Uncovering Inexpensive Attractions in the Orlando Area
Mar 02, 2010
Uncovering Inexpensive Attractions in the Orlando Area
If you are looking for ways to make your vacation budget
stretch a bit when you are visiting Orlando, the best thing
to do is to look around for activities and attractions that
are practically free. Theme parks are great, but Mother
Nature has also done her part by providing us with the
natural beauty which we can find in the parks of Florida.
One gem that I recently discovered is the Turkey Lake Park,
which is just a short distance from the Universal Resort.
Officially known as the Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake,
this is a beautiful 300 acre facility that is open year
round, seven-days a week and features a number of outdoor
activities as well as good camping facilities.
The park, which is operated by the City of Orlando,
features a swimming pool and large pavilions for group
picnics and smaller sun shelters for family picnics. The
large pavilions are available on a rental basis and the
family sized shelters are available on a first come and
first served basis.
There is a well-stocked lake that should keep all the
anglers in your family happy, and there is a children's
farm which is remnant of the agricultural origin of this
particular piece of land. A visit to the farm will give you
an idea of what pioneer farming was like when Florida was
first settled. Along with the farm, the park also has an
Ecology Center with an air conditioned room, ideal for
meetings.
In addition to swimming and fishing there are other
activities including hiking, baseball/softball, volleyball,
biking, and large playground for the kids. Compared to the
theme parks and other major Orlando attractions all of
these activities are inexpensive, and you can make them
still more inexpensive by taking advantage of youth group
rates, family Pass and individual passes offered by the
park.
In addition, the park has limited availability for horse
boarding. If you are interested in this option you should
call the park office for availability and cost.
Camping is one of the biggest attractions of this
particular park. You can choose from cabins that sleep up
to 10, which could be perfect for groups and there are
family camp sites for trailers and RVs complete with
electricity, water and sewer hookups. The camping area is
shaded and has picnic tables and barbecue pits. There is
also another primitive camping area which costs only $7 per
night for a four person tent. All camping, whether it is
for a cabin or a tent requires prior reservations.
One tip if you are camping here, if possible bring along a
cart to haul your stuff to the primitive camping area
because the park does not provide this, and you can't take
your car directly to the area.
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Mark Whichard is a frequent writer on Orlando area tourism.
He is the proprietor of Orlando's Finest vacation homes and
you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Homes by
visiting his website at http://www.orlandosfinest.com
