Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Christmas Florida vacation...what to do?

I'm planning a getaway to Florida for the family over the Christmas break. We have always wanted to do this before our kids get too cool to go with us on a vacation. Ages are 8, 11 and 13. We are flying into Orlando and will be there for 5 days and moving to Daytona for 5 more. Some things we wanted to see are Disney's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom as well as Sea World. Anybody have some advice on things we need to do while there?

More time at Sea World, less at Disney. Seriously.

fish fish and fish

AMEN, then if you like rides, Universal Studio's then drive down to the space center at Cape Canaveral/Kennedy. There is also some neat stuff in Orlando to see. It is all about tourists and attractions.

I always liked Silver Springs and Ross Allens Reptile Inst. at Ocala..short drive away...glass bottomed boats etc..cool beans..

IF you like snakes theres a facility in Kissimmee that milks them for venom, has a great varied population of the healthiest, cared-for snakes Iver ever seen...

Seaworld is better than the Disney parks. Busch Gardens is better than Disney's Animal Kingdom and Disney combined. The 1.5 hours is takes to drive to Tampa isn't much different than the time you will waste getting into Disney and standing in lines.

As someone else mentioned, take a day and go over to Kennedy Space Center.

I guess everybody needs to go to Disney World once. Sea World too. The kids will love it. The wife will probably love the shopping. What's in it for you? As for Daytona? Hell I ain't been there in 30 or more years. I have no idea what's there except that it's become the new spring break town, and is loved by MTV. Try to arrange some fishing while there.

Those are all good ideas. I'll throw in a couple more. Wekiwa Springs State Park is close to Orlando and Blue Springs State Park is kind of on the way from Orlando to Daytona. You may get to see manatees at Blue Springs in the winter. They congregate around warm water sources, and the water is around 72 degrees in the springs year 'round. Of course, you should see manatees in captivity at Sea World. I think both parks have canoeing and swimming, but I don't think you can swim with the manatees. Specifics are readily available on the web.

If you bring tackle, there are lots of places to fish, including right off the beach. Ponce Inlet, south of Daytona, used to have good fishing and some good restaurants. The fishing scene can be fickle in the winter down here, but if you're not hiring a guide, the best bet is to check with a local tackle shop and see what is biting and where. Another good source is the Flordia Sportsman Magazine fishing reports and forums. Sometimes you can dig sand fleas right in the surf and use them for bait. I live and fish farther south, so I'm afraid I can't be very specific about the fishing there especially during the winter.

Bass Pro is right off the interstate in Orlando if you need tackle.

Great ideas, Kennedy Space center was on the list as well as Univeral studios. A fishing trip was in the back of my mind, I might take my two boys out and let the wimminfolk do the shopping thing. All of us will be happier Maybe a gator sightseeing trip?

I recomend the Canaveral and Coral Gables area.
More like the Florida of old.

More laid back beach living, like the Keys

One needs a full day in each of the Disney parks with a follow-up day of the kid's choice. You need to extend your Disney component and then go fishing or hunting.

Theme parks are good for the kids I suppose, Daytona for access to Cape Canaveral?
Crystal River for a swim with the Manatees is something the kids would always remember, some good fishing along the gulf coast there as well. Not as commercial of an area as the others but to each his own.......

Ingwe is right on with his suggestions. I was born and raised in Ocala, and frankly the place just keeps getting bigger every year!

They used to film many movies at Silver Springs..the views are amazing! Used to take class field trips to Ross Allens reptile institute and watching them milk rattlesnakes is a blast!

Honestly, I can't suggest this heavily enough, but if you are going to Florida....GO FISHING! The inshore bite should be red hot this time of year. Find a guide on the Gulf coast side and go whack some gator trout and big Redfish!!!! Those fish ATTACK the bait, not just bite it!

The water scenes for "Sea Hunt" with Lloyd Bridges were all filmed there but the prop house and such were lost to a hurricane, the catfish are gone replaced with mullet due to a damming of the Silver River I believe.

Then the was "Gentle Ben" that was filmed there as well.

Canoe through the Everglades

cowman:

Lots of old people in Daytona Beach. Really, really old people.

NASCAR is there. Don't know if there's a race on, though.

The beach is pretty empty at Christmas. The only people you see in the water are Yankees who think "this is warm!" and the local surfer kids. You'll feel like you have the place to yourself.

You'll notice people driving cars up and down the beach on the famously hard-packed sands. If you do that, make sure you're driving a rental. (Seriously.)

Oh, and eat lunch at Crabby Joe's on the Sunglow Pier. My mother-in-law is one of the owners. (Sorry, no discounts.)

As for fishing, you can surf-cast, fish off my MIL's pier (for a modest fee), or run down to Ponce Inlet, just south of DB and go out on a charter.

Have fun. Good luck with the TSA.

- Tom

No dam on the Silver river, ran the length of it a short while back. Lot's of those obnoxious monkeys along the shores though.

I really don't remember the reason they gave, but was sorely disappointed the catfish were gone. There were some MONSTER lunkers in there.

There are still cat's there, possibly not the size cat fish that were there when Six Gun Territory was across the street but uhhhh, I'm not sure how far you might be reaching back. I take it your as old as dirt and I:-) I still see good sized cats on the bottom of the springs.

I'd have to say fishing took the monster cats outta there, Lot's of people on the river fishing. There are mullet that have come into the system from the St. Johns but they been there for a long time.

Still a nice place to visit, kinda spendy for a family considering what they have to offer, on down the coast between Homosassa Springs and Crystal river have unique qualities and the prices are fair at the hotels restaurants and the likes of what would interest the average family with kids passin' through.

As another poster here already stated, the fish are biting, we nailed a 50 King Mackerel a couple of decent Cobia and 13 Grouper on a recent outing. Inshore the Red's are active along with plenty of trout, both catchable from shore if a guy knows where to go...

Bingo X 3. Excellent time of year to fish FL, with the cooler water temps. Just DO YOUR HOMEWORK as far as hiring a guide. Trust me on this.