Not that there isn’t enough to do in Sanford and Orlando as it is, but in case your kids, or you, ever feel bored, you should check out Kidtropolis in Sanford, located right off highway 46 on the West side of I-4. Kidtropolis offers over 2,000 square feet of arcade games. There will certainly be something for everyone to enjoy.
I think I might soon check out the free Guitar Hero Tournament that takes place every Thursday at 5pm. Sounds like a lot of fun!
Kidtropolis also hosts birthday parties with prices per child starting at $12.99. Their dining area is quite large (food includes chicken wings, pizza, hot dogs, desserts and more) and there is also free WiFi available.
Mini Golf is always a fun activity. I can’t remember when was the last time though that I actually played mini golf. It must have been years… So I was even happier when the idea was brought up, and of course excited to be able to take some pictures for my blog.
We were quite lucky: it had just rained heavily and the air cooled off. Also, due to the earlier rain there were not many people (unusual for a Friday evening) so we didn’t have to wait at any point. And shortly after we left it actually started raining again. Talk about perfect timing
Throughout the course of the game I realized that I am not the best player… It was very fun though to at least try! I really like the theme of the Congo River mini golf course in Altamonte Springs (off 436). It’s nicely done and even though you are quite close to the road at some spots, you still feel a bit like on vacation when there. Consisting of 18 rounds you can run through a game with 4 players within about 1.5-2 hours, depending on your skills and on how long each player “plans” their game. I am quite impatient so I just started hitting the ball in the right direction and went from there…
The price seemed kind of high, we paid $50 for the four of us (Jose’s nephew and his girl friend were with us) but I think that is the going rate. At the end of your game though the staff tries to make sure you win a free game for the next time. So out of 4 tickets, 3 of us won a free game – not bad! Also, watch out for coupons before you go, I am sure there are some out there because we were asked repeatedly if we didn’t have any coupons with us…
Below are some more pictures of our fun evening of mini golf in Altamonte…
One of the best (and very affordable) activities for a summer weekend is visiting Wekiva Falls Resort in Lake County (Sorrento) – not to be confused with Wekiva Springs in Longwood, FL. It is actually only a short drive away from Sanford (10 minutes from mall area) but canoeing on the Wekiva River will make you feel as close to Florida’s nature as you could possibly be.
The Wekiva Falls Resort is actually an RV resort and great spot for camping. At the Wekiva Falls Resort you can enjoy:
RV Camping
Tent Camping
Swimming
Picnic Areas
Beaches
Volleyball
Logaoon Slides
Biking
Nature Trails
Canoeing
River Cruises
Kayaking
Fishing
Boat Launch
Bait & Tackle
So we decided to go there on Sunday to do some canoeing on the Wekiva River and afterward hang out by the huge pool like lake with water slide. Since I have previously only has experience with kayaking I wasn’t too afraid of canoeing – little did I know how shaky the canoe can get. Not sure if the reason was that I sat in the middle of a 3 person canoe or maybe canoes are just shaky in general? Anyway, it didn’t take longer than 5 minutes until the 3 of us landed IN the river! We tried to avoid a tree that “suddenly” appeared in front of us and, of course, all leaned to ONE side of the boat. Luckily we were still close to a shore and were able to turn the canoe back over and get all the water out of it – only took 5 minutes. I have to say I was pretty mad – not because I was soaking wet (it actually felt very refreshing with temperatures close to 100) but because I am terrified of alligators and there ARE alligators along the river. Yes, they are afraid of people and all, but knowing that they are in nesting season right now makes me wonder, what if we accidentally step a bit too close into a gator’s territory? Well, I don’t want to ever try that… We learned from our mistake though and managed to stay ON the boat for the next 2 hours enjoying the amazing beautiful nature that surrounded us! If you are not absolutely terrified of alligators you have to try this! And there is an alternative to canoeing: a river cruise on a larger boat. I will opt for kayaking next time though. Being closer to the water actually gives you more balance…
After our little adventure on the Wekiva River we moved over to the lake/pool and cooled off a bit. The water has a high percentage of sulfur so be prepared for it to be a bit smelly. You get used to that though. There was a live DJ who played some good up beat music and had some games prepared. You can barbecue and just enjoy the day by the lake/pool/river shores. Of course, being a Sunday and being Father’s Day it got pretty busy but there is plenty of space for everyone.
The Wekiva River Resort is having a 4th of July event and we are thinking about celebrating there. It’s an all day event with lots of music, games and prizes. Fireworks start at 9:30pm. I will post more details soon!
Here is their information and below some more pictures of our fun day by the river:
New Smyrna Beach is a great alternative to Daytona Beach. It is about a 45 minute drive from Sanford. I personally like New Smyrna Beach better than Daytona Beach because of its cozy beach town flair. Flagler Avenue which leads directly to the beach is lined with unique little stores, restaurants and bars which makes walking along the twon after laying ont he beach for a couple of hours a very fun thing. It almost feels like a real little vacation. So this weekend we packed up our towels and swim suits and had a spontaneous day by the beach. The weather was perfect! Finally a sunny weekend day. Despite the rather crowded beach it didn’t feel overwhleming, it was just right.
New Smyrna is also one of the beaches where you can drive and park your car. I’m not a big fan of that because in my opinion it takes away from the classic beach experience but I don’t mind it either. If I feel like classic beach experience I can always go to Tampas beaches, right? New Smyrna just happens to be so cute – and conveniently located to Sanford
So today we took the second half of the day off to go to accompany our guests to the beach. We chose Clearwater Beach by Tampa. I have to say we took quite a risk because leaving Sanford it was pouring down (as it has over the past week and a half). Miraculously though, as soon as we got to Clearwater (almost 2 hour drive from Sanford) it cleared up and the sun came through. So when we got there around 4pm we had a good 2 hours left to lay in the sun and enjoy the very pleasant water.
I personally love the beaches around Tampa. They really are what you would imagine: white sand, palm trees and a light blue ocean. Daytona Beach can be quite different in that way so even though we live closer to it we try to visit the West coast more than the East coast (sorry Daytona! we’ll certainly visit you again too!).
Visiting the beach is a fun activity on weekends and can be affordable too. Just pack your food and snacks in a cool box and off you go! It doesn’t always have to be a water park. And besides, the beach and the ocean have a much more relaxing effect, don’t they?
After sitting on our tickets for almost a year (they would have expired Memorial weekend) we finally made the time to take a day off (it rarely happens) and spent the day at Aquatica, Orlando’s newest water park.
When we tried to visit the park last year we weren’t very lucky: we got there by 10 am only to find out that the park had already reached full capacity and was therefore closed until at least 4pm.
So we were a little skeptical and called the Aquatica Hotline all morning just to be sure this wouldn’t happen again. After all, it was Mother’s Day and you never know which kids wouldn’t surprise their mom with a day at Aquatica…
Beach Area
But we made it in (just in time BTW) and had a fabulous day! We truly relaxed, despite the the crowds. Aquatica, just like any water park, has something that relaxes me. We tried every single ride, enjoyed the lazy river and “Roa’s Rapids” and laid by the beach and wave pool. The weather was absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky!
Fun Water Rides
Here a bit about my experience and some tips:
Obviously, try to be there early so you can get in!
Coolers are allowed so bring plenty of water and maybe even some snacks because food is expensive. Not sure about glass bottles, I am assuming they are not allowed so check out the web site or call for more info.
If you don’t want your feet to get burned, bring water shoes or your old flip flops. It was quite funny to see people (me included) run from one puddle to the next, trying to keep our feet from being burned by the hot sand and pavement. If you’re not good at running around in your bathing suit the investment in those shoes is definitely worth it! Buy them at Wal Mart BEFORE your get to the park because, just as with the food, you will pay a premium if buying them at Aquatica
Don’t expect to be able to shower at the park. I tried but the lines in front of the showers are just too long and if you like to take long hot showers (I do) you don’t want to be rushed and block everyone else.
Bring at least one recognizable towel to leave at your chair when you lay by the beach because it is kind of hard to find your spot again after you tour the park.
The rides are kind of short so don’t be disappointed. Especially the highly advertised Dolphin Plunge were you are supposed to see all these dolphins swim around you – it isn’t like that! You may get a glimpse at them though if you are able to keep your eyes open (it is tough, and even tougher with contacts in because the water really is splashing from all sides).
If you have been to Typhoon Lagoon, Aquatica doesn’t really have the tropical landscape to the extend that Typhoon lagoon has it. I remember Typhoon Lagoon as a “water park within nature”. Aquatica is much more open in that way, kind of like in between Wet n’Wild and Typhoon Lagoon.
Most of the rides are pretty much “child safe”, so if you’re expecting the really wild rides it’s the wrong place! I heard Wet’n Wild is best for those.
We spent a fantastic day at the beach today! My first time this year, believe it or not. It’s beginning of May in Central Florida and I hadn’t been yet – shame on me. I really should take advantage of living close to the beaches – but oh well, work gets in the way too often…
We chose St Pete Beach, not the closest from us (Sanford is closest to New Smyrna and Daytona Beach and Cocoa Beach is also closer) but definitely one of my favorites, maybe also because it is on the gulf side. Jose’s aunt and uncle were in Tampa and we met them at their hotel with beach access in St. Petersburg.
As you can see the color of the water was spectacular, not a cloud in the sky, white sand, pleasant water temperatures and a light breeze – the perfect beach day! We really enjoyed our time and hope we can get back to the beach soon!!
We have been members since February 2009 but believe it or not, today was the first time we actually went to the YMCA to exercise and keep up with our new year’s resolution to stay fit. Well, better late than never Our main focus at this point is the pool. Our schedule will allow us to go twice a week to swim laps. We’ve chosen to go around noon time. It was a great day to swim and I look forward to many more pool workouts! So if you feel like swimming at a great open air pool in the Sanford/Lake Mary area, come out to the YMCA! It’s a fun place, perfect for the whole family.
BTW, I was also pleasantly surprised how clean and nicely redone the women locker rooms were. I had been a member of the Lake Mary YMCA in 2005 and I see a huge improvement! Very modern and nice looking, including the showers.
Fairs have been fascinating to me ever since! I prefer the old fashioned fair over a modern amusement park anytime. Not sure what it is about it, maybe childhood memories, the much more affordable price (free parking and admission, $1 rides) or simply the types of rides that are much less harmful and wild, yet fun! On top of that, an old fashioned fair has something very stylish to it and makes a great spot for pictures
So while the Seminole County Fair was in town for Spring (March 27-April 5 as usual at the Seminole Towne Center Mall parking lot in Sanford), I took some evening pictures.
One of the stores in Sanford I will definitely check out soon is St. John’s Cycles. The store is located on Palmetto Avenue in Downtown Sanford.St. John’s Cycles will mainly sell Blue, Look, Scott, and Electra cruisers.
I think it would be a wonderful idea to also offer an hourly rent a bicycle service. The location is perfect! From Palmetto Avenue you could tour the entire historic district, including the residential district with its beautiful Victorian houses and then continue the tour along the Sanford Riverwalk. I’d be first in line if St. John’s Cycles offers it So please, if anyone happens to learn about them offering this service, share the news here!
Anyway, if you like bicycles or are in need of an accessory, stop by and check out the store! For more information, you can reach St. John’s Cycles at 321-363-4928.
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