The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, founded in 1938 and located just 15 minutes north of downtown Orlando, is one of those beautiful side trips as a beautiful landscape, a little local history combine some close-up exposure to the flora and fauna with an outlet to relax in a pontoon boat 18 passengers moving slowly, with experts (and sometimes humorous) narration by the captain.

The tour takes you through three lakes: Lake Osceola, Lage Virginia and Lake Maitland. On this beautiful day with blue skies, the ship has hit hundreds of beautiful properties of water-front, many of which were built in 1920 and originally sold for $ 20,000, while the recovery between $ 500,000 and several million in the booming market for today’s real estate Central Florida. Even boathouses are worth between $ 30,000 and $ 40,000.

Lake Virginia we came near the ground, of Rollins College, one of the top rated private colleges of liberal arts in the states of Southeastern U.S., founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists. Rollins College is the oldest recognized college in Florida with a small number of students 1700 students, housed in a beautiful 70 acre campus Mediterranean Revival. Our expert captain / guide mentioned that tuition at the college is $ 38,000 and the number of students by teachers is 12:1.

The apartments are located next to the college, selling today from $ 450,000 to 1000000 dollars. As we approached the narrow Venetian canal that separates the lake from Virginia to take on Lake Maitland, our captain made us aware of any vegetation more interesting along the canal: Egyptian papyrus, Spanish moss ( Airplant has not a parasite), the princess flower, bougainvillea and ferns resurrection. We have seen a great variety of birds, including osprey eagle, a bird snake, a great blue heron and white heron, which are used for the bird of happiness Seminole Indians.

On Lake Maitland we learned that there is a cave crocodile which 150 alligators were removed into the Florida Everglades is a rather dangerous collision between the local wildlife and civilization to avoid.

Along the Canal in Venice, we saw colorful ginger and banana, as we slowly passed under the arches of the bridge Palmer Avenue. Philodendron, palm grass, bamboo, a plant called spikes of fire and an interesting arrangement of potatoes of the air “, round tubers hanging from a tree branch, adorned our journey across the channel .

At 450 hectares and 30 meters deep, Lake Maitland is the largest of three lakes under the boat trip. A check dam water level and interesting lakes drain northward into the St. John’s River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville. Kraft Azalea Gardens, located on Lake Maitland on Alabama Drive off Palmer Avenue, feature thousands of azaleas, tropical shrubs and trees. The azaleas are in full bloom in January-March.

Our expert captain also pointed out various mansions that have been used as a backdrop in several movies and commercials. Lake Maitland also has several small islands with naked trees rather than for colonies of the House of cormorants, fishing birds that consume fish to one pound per day.

We slowly but our way back from Lake Maitland to Lake Osceola, where our beautiful and relaxing trip has ended. On this beautiful day was a fantastic day that the appropriate historical context for further exploring the beautiful city of Winter Park.

The Boat Scenic Tour, a Winter Park institution for almost 70 years, located at the end of Morse Avenue on Lake Osceola. It is a very affordable exit $ 8 for adults and $ 4 for children (children under 2 ride free). Boats run daily from 10 am to 4 pm (except Christmas). For more information on Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour.