Florida’s many attractions are within an easy drive from your beautiful Citrus Springs home. Why live next to an attraction and contend with the crowds, traffic, and high costs when you can live close enough for easy access but safely away from the hustle and bustle?
Here are just a few of our favorite day trips. We’re sure you’ll be adding your own favorites to the list.
Weeki Wachee Springs, Weeki Wachee — The only home of live mermaids, Weeki Wachee Springs is a great place to enjoy Florida’s only spring-fed waterpark. Swim in the 72-degree, crystal clear spring with white sandy beach, have a picnic, play beach vollyball, and watch the mermaid show.
Ginnie Springs Resort — Canoe, tube, snorkel and hike at this privately owned resort. Float down the Santa Fe River, scuba dive in the crystal clear springs. Cavern and cave-dive if you’re experienced. There are campsites with electric and water hook-ups, heated bathrooms, picnic tables and grills, and a general store.
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings State Historic Site — Visit the Cracker-style house and farm where Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings wrote “The Yearling,” the novel that won her the Pulitzer Prize in 1939.
Micanopy — Florida’s oldest inland settlement. Named for Chief Micanopy, the town is now one of the premier antique centers in Florida. Spent a day strolling through the many antique and curio stores or stay a while in one of the local bed and breakfasts.
Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards, Clermont — Florida’s largest winery and vineyards overlooking the rolling hills of south Lake County. Take a tour of the winery and then enjoy a little wine tasting. The Spanish-style building sits high on a hill and is easily reached by the Florida Turnpike. Gift shop, picnic area, free admission.
Walt Disney World, Orlando — There are over 47 square miles that comprise Walt Disney World. There are four major theme parks, Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. There are two Disney waterparks, Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. There are also two nightime entertainment complexes, Downtown Disney West Side, and Pleasure Island.
Disney’s Wide World Of Sports Complex is 200 acres of sporting action, while the Downtown Disney Marketplace is a favorite of people who enjoy shopping. Also within the Disney complex are many resort hotels and five championship golf courses.
Due to the massive size of the various theme parks, most visitors can expect to spend more than one day viewing everything within a single park. Some parks have night spectaculars during various holiday celebrations.
Sea World, Orlando — Amusement park, animal encounters, entertaining and education experiences focusing on dolphins, whales, sea lions, sharks, and other sea creatures. For thrills, ride Kraeken, the 15-story, longest, fastest, and only floorless rollercoaster in Orlando. Follow it up with Journey to Atlantis, a thrill ride that combines the best parts of water rides and roller coasters.
Choose from several shows, or see more than one: Shamu Adventure, Cirque de la Mer, Key West Dolphin Adventure, Pets Ahoy, and Clyde and Seamore. Explore the many animal attractions: Wild Arctic, Sharks Deep Dive, Manatees, Pacific Point Preserve, Penguine Encounter, Shark Encounter, and Tropical Rain Forest.
One day and one visit may not be enough time to also view the interactive displays, take guided behind-the-scenes tours, take part in the False Killer Whale Interaction Program, dine with Shamu, or have a unique meal at the Sharks Underwater Grill, an upscale full-service restaurant.
Islands of Adventure, Orlando — Journey through the five islands – Seuss Landing, The Lost Continent, Jurassic Park, Toon Lagoon and Marvel Super Hero Island – then browse through a variety of shops and boutiques offering everything from surfboards and sportswear to toys and novelties to fine jewelry and gifts. Choose from a number of themed restaurants and unique shops offering a wide variety of snacks and meals.
Universal Studios Florida, Orlando — The number one movie studio theme park in the world combines a real working TV and movie studio with plenty of activities to keep people coming back for more. Specialty shops, gift shops, fine restaurants, snack shops, attractions and rides make this a popular destination. Shows and rides include: Back To The Future The Ride, Earthquate The Big One, Men In Black Alien Attack, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time, Twister … Ride It Out, and The Wild Wild West Stunt Show.
The Orange County History Museum — Travel back 12,000 years in time and fast-forward to today exploring the people, places and events that shape Central Florida. The History Center is new, fun, and interactive.
Orlando Opera — Central Florida’s finest resource for quality performing arts. Vision and imagination come alive each season through exciting, world-class productions both on and off the main stage.
The Orlando Philharmonic — Central Florida’s resident orchestra appearing in more than 95 performances each season. As a fully professional ensemble, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra engages the talents of more than 80 conservatory-trained musicians from around the globe.
The Orlando Science Center — A 207,000 square-foot “hands-on” learning center with hundreds of interactives for all ages. Features include the giant-screen of the Dr. Phillips CineDome.
Pirate’s Dinner Adventure, Orlando — A dinner show attraction that puts you and your family right in the middle of all of the swashbuckling action. A pirate adventure that’s perfect for children and adults alike.
Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Orlando — The Orlando Odditorium appears to be sinking into one of Florida’s infamous sinkholes. For over 40 years, Robert Ripley traveled the world collecting the unbelievable, the inexplicable, the one-of-a-kind. All of it is amazing, much of it is extremely amusing, and it’s all on display in Orlando.
Titanic – The Exhibition, Orlando — The world’s first permanent Titanic Exhibition immerses visitors in this timeless story in a way it has never been experienced before. The only full-scale Titanic room re-creations in existence, including her world-famous Grand Staircase. Over 200+ priceless artifacts and historic treasures from some of the most prestigious private collections in the world, many of them on display for the very first time.
Medieval Times Dinner Theatre, Kissimmee — Set within the walls of a European-style castle, the live show recreates a Middle Age tournament of skill and sport, featuring valiant knights and powerful stallions. The hands-on medieval feast includes a four-course dinner and a two-hour live show.
Polk Museum of Art, Lakeland — The inviting entrance of the Polk Museum of Art leads into the Hollis Gallery, a gateway to the museum’s two main galleries. Traveling exhibitions of historic and contemporary works visit the museum. Permanent collections focus on four collection areas: Modern and Contemporary Art, Asian Art, European and American Decorative Arts and Pre-Columbian Art.
Fantasy of Flight, Polk City — The vision of Kermit Weeks, aviation enthusiast and historian, Fantasy Of Flight is a tribute to the innovation and imagination of the pioneers of flight. Features many rare and vintage aircraft.
Central Florida Zoological Park, Lake Monroe — A relaxing, entertaining and educational experience for the entire family. Discover a world of animals from around the world within this intimate park nestled in the heart of Florida.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay — Busch Gardens is the ultimate family adventure park with a unique blend of thrilling rides, one of the country’s premier zoos featuring more than 2,700 animals, live shows, restaurants, shops and games. Rollercoaster fans can get their thrills on Kumba, Montu, Python, and Gwazi, then head over to the Tanganyika Tidalwave or the Congo River Rapids. There are plenty of kid friendly rides, up-close animal encounters, and the “Around the World On Ice” show.
The Tampa Museum of Art — Located along the scenic Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, museum provides a broad range of art-related experiences for visitors of all ages. Collections include twentieth-century and contemporary art and a renowned collection of Greek and Roman antiquities. A changing special exhibitions program plus a wide range of classes, lectures, seminars, and children’s activities.
The University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa — The museum is one of only 45 AAM (American Association of Museums) accredited museums in Florida. The museum brings to USF and the Tampa Bay community vital, investigative and scholarly contemporary exhibitions and houses a collection of more than 4,500 works with a focus on contemporary graphics, photography and sculpture multiples.
Ruth Eckard Hall, Clearwater — The acoustically perfect center is convenient to all Central Florida communities and serves a five-county area. According to a 2001 Poll Star report, Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked as the number two theatre venue worldwide in ticket sales for capacities of 2,500 or less. Ruth Eckerd Hall’s education program, the largest of its kind in the state of Florida, has touched more than 1.5 million people with a commitment to life-long learning through the arts.
The Pier, St. Petersburg — Fish on the approach to The Pier and around the exterior of the building along the seawalls. No pole? No problem! Pole rentals are available. If fishing isn’t your choice, rent a two or four-seater bicycle and bike around The Pier and explore downtown St. Petersburg. Boat tours and dining cruises are also based at The Pier.
The Florida Orchestra, St. Petersburg — Recognized as Tampa Bay’s leading performing arts institution, one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in Florida, and one of the best regional orchestras in America. With a full orchestra of 80 professional musicians, the Orchestra performs more than 150 concerts annually, including Masterworks, Super Pops, Coffee Concerts, Blue Jeans Classics, Kids Time Classics, free parks concerts, youth concerts and concerts at Pasco County’s Center for the Arts in River Ridge.
Great Explorations, St. Petersburg — A place for young minds to experience the thrill and excitement of science – to see first-hand why things work the way they do. Experience the joy of being a kid – at any age – at this hands-on museum.
Florida International Museum, St. Petersburg — The premier Florida museum for world-class, blockbuster exhibitions with attendance since 1995 at over one million visitors from all 50 states and over 100 countries. Organized in 1992, it has undergone a multi-million dollar renovation. The museum is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing educational exhibitions.
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg — European and American art, Greek and Roman antiquities, pre-Colombian and Asian art are displayed inside the museum’s Palladian-styled architecture. The museum provides examples of world art in an inviting, elegant setting with a purpose to increase knowledge and appreciation of art, to collect and preserve objects of artistic interest and merit, to protect works of art, to provide facilities for research, and to offer instruction and opportunities for aesthetic enjoyment of art.
The Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg — From small, earlier works to challenging, monumental paintings, the museum displays works by Dali and artists of similar vision. In cooperation with other museums and educational institutions, the museum is an active resource in the cultural life of local, state, national and world communities by the presentation of intriguing and varied exhibitions and programs.
St. Petersburg Museum of History — Home to nearly 30,000 objects and archival items relating to the history and pre-history of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas Peninsula. The collections have appeared in books, videos, advertising, and exhibits. Collections document such things as the first commercial airline, the development of tourism in St. Petersburg, and the history of local businesses. The collections and archival materials are accessible for research and examination by special appointment.
Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota — The 66-acre estate, the legacy of John Ringling, is the largest museum/university complex in the nation. The Museum of Art, recognized as the state art museum of Florida, includes 21 galleries of internationally recognized European and American art with paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck, Poussin and other baroque masters.
The estate includes Ca d’Zan, the recently restored Ringling mansion; the Circus Museum; the Original Asolo theater; the Rose Garden and beautifully landscaped grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay. The art library contains a major reference collection of more than 60,000 volumes encompassing all art periods.