FLA-USA; Charlotte Luer of PCI; Angel Passailaigue of Jacksonville and the Beaches; Steve Sprecht of Silver Springs; Ed Stone of Ed Stone Associates; Susan McLain and Tangela Boyd of the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Association; Wayne Vaughn of the Central Florida Convention & Visitors Bureau; Bill Voliva of SHE Tours; Rene Wente of the DeLand Chamber of Commerce and West Volusia Tourism Authority; and the Zimmerman Agency, Tallahassee.

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Contents

Did thee feel the earth move?

Ernest Hemingway in For Whom the Bell Tolls .

Youve been on the job in the same old rut all week and now its time for you and your love to get away, if only for a day or a weekend. To you, getting away might mean a hammock under an oak tree, with a good book to read. Or it might mean a day at the beach, an exciting day at a theme park, or 18 holes of golf on a tournament course. It could mean running yourself ragged on the tennis court or on a century (100-mile) bicycle ride, or breakfast in bed followed by a day of shopping, then a night at the opera. The evening might end with nightcaps and dancing in a dimly lit club.

It is our aim to give you a sampling of places to stay, dine and see. Some couples prefer to stay in historic inns furnished with antiques, while others choose a full-service hotel or resort with a choice of restaurants and activities on site. We havent forgotten the budget traveler, who needs a getaway as much as anyone but cant afford five-star accommodations. Central and North Florida have miles of beaches where mom-and-pop motels provide unbeatable water views at modest prices. Some couples cant get away without their children or pets, so we list places for them, too.

Our listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation; they are chosen to give you options in your own search for the romantic weekend that works for you.

Whether youre flying in from afar, or live in Florida and simply want a short getaway to recharge your romance, we suggest plenty of spots some of them famous and others unknown.

Miami and Fort Lauderdale were mere outposts at a time when central and north Florida already bristled with busy ports and bustling cities. A thriving sugar industry in Daytona Beach supported fine plantations until they were burned during the Seminole Wars.

A railroad ran from Fernandina Beach to Cedar Key long before Henry Flaglers railroad rocketed through all the way to Key West and transformed the state forever. Civil War seethed through Florida , whose capital was the only one in the Confederacy that never fell to Union forces. During Reconstruction, the entire geometry of the state was changed. Once-important communities faded; young upstarts mushroomed. Many things shaped the growth of the state. Highways replaced railroads and steamboats. New harbors were dredged; old harbors filled in. Old forts became untenable against modern weapons. Swamps were drained and lowlands filled. Yellow fever and malaria were conquered. The introduction of affordable air conditioning made once-insufferable areas habitable.

St. Augustine had been settled, of course, since the 15th century. Fortunately for lovers, the restoration of the old city took it down to its earliest foundations, re-creating the days of the Conquistadores and Sir Francis Drake in its old streets and homes. Many of them are now transformed into charming inns. Like many of the communities we have sought out for this book, St. Augustine has been spared the riotous growth seen elsewhere.

There is no wrong time to tackle central and north Florida , but you do need to be prepared for the climate. In winter, powerful cold fronts push down from the north, getting stronger and longer as December and January get their grip. February and March can still be too icy for swimming in north Florida but by now azaleas are bursting out in central Florida as days get warmer. Along the Gulf of Mexico in west-central Florida , many of the beach resorts are sunny and swimmable almost every day of the year. Inland Florida can be beastly hot and muggy in summer, so its best to avoid the theme parks then unless you have school-age kids and cant go at any other time. For romance, summer is best spent on the coasts, where the breezes are cooler and waters calmer for shelling, snorkeling, and fishing.

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