Florida Fever

St. Augustine bleeds history. Founded by the Spanish in 1565, the city's roots can be readily seen in its architecture and atmosphere. St. Augustine has embraced its storied past, and historical attractions can be found around every corner. Stroll down the famous St. George Street and browse the quirky shops. Other free attractions include the ferry ride to Fort Matanzas and a tour of the St. Augustine Distillery Company (along with complimentary samples).

The St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum boasts one of the largest collections of pirate artifacts on display. You'll learn the stories of notorious marauders like Blackbeard, Sir Francis Drake, and Captain Kidd, along with cool facts about the weaponry, navigational tools, and torture methods of the time period.

Each exhibit is carefully crafted and filled with interactive elements that are sure to entertain children and adults alike.
Lift a gold bar, examine a world map of piracy, and enter a dark room for a simulated pirate encounter. You can even go on a scavenger hunt for all the “Discovery Drawers” marked with the skull and crossbones, and be rewarded with a small prize.

The museum is housed near the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center and the Old City Gates. Look for admission discounts on Local Flavor.

Across from the Pirate & Treasure Museum, you'll find Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. While there is an entrance fee to go inside the fort ($10), you can still enjoy a walk around the outside walls. Since the fort is situated on the Matanzas River, you'll find many great photo opportunities here, especially at sunset.

If you're looking for a late-night activity in St. Augustine to make the most of your time, take the History, Mystery, Mayhem, and MURDER walking tour to hear the incredible true stories of the city's former residents. After the tour, we fact-checked some of the tales and were surprised to find how un-dramatized they were.

This is more of a history tour than a ghost tour, so you don't need to bring an extra pair of pants. Discount tickets can often be found on Groupon.

Flagler is a private liberal arts college with a small campus composed of beautiful Spanish Renaissance architecture. While the $10 guided tours of the college will take you to see the Tiffany stained glass in the dining hall and the Grand Parlor chandeliers (places you cannot see otherwise), you can appreciate much of the campus for free, including the domed ceiling of the building that was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel.

Henry Flagler was an oil and railway mogul credited with putting St. Augustine on the map. Most walking tours of St. Augustine, such as the one previously mentioned, will share stories about Flagler's role in establishing the city if you're interested in learning more about the city's history.

The Lightner Museum is another lovely building on the Flagler campus, and it houses artifacts from the American Gilded Age. Admission is $10, although you can find half-price tickets on Groupon.

Located along St. George Street, Cousteau's is a must-eat location for dessert lovers. They serve up hot Belgian waffles with all sorts of toppings, along with homemade milkshakes.
Indoor seating is limited.

Their most popular waffle is the Belafonte, which is topped with Nutella, fresh strawberries, and powdered sugar. Our personal favorite was the s'mores waffle, known as the Hennessey (campfire not included).

Lake Eola is a great public space in the heart of Orlando. With fountains, gazebos, and birds galore, this is the perfect place to appreciate the skyline as well as spend some time outdoors. Birdwatchers will love this park, as there are a variety of odd species in addition to the ibises and swans that wander the grounds.

You can also rent a swan paddle boat to go out on the lake ($15 for 30 minutes). However, the waitlist can be long on the weekends. If you visit on a Sunday afternoon, check out the Orlando Farmer's Market for local produce and crafts. They set up shop along one side of the park, so you can walk around the loop without having to backtrack.

The Disney Springs complex, formerly known as Downtown Disney, was renovated in 2013. Even if you're not visiting Disney World, Disney Springs is THE shopping experience in the Orlando area for three reasons: free covered parking, ample stores, and unique restaurants. Yes, you can visit Disney Springs for completely free, and the parking is plentiful and accessible.

As for shops, here you'll find the Disney emporium, a LEGO store, Marvel merchandise, an upscale chocolatier (The Ganachery), boutique beauty and clothing shops, and way too many name-brand sunglasses. If you're looking for entertainment, you can see a Cirque du Soleil show on-site or watch a movie at the Fork and Screen Dine-In Theatre. If you're okay with forking up a lot of cash, you can also take a ride out on the water in an Amphicar ($125 for 20-minutes).

You'll also find Japanese, Italian, Mexican, Cuban, and American cuisines. The restaurants are heavily themed, so you can take your pick of anything from the House of Blues or Lindsey's 1940s Hangar Bar to the T-Rex or Rainforest Cafe. Many restaurants feature live music, but you can also find electric string duos and other artists performing on the square.

Raglan Road is one of the many themed restaurants in Disney Springs, serving up gourmet burgers, steaks, pasta, seafood, salads, fish & chips, and, of course, Irish craft beers.

Every day and night, you can see Irish dance shows and musical performances on the center stage inside the restaurant. We were impressed by the quick-footed tap dancers and the Mumford & Sons cover band.

Make a reservation on OpenTable in advance to avoid the long waits in the evenings, and enjoy dinner and a show!

Is it possible to thoroughly explore both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in one day? Yes. With meticulous planning and ride prioritizing, you can get the most bang for your buck.

Our strategy was to get the early admission package that came with one of the nearby resorts (Avanti) and ride the two Harry Potter attractions first (Escape from Gringotts and Forbidden Journey), crossing over from one park to the other via the Hogwarts Express. With this approach, we were able to experience both rides without the wait. We also came back later to "tour" each ride, wherein you can take pictures of the rooms leading up to the coasters without riding the actual ride.

We took an Uber from our hotel and back to avoid the $20 parking fee. An Uber or Lyft will cost you less than that, especially if you're a first-time rider, and you won't have to worry about remembering where you parked. Eat breakfast beforehand if you're not too worried about blowing chunks on the coasters. You are permitted to bring small snacks and bottled water into the park.

Take advantage of the many free shows offered with admission. The Hollywood Horror Make-Up Show is a must-see, blending humorous innuendos with interesting facts about the horror industry. Fear Factor Live is also worth seeing, as is Poseidon's Fury at the Lost Continent, if you don't mind a certain level of cheesiness. Universal's Cinematic Spectacular show in the Hollywood area right before closing is a great way to wrap up the night.

The Orlando Informer website is a fantastic resource for planning your trip to Universal Studios, as it includes visitor reviews for every restaurant and attraction as well as a crowd calendar. In addition, the Universal Studios app provides lists of ride wait times, event showtimes, and easy-to-use maps of both parks.

One last tip: Pack an external phone charger and sunscreen!