Hikes Near Your Vacation Rental

Posted on April 17, 2020

Who would have thought that beautiful hikes in Orlando, Florida is just next to your Vacation Rental Homes?

Hikes near your vacation rental.
Just a few miles outside of Disney World is the Tibet-Butler Nature Reserve. The Preserve showcases the 3.2 miles of hiking trails winding in 438 acres of natural wetlands, flatlands and scrub ecosystem of Central Florida. It offers vacationers and Florida Residents to get closer and get in touch with the Florida nature. If your vacation rental is along Hwy27 or Hwy192, you are just about 20 mins drive to this beautiful hike. 

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As soon as you drive in from the main road you just follow the road, you will see park spaces and the brown building, the information center. The information center is where your visit starts. This place has clean bathrooms and the information room is a small air- conditioned area where you can see exhibits and learn the different ecosystems that you see in the park. There are few interactive activities that are fun for the kids to learn about Florida. 

Tibet-Butler Hike Map
Trail Map

Outside the nature center are picnic tables and benches that you can rest while watching your kids and just a great place to take a break. Just before the trail head you will see Darwin, a big turtle that is native in Africa. He is big and had a very interesting look, so do not miss that.

 

On the day of our visit we hiked the whole trail and it took us about 1.5 hrs. We saw about 4 little turtles along Fallen Log Crossing trail eating grass. They are very cute. Trails were shaded and part of that was sandy and hot (Flower Loop). Osprey Overlook Trail has a long boardwalk over the wetlands and ends up at the beautiful, quiet and serene Lake Tibet-Butler. 

Tibet-Butler Hikers and a turtle
Tibet-Butler Lilies on the lake

The lake is full of water lilies, wetland tall grasses, wetland purple flowers, old growth trees on the sides of the lake and more. The Palmetto Passage is a little bit of a walk but a shaded and beautiful trail. Some sections of the trail in Palmetto Passage are rougher with tree roots and the ground is uneven, so be careful if you decide to take this route.

 

Overall, I would say Tibet-Butler was an easy hike. My favorite part was the boardwalk, because of the natural forest and trees with the hanging plants hanging on the tree branches, it looks amazingly beautiful.

Tibet-Butler Forest you will see around when you are hiking
Tibet-Butler boardwalk and hikers

This natural park is a great way to be away from busy theme parks and away from crowds. The bonus is, this place is just very close to the place where you might be staying. Check this map out! I highly recommend this place to everybody, with kids or without kids, old or young. I promise you, you will enjoy it.

Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf – Disney

Fantasia gardens is home to two (there is a pun there somewhere!!) miniature golf courses.  The first a more traditional ‘crazy golf’ course, complete with tutu wearing hippos, sorcerer Mickey and even a few squirting broomsticks!  The second is a more conventional looking golf course but on a miniature scale. This course features bunkers, sloping greens  and even sand traps on it’s 18 holes which range in length from 63 to 109 feet!

It is important when visiting Fantasia Gardens not to expect a crazy golf version of Magic Kingdom.  If you want loud colorful excitement you may be disappointed.  This is more of a peaceful meander through lakes and streams while you putt into 18 holes to unwind from the thrills and spills of the theme parks. Gentle music from the film ‘Fantasia’ plays while you aim past the odd moving obstacle and a couple of the holes even treat you to a tune when you succeed in putting through a tunnel or into the hole!

Here at Welcome Homes USA we want you to enjoy your time in this wonderful State of Florida.  We thoroughly recommend a visit to this attraction for those in need of a little chill out time.  Those who expect vibrant excitement may prefer alternative attractions.

Top 10(+1) Things to do in Central Florida

If you are here for a week or a lifetime, there are many things to do in Orlando, The City Beautiful. Look below and see the Top 10 Things to do in Central Florida. Whether it is the first time visiting or not, there’s always something new. If you need a little help planning out your vacation, Please Click here.

1. Walt Disney World: It’s still king of the hill: or rather, of the very, very flat land. Spread over an area the size of Boston are: 4 theme parks (Magic Kingdom, best place with little kids; EPCOT; Disney Hollywood Studios; and Animal Kingdom); two water-parks (see below); 14 themed resorts that are fun in themselves; and more. Make sure you have a game plan, before you enter the World!

2. Seaworld is one of Central Florida’s gems that shouldn’t be missed! It offers a fantastic variety of unique thrill rides (in our opinion the best Central Florida has to offer!), inspiring shows which combine humorous entertainment with a fundamental message about caring for our planet and the animals that inhabit it, as well as remarkable interactive opportunities with beautiful sea creatures including stingray and dolphin. If you would like to find out more, check out our blog under the Florida Guide/Theme Park tab.

3. WDW Character Meals: They sing, they dance, they pose for pix…Yes, dining with Disney characters is expensive, but all food is costly at WDW, and a Character Meal gives you much for your bucks– for ex., a giant buffet with kids’ section, at the Crystal Palace (left.) A late breakfast can serve as lunch, late lunch as early dinner. Read all about Character Meals at Disneys Information Guide. Cinderella’s Royal Table is a favorite breakfast spot

4. WDW Water Parks: Wacky in their theming, and Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon are both (a) tons of fun, and (b) lovely tropical places to spend a day. Arrive early; stake out a shady bower; then enjoy the lazy rivers, giant water slides, and family raft rides each park offers. Blizzard Beach is known for a crazily steep waterslide “ski jump” on “Mt. Gushmore”. Highlights at Typhoon Lagoon are a giant surf pool, and a snorkel over a (usually crowded) coral reef. Admission to both waterparks is included in a Park Hopper pass.

5. Universal Studios: Orlando’s other multi-park destination is Universal Florida, and its Islands of Adventure theme park has a top zone for little kids: the 10-acre Seuss Landing, based on the beloved books of Dr. Seuss. It’s a bit odd to see The Lorax (with its distinctly anti-commerical message) in a theme park, but now’s not the time to care: kids will love the Seuss characters, The Cat in the Hat ride, One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish ride, and more.

6. Islands of Adventure for Thrill Seekers: Universals’ Islands of Adventure theme park is also great for teens and ‘tweens who want to scream. The Hulk and Dueling Dragon coasters are guaranteed to thrill. Also not to be missed: The Spiderman “ride”, not a coaster but an amazing 3-D simulator experience plus a 4th dimension of surprise sensations. Sister park, Universal Florida likewise has great rides based on Men in Black, ET, and Back to the Future, to name a few faves.

7. Spend a Day at your Vacation Villa: The pace at theme parks can be grueling, especially for little kids. Many a parent has said, “All they (the children) wanted to do was play in the pool at the home.” So give the kids a day to do just that. All of our homes have private pools and many other properties in Orlando are in the fun-for-kids biz.

8. Visit Disney Springs: So you’ve spent a day relaxing at your resort… evening comes and you want to go somewhere fun, with no admission price. Downtown Disney is a shopping/entertainment zone that takes up 120 acres in Disney World. Eat at the Rainforest Cafe, stroll past full-size lego figures outside the Lego Imagination store, buy chocolate at Ghiradelli’s (free samples!) Money burning a hole in your pocket? Head to DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park, or to the acclaimed Cirque de Soleil show.

9. Enjoy a Meal at City Walk: You’ll also find a shopping/ entertainment zone at Universal Florida: CityWalk, which has the advantage of actually adjoining its two theme parks. Much of CityWalk is geared to party-ers but kids will get a kick out of the theme restaurants, such as Nascar Cafe with game area; Hard Rock Cafe, with giant desserts, music videos, and rock memorabilia; and NBA City Orlando, with videogames and a giant screen showing basketball..

10. Discovery Cove: Want a quick trip to the Caribbean? Here in land-locked Orlando, Discovery Cove is a deluxe simulation of a Caribbean isle. Snorkel at the Coral Reef, and see not only colorful fish but giant (harmless) stingrays. The river float is beautiful: swim under a waterfall, and through the aviary. Take a break on the white sand beach: don’t worry about crowds, as attendance is limited to 1000 a day. The highlight for many is a Swim With Dolphins. Not surprisingly, Discovery Cove is pricey; but at least the price is all-inclusive– even drinks and meals. Which makes it even more like being at a Caribbean resort!

11. LegoLand Florida: LEGOLAND® Florida, Central Florida’s newest theme park, is a 150-acre, full two-day interactive family theme park specifically designed for families with children ages 2 to 12. The largest LEGOLAND Park in the world, it features more than 50 rides, shows, and attractions, restaurants, shopping, a breathtaking botanical garden and the all-new LEGOLAND Water Park. Just 45 minutes from Orlando and downtown Tampa, LEGOLAND Florida rests along the shores of Lake Eloise in the city of Winter Haven. Here guests can enjoy 10 easy-to-navigate and highly-themed zones that include pink-knuckle roller coasters, Miniland USA, the Imagination Zone and LEGO City where youngsters can learn how to drive by freely navigating their own boats and LEGO cars. The all-new LEGOLAND Water Park is a “park within a park” and provides splish-splashin’ fun for the whole family. Main attractions include the Build-A-Raft River where guests can build their own LEGO raft and float down the 1,000-foot lazy river or play for hours at the Joker Soaker water playground. Other attractions include the LEGO Wave Pool, five slippery-fast water slides and the DUPLO® Splash Safari, a toddler-haven with perfectly-sized slides and a zero-depth wading pool.

Experience the brand new LEGO World of Chima presented by Cartoon Network at LEGOLAND Florida with the KIDS GO FREE offer, which includes a free child’s ticket AND a free SPEEDOR with the purchase of a full-priced adult ticket! Get immersed in the Quest for CHI family water ride!