1. Kayak Eco-Tour
Rather than a hidden motorized track guiding you through a faux jungle with fake hippos and zebras, exercise your paddling muscles on a kayak eco-tour through mossy, cypress-lined Shingle Creek, the headwaters of the Everglades. Here, you may spot real alligators, bald eagles, and more. The Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott at Grande Lakes offer two-hour guided tours twice daily, or experienced kayakers can venture out on their own from Shingle Creek Regional Park.
2. World-Class Spas
Break away from keynote speakers and take time to get pampered at one of Orlando’s world-class spas. Three to try: the luxurious, 24-000-square-foot Waldorf Astoria Spa by Guerlain at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando (known for amazing facials), the Ritz-Carlton Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes (Florida-fresh citrus-based treatments are a specialty), and the Poseidon Spa at the Grand Bohemian Hotel (where you can try a heated shell massage).
3. Organic Brewery
There are almost 20 ales, lagers, and seasonal microbrews on tap at seven-year-old Orlando Brewing Company—and all the beer is organic! The only USDA-certified organic brewery south of Vermont and east of Colorado is located near downtown, offers free brewery tours Monday to Saturday at 6 pm, and has live music at 9 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
4. Hip Neighborhoods
Get to know two of Orlando’s lakeside neighborhoods as you dine at some buzzed-about restaurants. Dine amid surreal modern art at the new Santiago's Bodega in Ivanhoe Village, where bold paintings and interior décor by Robert Henry Thompson pair with a creative small-plate tapas-style menu that’s been transported from the original outpost in Key West. Step back to the final days of Prohibition at Cask & Larder, a “Southern public house” (think oysters, curd meats, and lots of beer) in Winter Park from the owners of the celebrated The Ravenous Pig.
5. American Art Museum
One might assume the largest collection of Tiffany glass in the world would be located in New York, but it’s actually in Orlando's Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in historic Winter Park. Over the past half-century, the Morse has amassed some of the most memorable lamps, leaded-glass windows, jewelry, art glass, and pottery by Louis Comfort Tiffany, and in 2011 debuted a new $5 million Tiffany Wing that houses the restored Daffodil Terrace from his Long Island estate as well as 250 art and architectural objects.
*Our list was originally posted on Fodor's Travel and we picked our favorites to share with you!
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