Just what do the locals do? Central Florida – Beyond the Theme Parks begins to answer just that question. Hearing tourists after multiple visits to Disney World, Universal Studios, or Sea World proclaim, "I have seen Florida;" however, as a native Floridian, the answer is "No, you haven't." The book focuses on activities within a 100-mile radius of Orlando. Cost is a limiting factor for locations included within the book to those ranging from free to $20. That contrast with Disney World, Universal Studios, and Sea World, where at publication, the admission fee for individual tickets have broken the $100 barrier, and even the parking fee at each of the parks is $25.
With Orlando centrally located between the two coasts, locals take advantage of the current cultural events, the expansive recreational activities and immerse themselves in Florida's extensive historical heritage that many locations represent. There are 120 locations discussed in the book, with over 300 color photographs. Supplementing the book is a website where those 300 photographs are available for viewing at a higher resolution and include additional photos illustrating the locations but not in the publication. After publication, the author may update by adding more images that are relevant to the locations.
This book is for the lifelong resident, the newly arriving resident, the tourist, the business traveler, and the short-term resident enjoying the mild winter. This book is for everyone. Lawrence Gray is a 4th generation native Floridian with some lineage dating back even further to the mid-1700s. Currently living in Central Florida, he is an author and professional photographer.
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Orange County
Chapter 3 Seminole County
Chapter 4 Osceola County
Chapter 5 Local to 30 Miles
Chapter 6 Daytrips to 100 Miles
Chapter 7 Discounts and Membership Plans
Chapter 8 Bonus
Chapter 9 Exclusions