From Glass Bottom Boats to Zip-Lining Thrills in North Central Florida

Have you ever wondered what makes North Central Florida a hidden gem for both nature enthusiasts and culture lovers? Join us on a fascinating journey as we explore the Ocala region's rich equestrian heritage. We'll take you behind the scenes at the World Equestrian Center, a sprawling estate that not only offers luxurious dining options but also showcases the extraordinary care given to their majestic horses. Get ready to be enchanted by Silver Springs State Park's iconic glass bottom boats, giving you a rare glimpse of underwater statues, and feel the adrenaline rush at Big Cliff Canyon with its exhilarating zip-lining experiences.

Our next stop is Tallahassee, Florida's vibrant state capital, where the outdoors and culture beautifully intertwine. Discover the city's 700 miles of scenic trails, perfect for biking, hiking, and kayaking adventures. We’ll highlight Tallahassee’s captivating street art murals and an awe-inspiring planetarium, offering rich cultural experiences for visitors of all ages. Plus, don't miss our recommendations for family-friendly attractions like the state capitol building, where history and politics come alive. And of course, we'll share our favorite spots for great dining that cater to every palate. Join us as we uncover the multifaceted charm of Tallahassee, a city that seamlessly blends natural beauty, cultural richness, and culinary delights.

Transcript

Speaker 1 0:02

Welcome to the Z Michelson Travel Podcast. This podcast is devoted to the travel industry. Z says let your imagination run wild and start dreaming about where you want to go. And dream big, reach for the stars, and if you only get to the moon, at least you enjoyed the trip. Your guide to travel is Z Michelson, a travel advisor, and sitting at the controls is Jay Lawrence, your concierge of podcast travel. Now here's Z.

Speaker 2 0:28

Well, we're not going to go to the moon today. We're going to stay local.

Speaker 3 0:30

We're going to stay in Florida, we're going to stay in Florida.

Speaker 2 0:33

Hi, I'm Z Michelson.

Speaker 3 0:35

And I'm Jay Lawrence.

Speaker 2 0:36

And, of course, we are brought to you by Collage Travel Media Network, the home of streaming radio, collage Travel Radio, and radio dot live.

Speaker 3 0:48

I just love all the stations that are coming on yes, and we're going to be adding a country station shortly and action country, action country's coming down the road. I can clip, clap, clip, clap. The horses are coming yeah and pot. We do podcasts. We do podcasts, we have a podcast, I'm a podcast we have a yes, z michaelson travel podcast. We have a podcast called you need to Know. You Need to Know. Which is getting good traction, by the way.

Speaker 2 1:09

Oh, fabulous, fabulous. We love doing all of this stuff.

Speaker 3 1:12

And then, of course, you're a travel advisor. Yes, I do all of that. You do all of that.

Speaker 2 1:16

We are very versatile, Jim.

Speaker 3 1:18

Yeah, so you want to talk about Central Florida?

Speaker 2 1:21

Well no, no, I spoke about South Florida and Central Florida and the East and the West of Central Florida, but now I really want to talk about North Central Florida, north Florida and, of course, northwestern Florida, better known as the Panhandle.

Speaker 3 1:36

But there's no theme parks up there.

Speaker 2 1:38

And I'm just going to stay away from the theme parks, all right, because Florida is more than just theme parks.

Speaker 3 1:43

Oh yeah.

Speaker 2 1:43

And people forget that.

Speaker 3 1:44

Yes.

Speaker 2 1:45

You know it's like oh well, we're just going to go to Disney, we're just going to go to Universal, and you know they're great parks, but do more and of course they can come to Florida for the beaches. Of course. Yeah, you know, we're surrounded by water on three sides. Yeah, peninsula. Yes, well, let's take a look at north central Florida. All right, this is called the Ocala region. It's appropriately titled the horse capital.

Speaker 3 2:11

Oh wow, yes, you drive by on interstate 75. You see these great horse.

Speaker 2 2:17

Oh God, the horse farms.

Speaker 3 2:19

Oh, and so much more. They're a farm. They're not a ranch, they're farms.

Speaker 2 2:22

Oh wow. Because they actually some of the horses that run in the Derby actually have been reared here, yeah. And there is this beautiful World Equestrian Center, oh yeah, yes, I've seen this place. Yeah, you really need to experience it. It's for those people that compete in the equestrian world, of course, but there is a luxury hotel on property, along with Ocala Dining Experience like none other. Really, they offer everything from luxury dining to field concessions and on-site catering options.

Speaker 3 2:57

So if you want to get married there, oh, oh yeah, Now can you just drive in and go to the restaurant?

Speaker 2 3:03

Yes, All right, yes, all right. Yes. The largest restaurant is located in the Equestrian Hotel, with six additional year-round restaurants throughout the property. It really is amazing. How big is this property? It's tremendous. It's tremendous. I don't know how many acres and acres and acres it is, but they also do seasonal decorating for Halloween and Christmas. Bring the kids. Oh, kids, it's definitely worth the trip Go for dinner, stay for the equestrian shows or just enjoy the ambiance. You can just go for dinner, like you said, but because it is very popular, make reservations.

Speaker 2 3:38

Oh really oh yes. And the horses are also treated like royalty.

Speaker 3 3:42

So these shows are going on year-round it depends on the season, oh okay, it does depend on the season.

Speaker 2 3:47

It's based on the horse seasons.

Speaker 3 3:50

I see.

Speaker 2 3:51

So when they're coming down the South and they're doing hunter-jumpers and they're doing those types of things, they are there. They even have a Western show too.

Speaker 1 4:02

Oh really.

Speaker 2 4:04

Yeah, they have it all, oh wow, oh really, yeah, they have it all, oh wow. But the horses are treated like royalty. When I toured this facility and found out that they actually have padding in the paddock stalls, oh my goodness. Right, and going to the stalls, right, they're going down the hallways. Their little hooves are comfy because it's all padded. Oh, nice. Yes, but not only is that in Ocala. Remember the world famous glass bottom boats? Oh yeah, that's in Silver.

Speaker 3 4:31

Springs State Park, silver Springs. We did a couple of shows there.

Speaker 2 4:36

We did, yes, and they have the world famous glass bottom boats and they're still there, so you can go to the park there and just kind of ride the boat and look down and see little fishies.

Speaker 3 4:46

And this park. They also shot some movies there a long time ago.

Speaker 2 4:50

They did Like Tarzan Tarzan was there, yeah, and a couple of other things, and you'll see some of the statues that are down below the water as well. Statues below the water. Yep, you'll see that as well. Wow, yeah, so that's Silver Spring State Park, the world famous glass bottom boats. Again, this is in the Ocala region Now what about a zip line?

Speaker 2 5:12

Believe it or not, we have what's called Big Cliff Canyon. You gotta be high to have a zip line. Yes, this was like an excavation site, oh Right, for minerals and blah, blah, blah. So now there's like a canyon and yes, the canyon is there and you can take tours through nine zip lines, two rope bridges and you can rappel as well.

Speaker 3 5:35

All right they also have.

Speaker 2 5:36

what about a full moon?

Speaker 1 5:37

zip line tour, oh Full moon out, zip through the night. Oh, that would be great, isn't that cool? Yeah, all Moon app zip through the night.

Speaker 2 5:42

Oh, that would be great, isn't that cool? Yeah, all right, and this is in north central Florida.

Speaker 3 5:46

Can you tell me how long the zip line is? No, okay.

Speaker 2 5:50

I don't measure lines Okay.

Speaker 3 5:52

No, and I just wondered how long? You know, how long does it take you to zip?

Speaker 2 5:56

Oh, it's pretty quick Really. Yeah, it's pretty quick, that's Okay yeah.

Speaker 3 6:01

And is there a weight limit? Only because some of us have done lapses.

Speaker 2 6:05

Right, it depends on the line, so they will tell you when you want to go.

Speaker 3 6:08

Okay.

Speaker 2 6:09

So too little is no good, and too overweight is no good, okay, but they will let you know.

Speaker 3 6:14

Okay, it might be a fun place to go the big cliff canyon Canyon Right there.

Speaker 2 6:18

Ocala In Ocala. Okay, yes, and it's pronounced Ocala. O-c-a-l-a is Ocala, uh-huh, not Ocala.

Speaker 3 6:26

No, I guess they did have a consonant in there. There are two A's O-C-A-L-A.

Speaker 2 6:35

Ocala yeah, very nice area, and even just driving around and looking at the horse farms are great. Oh, yeah, yeah, all right. So let's get out of North Central and let's move into the Northern Region.

Speaker 3 6:48

Okay.

Speaker 2 6:48

Now, when we go into the Northern Region, we have Gainesville home to the Florida Gators. Woo-hoo, we also have Jacksonville. St Augustine Now did you know St Augustine claims to be the oldest incorporated city in Florida.

Speaker 3 7:02

Yes.

Speaker 2 7:03

You did know that, yes, okay, so regardless, there is so much to do there. You have the Old Town Trolley Tours, you have Ripley's Believe it or Not Museum. You have the St Augustine Alligator Farm Gee, I see a theme here with alligators St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, or the St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum, or the St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum. If you're looking for the Fountain of Youth, they supposedly have it there in St Augustine. And Castillo de San Marcos this is the castle and they have nautical escapes with St Augustine sailings. You can play with the dolphins at the Marineland Dolphin Adventure and you can enjoy tasty libations at the San Sebastian Winery. Now they also have the St Augustine Distillery. Now, did you know the San Sebastian Winery is related to the winery that we have here locally?

Speaker 3 7:57

Yes, I did.

Speaker 2 7:58

Right, so they're probably using the same muscadine grapes there. Yes, but they have the St Augustine Distillery, which is also there, and of course St Augustine is on the water, so they have beautiful beaches, you can go fishing, you can go golfing and, of course, if you're into food and nightlife, you've got a lot there. And of course, you can shop.

Speaker 3 8:18

All right, yeah, st. All right, yeah, saint augustine I haven't been there in a while well, I did the old town tour a trolley on around christmas time, right when all the city is oh, beautiful city city lights yeah, city lights when did you go?

Speaker 2 8:35

a couple of years ago, a couple years back a?

Speaker 3 8:37

couple of years ago.

Speaker 2 8:38

Yeah, okay and and it's a hundreds of people are there for these tours, for the holiday tours, yeah, and it goes on for a pretty long time. You can see the lights for quite a few weeks, yes, so make plans to go, whether you're coming for the holidays or for the summer or for spring probably november through january, you can see the lights right, and it's in flagler county, so you know you also have flagler college, that's over there too.

Speaker 3 9:05

So you have lots of things to do over on that side of the world.

Speaker 2 9:07

So you know, just a stone's throw from St Augustine is Jacksonville.

Speaker 3 9:11

Yes, it's more than a stone's throw. It's not that far. Yes, it's not that far.

Speaker 2 9:16

It's not like going from Orlando to St Augustine. Right, it's like going north out of.

Speaker 3 9:20

St Augustine going north about 30 miles and you run into a little town called Jacksonville.

Speaker 2 9:25

It's a stone's throw and you can catch a cruise. Cruise lines are in Jacksonville as well, but you know there's a fabulous zoo there as well, really, oh yeah, jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. They even have a behind the scene experience and, yes, they have tigers and elephants and so much more there. So there is so much to do in Florida that I can't get to all of it. Believe it or not, there's so much, ah, traveling trivia questions. I know this is one of your favorites oh yeah, you always stump me on these well, this one kind of stumped me too when I was researching it.

Speaker 2 10:01

Really, oh yeah, this is a good one. Which country is made up of 180 000 islands? And I even had to check the comma when I was looking at it. Maybe they mean 18,000. No 180,000 islands.

Speaker 3 10:19

No 180,000. Mm-hmm. Yep, yep yep, you know you're stumping me more with these questions.

Speaker 2 10:39

You can see, I cannot imagine two islands. But what country? You know? It's, yeah, country. Which country is made up of 180,000 islands, at least they claim them. I'm going to say it's cold. Okay, I'll give you a hint. It's cold Iceland, iceland. Okay, I'll give you a hint. It's cold, iceland, iceland. Oh, so close, it's actually Finland, finland, yeah, finland is the country, and it's speckled with 180,000 small islands in the Baltic Sea region. That's weird, I know, isn't it, though I actually had to look to see where are these islands. But you know, when we talk about the Bahamas, yeah, you know, when we talk about the Bahamas, you know, we only think Nassau, bahamas, but we don't realize how many islands are really attached to them.

Speaker 3 11:17

I see.

Speaker 2 11:18

Yeah, that's where all the keys are coming into with the cruise lines, right? So I mean, there you go, finland, 180,000 little islands speckled in there. I don't believe it. I have to go now. I have to go see the islands and I wonder if anybody really lives on them.

Speaker 3 11:36

Well, yeah, I'm sure that to me I can see a little dot here and here and here.

Speaker 2 11:41

Right and do people live on it? That's the scary part, if people, and it's cold, it's cold up there, yeah, the cold in Mid-Mare. Islands. Well, let's get out of the cold. Okay, let's get back to the warmth in florida next week.

Speaker 3 11:56

Will you give me an easier trivia? Trivia question I'll try.

Exploring Tallahassee's Outdoor and Cultural Offerings

Speaker 2 11:59

I'll try trivia question. I get easy ones every now and then, yeah, okay sometimes I even know the answer yes I'm sorry, we're talking about florida yeah, let's get back to the warmth right now. Even even just talking about feeling makes me cold. So now we're experiencing some of North Florida. What about our state capital, tallahassee?

Speaker 3 12:20

Never been there.

Speaker 2 12:21

You've never been to Tallahassee. Never been to Tallahassee.

Speaker 3 12:24

Now.

Speaker 2 12:24

I've been to Tallahassee a couple of times.

Speaker 3 12:26

Really.

Speaker 2 12:26

For business.

Speaker 3 12:27

I drove by it once, but I've never been there.

Speaker 2 12:29

Well, everybody drives by it, going to the Panhandle, which we will talk about a little bit later. You have outdoor experiences like biking and hiking and kayaking. There are 700 miles of trails, wow, and this is a city, yeah yeah. And, of course, because it is a city great cultural experiences. You have street art murals. You even have a planetarium there. Yeah, tallahassee has something fun for the whole entire family. That's good, including great restaurants, because you know we like to eat.

Speaker 3 13:01

And of course they have the state capitol, which you can go to the state capitol and see the state capitol and learn all about politics.

Speaker 2 13:08

That's our state capitol is Tallahassee, yeah, but yeah. So Tallahassee, fun things to do outdoor. So Tallahassee, fun things to do, outdoor things to do, and it is a city, ah, my traveling trivia question.

Speaker 3 13:20

No, no, no, dear, this is your traveling trivia, oh that's my trip music, my travel tip music.

Speaker 2 13:26

I'm getting confused with all my music.

Speaker 3 13:28

You are, you are.

Speaker 2 13:32

I'm so wacky today. Yeah, yeah, all right, yeah yeah, all right. Okay, you want a travel tip.

Speaker 3 13:36

Give me a tip, please.

Speaker 2 13:37

Okay, it's travel tip time.

Speaker 3 13:38

Yes.

Speaker 2 13:39

Let's see. You know Europe. My daughter was not too long ago in Portugal.

Speaker 3 13:45

Yes.

Speaker 2 13:46

Now, if you go to Europe, do a little research, like planning your meal times accordingly, because many restaurants overseas, particularly in Europe, close at 2 pm for a break and then will open again for dinner.

Speaker 3 13:59

And dinner is not like 5 o'clock.

Speaker 2 14:02

Europeans eat dinner late, yeah, yes, so keep that in mind when making your dinner plans. The early bird specials are not as popular overseas as they are here in the United States.

Speaker 3 14:12

No.

Speaker 2 14:14

I think my daughter said the earliest they went out to eat dinner was like 8 o'clock at night, uh-huh yeah. So keep that in mind when you're going overseas. If you have small children, you know, because a lot of people don't realize they can't get that. You know, quickie meal sometimes Right, it depends based on where they're sitting, you know what country they're in, in what city and um, you gotta get.

Speaker 3 14:33

Don't go too early. I mean, like you said, make your plans to dinner time, right?

Speaker 2 14:39

because you want the dinner experience. Yeah, particularly if you're in smaller towns and the, the meals itself, are culinary experiences, even in little, little little places, would you say.

Speaker 3 14:52

Uh like seven, eight o'clock is the time to go to dinner.

Speaker 2 14:55

I would say closer to 8, 9 o'clock yeah.

Speaker 3 14:58

Yeah, I'm in bed by 930.

Speaker 2 15:00

No early bird specials there, jay, sorry, you'll have to stay up, holy mackerel. Yeah, so there, and there's tons of things to eat. And you know, I think we owe Jerry a little gratitude, because Jerry talks about one of his dining experiences where he walked in and said feed me, feed me yeah. Yeah, so these smaller places love that. So that's your travel tip Make sure you keep your mind open to making your dinner plans.

Speaker 3 15:26

All right. Well, we're in the state of Florida.

Speaker 2 15:31

Okay, we're in the state of Florida. Now we're ready to travel down the panhandle. Okay, we're in the state of Florida, now we're ready to travel down the Panhandle. Now, if you're not used to what I'm talking about, if you look at the Florida map and you look, florida goes from the south all the way to the north and then it kind of jets over to the west. That's the Panhandle. Now the Panhandle, we're going to Pensacola. All right, many spring breakers go here, Uh-huh, yep, their beaches are beautiful and there are many things to choose from. You've got the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

Speaker 2 16:00

Yeah, naval Aviation is over there Isn't that where the Blue Angels are housed? Well, I remember seeing the Blue Angels flying overhead because they do some runs.

Speaker 3 16:08

Yeah, they do some practice runs. I think they are stationed in that area.

Speaker 2 16:11

They're stationed over there, mm-hmm, so you can see the Blue Angels. It's not a show, it's not an air show, but you will see them as they zip by.

Speaker 3 16:22

What was that? Those are the Blue Angels. Oh, they're amazing, wasn't Superman?

Speaker 2 16:27

If you've never seen the Blue Angels, go see them.

Speaker 3 16:32

Yes.

Speaker 2 16:32

Because I've lucked out. I've seen the Blue Angels several times. I've seen them down here in Florida and I've seen them up In the panhandle and when they take off, I've been right there. When they take off, the sound, oh wow, the sound alone blows you away, wow. And then to see their aerial acrobats is amazing, yeah, it's amazing. So definitely make plans to see the Blue Angels, and the history of the area can also be seen around the city.

Speaker 2 17:02

There are many things to do around the city that's even free. And this is Pensacola, pensacola. And yes, I did say free, free, free, free. They have free concerts on the beach, free concerts on the beach. I urge you, I urge you. Yeah, you can visit the historic town Again. That's free, and plenty of beaches. Yes, right on the Gulf, the water is gorgeous. But again, remember, it is a spring break town, so if you don't want to be with the spring breakers, don't plan your trip at that time. Good point. So there is so much to do here in our wonderful state and I can't even get to all of it. So, yeah, we do have the theme parks.

Speaker 2 17:42

Oh really so. Thank you for joining me today on our small little trip around the state of florida. Yeah, there is so much traveling to do, so little time to do it in. So tune in every week for more travel info, insights and just plain fun, and me going crazy figuring out my travel tips and my travel trivia for jay yes, yes uh.

Speaker 2 18:04

Please follow me and like me on Facebook. Do you have a favorite location or an interesting travel tip? Perhaps I love travel tips? Let me know at ZMichelson at gmailcom. Don't forget, Z is spelt Z-E-E. I'm very excited to let you know that my podcast can be heard on your favorite podcast players, and that's Z Michelson Travel Podcast. Feel free to give me a review. I'd love to hear what you have to say. Thanks for listening today. Traveling truly opens up the world to you. You learn all about the different cultures, the lifestyles, Jay, and my favorite thing, food. Then you realize we truly are really the same. So dream, dream big, reach for those stars and if you can only get to the moon, at least you made the trip. If you're looking for great places to travel, to visit my website, ZMichelsonTravelcom. And Z is spelt Z-E-E.

Speaker 3 18:57

And you've got a lot of ideas on that website. I really do, yeah.

Speaker 2 19:00

And this is Z Michelson making your travel dreams come true.