Central Florida Story Ideas  for  2014 IPW

LEGOLAND® Florida is Florida's Newest Theme Park! LEGOLAND Florida is dedicated to families with children ages 2 to 12, and is the largest LEGOLAND® Park in the world. The 150-acre property offers a unique mix of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions; plus restaurants, shops and a beautiful botanical garden (the former Cypress Gardens). Spectacular LEGO® models are found throughout 10 themed “Lands” which include The Beginning, Fun Town, Miniland USA, LEGO Kingdoms, Land of Adventure, LEGO® TECHNIC, LEGO City, Imagination Zone, Pirates' Cove and DUPLO® Village. The park has upgraded with several expansions since opening in late 2011, including the LEGOLAND Water Park in May 2012, LEGO® Star WarsTM Miniland Model Display in November 2012 and a whole new section of the park - The World of ChimaTM presented by Cartoon Network - featuring an interactive water ride called The Quest for CHI in July 2013. In November 2013, the attraction announced plans to build a themed hotel adjacent to the park, scheduled to welcome guests in 2015.See details at http://florida.legoland.com/en/about/press/.    

Safari Wilderness Ranch - Experience An Authentic Safari Adventure! Witness the dramatic landscapes of the Serengeti without setting foot on an airplane. At Safari Wilderness Ranch, you will be guided through lush wetlands and open grasslands, and enjoy spectacular close-up encounters with huge herds of exotic hoofstock. This 260-acre preserve is surrounded by Florida's Green Swamp, an 870 square mile pristine watershed that is source to five of Florida's finest rivers. Tours are available by safari vehicle or on camelback. Reservations are required and tours operate Wednesday through Sunday at 10 am and 1 pm. Optional extras include lemur (see photo at left) and budgie feedings. Safari Wilderness Ranch is a family-run agritourism venture, www.SafariWilderness.com.  

Bok Tower Gardens - Serene Beauty and Timeless Architecture. Voted “Florida's Best Garden,” this National Historic Landmark was dedicated in 1929 as a gift to the American people from Dutch immigrant and world peace advocate Edward Bok. Nearly 700 acres of conservation lands and gardens surround the 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco “Singing Tower” carillon and the Pinewood Estate, a 20-room, Mediterranean-style 1930s winter retreat. A haven for wildlife, Bok Tower Gardens sits on one of peninsular Florida's highest points and is home to more than 120 bird species, the threatened gopher tortoise and rare plants found nowhere else in the world. www.BokTowerGardens.org  

Westgate River Ranch Resort - An Authentic “Dude Ranch” Experience Awaits!  Visitors can unleash their inner cowboy and leave their “city slicker” worries behind. At this 1,700-acre ponderosa of winding trails and pristine waters, guests enjoy horseback riding, guided nature hikes, fishing, boating, swimming, trap and skeet shooting, airboat or swamp buggy rides, hayrides and a petting zoo. Line-dance at the River Ranch Saloon or attend a sanctioned, Saturday night rodeo. Westgate River Ranch blends the best that nature has to offer with outstanding ranch activities the whole family can enjoy. www.WGRiverRanch.com   

Streamsong® Resort's Highly Anticipated Lodge is Now Open. Streamsong® Resort, www.StreamsongResort.com, celebrated the grand opening of its 216 room lodge and spa in January 2014, to complement the two highly acclaimed golf courses that debuted last year. The magnificent new lakeside lodge put the finishing touch on a resort that now features an exclusive clubhouse (with 12 additional guest rooms) and golf shop, two signature restaurants, a grotto-style spa, state of the art conference facilities, world-class bass fishing, a sporting clays facility, stunning vistas, wildlife and more, in a natural Florida setting. Built upon 16,000 acres of reclaimed phosphate mining land, Streamsong® Red (designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw) and Streamsong® Blue (designed by Tom Doak) are atypical of most Florida golf courses, utilizing the natural contours, towering sand dunes, expansive waste areas, native grasses and sweeping vistas to offer a golf experience that is reminiscent of the links-style courses of the British Isles. They have been named the “Best new courses in America” by GOLF magazine. Streamsong's courses join a list of historic and championship golf courses in Polk County that includes Southern Dunes and The Club at Eaglebrooke, offering golfers an enticing array of options.  

FUN… it's in our Nature! - Some of Our Best Attractions Took 4 Million Years to Build!  Central Florida's Polk County is home to some of the best preserved nature areas in Florida with 554 lakes, 37 nature parks and preserves - spanning more than 25,000 acres of environmental lands - and the Lake Wales Ridge. Long before Florida had theme parks or even humans, Central Florida was mostly covered by ocean and the eastern part of Polk County was its beach. Now that unique Lake Wales Ridge is home to many rare plant and animal species, some found nowhere else in the world! Explore our beautiful parks, lakes and nature areas by airboat (pictured), hiking trail or cycling path. Go birding, kayaking and wildlife watching or try fishing in the “Largemouth Bass Capital of the World” on one of our 554 sparkling lakes. In Central Florida's Polk County, the choices are as diverse as the wildlife.  

Architecture and Art - At the Heart of Central Florida.Visitors to Polk County can tour the largest one-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world, consisting of thirteen completed structures, including the Usonian House, finished in 2013 - based on a 1939 design. The first Frank Lloyd Wright design to be built on the original site - for the original client - in almost 60 years, Usonian House welcomes campus visitors as the centerpiece of the Sharp Family Tourism and Education Center. The collection is located on the Florida Southern College campus in Lakeland, and both paid and self-guided walking tours are available. The Polk Museum of Art, also in Lakeland, offers a permanent collection of Pre-Columbian artifacts along with various collections and rotating exhibits on display in eight galleries and a sculpture garden. www.FLSouthern.edu/fllwctr  and www.PolkMuseumofArt.org   

Vacation Rental Homes - Spread Out and Soak Up the Sun. Come enjoy comfortable accommodations and a warm welcome to Central Florida's Polk County in one of more than 6,500 luxury vacation homes and condominiums. Just minutes away from Central Florida's attractions and a short drive to the Gulf and Atlantic beaches, these properties are convenient and affordable. They're the perfect "home away from home," with the amenities and elbow room that families need, including full kitchens, spacious furnished living areas and washer/dryer units. The properties range from two to seven bedrooms and most include private, screened-in swimming pools. They are also ideal for golf vacations since many of these homes are located in communities right on some of Central Florida's best golf courses.

Contact:  Kris Keprios, Visit Central Florida

2701 Lake Myrtle Park Road

Auburndale, FL 33823

Phone:  863-551-4727

Email:    Kris@VisitCentralFlorida.org

Website:

www.VisitCentralFlorida.org Facebook.com/VisitCentralFlorida

Twitter.com/VisitCentralFL