Orlando, Florida is the home of Disney World but Orlando natives are normally quick to correct people that the ‘Happiest Place on Earth’ is actually in nearby Kissimmee.

Minus the theme parks and local tourist traps there is so much else to do in Orlando.

One of the best places to go with a family, as a couple or alone, is Kelly Park, home of Rock Springs. Wet n’ Wild’s Lazy River has captured the magic that Rock Springs has been bringing visitors for decades.

Kelly Park is a local state park, a reasonable distance away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of Oralndo. It has areas for camping that are fairly cheap and allow people to stay longer than just a day’s visit if they want.

Although camping is available, day visits are the most common. Visitors should enter the park early (with a dollar charge per person in the car upon entering) because the park has a capacity restriction and will close off to more people by 10:30 or 11 AM.

There are so many different things to do in the park itself. Although the park is a wood area there are sand volleyball courts near the parking lot and pavilions to eat lunch. If visitors don’t pack a lunch they can buy one at the concession stand. The park also features several walking trails with explanations of the local flora and fauna in view.

However, the greatest attraction of Kelly Park is Rock Springs. Kelly Park boasts a long, winding river that emerges from a clear, cold spring right in the park. Visitors entering the park will arrive at the widest part of the springs with a large, deep pool and a shallower area for children. There are plenty of places to set up a picnic or sunbathe.

If patrons take a walk on the boardwalk alongside the river they can enter the springs at the very beginning where the water first comes out of the ground. The closer to the mouth of the springs, the colder the water will be; a refreshing feeling in the hot, sticky Florida weather.

Patrons who enter the springs will continue down, lazy river style until they reach the big pool at the entrance of the park; visitors can also bring intertubes or rent them at a nearby shop to float on. The river continues past this point and is much slower and very relaxing, because most people get out at the big pool so they don’t have to walk back to their group.

Rock Springs is a great place to cool down and relax after a day at the parks or just to have a change of pace in a busy city like Orlando. The water of Rock Springs eventually runs into one of two wild and scenic rivers in Florida, Wekiva River (the other river being the Loxahatchee).

Wekiva State Park is close to Kelly Park but is more fun for teenagers and couples. Families with young children do not usually go to Wekiva because the water is deeper.

Wekiva State Park has a spring, much like Rock Springs, except that the area around the mouth of the spring is much wider, like a giant pool. There is a swimming area for patrons, but no lazy river. Instead visitors can rent canoes and kayaks and explore miles of untouched, pristine Florida landscape and wildlife.

As a recommendation, if you do go to Wekiva and kayak/canoe, take the left fork. After about a mile there is a small island with shallow water nearby — a great place to park the boats and have lunch or just play around in the water.

Chances are that visitors going to Wekiva will see a lot of wildlife, even an alligator or two. At Rock Springs the summer months bring in a lot of visitors that create a lot of noise and disturbances so creatures usually stay hidden. However, during the spring months when it is warm enough to go swimming but no one is on vacation, the park is a lot emptier and chances are you’ll swim with an otter or two.

The common misconceptions about Orlando are that the only thing to do are the parks and that there is nothing ‘outdoorsy’ worth doing. However, Rock Springs and Wekiva will be sure to amaze with the quality of the experience and the true beauty of natural Florida wildlife.

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Located in the northeast section of Pennsylvania, the Pocono Mountain region is a favorite summer destination for nature lovers. With an area covering 2,400 square miles, the Poconos has lush forests and scenic lakes, making it a great travel spot for anyone wanting to experience the outdoors.

The beautiful mountain backdrops create stunning views for visitors.Its proximity to major cities, including New York City and Philadelphia, has made it one of the top vacation destinations in the Northeast part of the United States.

An abundance of outdoor activities are readily available, including hiking, camping, fishing, boating and sports. Spending a relaxing vacation in the outdoors is a way for many to unplug from their daily lives and truly be one with nature.

The Pocono Mountains’ vast terrain is divided into different sections, each easily accessible and containing a numerous amount of activities. The different areas of the Poconos are the Lake Region, Upper Delaware River Region,, Delaware River Region, Lehigh River Gorge Region and Mountain Region.

With breathtaking scenery including mountain views and pristine lakefront spots, the Pocono Mountains provides a tranquil setting for quiet vacations.

Located in the Lake Region is Lake Wallenpaupack, an expansive manmade lake. Stretching around for 52 miles, Lake Wallenpaupack is an ideal place for families to swim in calm waters and picnic along its shoreline. Built in 1927, the lake has been a key ingredient in summer activities, including boating and fishing.

Aside from the prevalent water activities in the Lake Region, visitors can enjoy hiking through the forest land that surrounds the lake as well.

The Upper Delaware River Region is an area near the border of Pennsylvania and New York. For those with an adventurous side, the Upper Delaware River Region provides great opportunities for white water rafting, a popular sport for people who want an adrenaline rush.

This area has both Class I and Class II rapids, which gives visitors the chance to experience white water rafting on various levels. With a rich history as a main transportation hub for coal, this region of the Poconos has a wire cable suspension bridge, the first one ever created in the U.S.

The Delaware River Region is an area that hosts a diverse group of outdoor activities. Water sports, including swimming, rafting, canoeing and fishing are popular activities.

Hikers are able to follow trails that wind throughout the forest region, while animal lovers can easily spot deer eating in between the trees. Bird watchers can enjoy the often unspoiled elements of this region, catching glimpses of local eagles. Those with a love for horseback riding can saddle up and go for a ride in the Delaware River Region as well.

Staying in the Pocono Mountains has never been easier. The family-friendly destination has a variety of lodging options that range from truly experiencing the outdoors in tents, to luxurious spa retreats.

For those who prefer roughing it in the wild, there are more than 20 campground sites available, stretching across the whole landscape of the Pocono regions. The Chestnut Lake Campground, Cranberry Run Campground and Mount Pocono Campground are just a few camping options.

Staying in hotels and resorts are also an option when visiting the Poconos. Located on Lake Wallenpaupack, the Ehrhardt’s Waterfront Resort provides easy access to the famous lake, while also having charming hotel features including a fireplace and front porch for certain rooms.

Quaint bed and breakfasts are popular ways to stay in the Poconos. The Angel of the Morning Bed & Breakfast, along with the Cherry Valley Manor B&B is an option for those who want the feeling of home while on vacation.

Aside from the abundance of outdoor activities, the Pocono Mountains also have ample shopping centers and culinary options waiting to be experienced. For a large retail selection at cheaper prices, the expansive Crossings Premium Outlets offer famous brand clothing stores at discounted prices.

Dotting the different regions of the Poconos are also small businesses and shops selling antiques, crafts, and art. There are many options while dining in the Poconos, whether visitors decide to cook their own food while camping or head into a local restaurant for a meal.

A visit to the Pocono Mountains is an opportunity for families and nature enthusiasts to spend time in the great outdoors. With a diverse group of sport activities and leisurely recreation, there’s something fun for everyone to enjoy in the Poconos, this makes Poconos a perfect getaway.

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The weatherman may be forecasting a blazing summer, but we’ll be keeping it cool this August at the 11th Annual Summer Meltdown Festival. Attendees from around the country flock to the Cascade foothills of Darrington, Washington (75 miles northeast of Seattle) to camp, dance, and have fun in the sun. At the Whitehorse Mountain Amphitheater, an eclectic and varying mix of West Coast talent keeps the party going non-stop at this multi-day festival.

The event is hosted by Terra Roots, a non-profit that supports social connections and sustainability through art, and the Seattle band Flowmotion.

Artists this year include a wide array of bands and dj’s, from Juno What?! to SambaDa to DJ Logic and many more. Genres include Electro Funk, Rock, Reggae, Punk, Folk, Blues… I couldn’t list them all. Looks like we’ll have a great crowd this year, the melting pot of cultures and sounds the West Coast is known for.

Tickets are on sale now for the August 12-14 event, priced at $155 for a weekend pass (Thursday through Sunday). If you can’t make it to a local outlet, tickets can be purchased online for a small transaction fee. Compared to the well-known California fixture Coachella Music Festival, which boasts weekend tickets around $300 dollars (not to mention the exorbitant scalper prices when tickets sell out), this 4 day pass is a steal. Doors open at 5 pm on Thursday and 10 am the rest of the weekend, ensuring several long days of hot, family-friendly fun. Don’t forget the sunblock!

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/1yen/

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For all the people out there who love outdoor experiences, and know that there is not any other feeling on this planer as the one of being exposed to nature. What a great feeling is to breath the pure air, and the sound of birds that are resting on the trees. How beautiful it is to smell all the different kinds of flowers and to grab sometimes the magnificent pieces of fruits they provide to us. This is the greatness about nature, that it just relies there for us to enjoy freely, but for this reason for us to keep enjoying depends on the way we take care of it.

Therefore, here are great tips and advices to enjoy the outdoors environment.

Go out: First of all, what a person needs to do is get out from the city, leave behind the cold building and run to a place where you can smell the green grass and feel the pure air. Sometimes it is good to have a moment with nature, and just relax and do not feel any kind of stress.

Explore your local surroundings: Sometimes we do not appreciate the local surroundings we have in our own city. This is a good advice, because you would not need to a lot of money in order to travel somewhere close. People tend to think that their city is boring and that’s why they recur to leave and travel to other cities. But you will be surprised in finding and discovering special places in your owned city, places that are not really known or visited, and that you will have a great time.

Company: The great thing about organizing these simple getaways to a calm place is that you can take your close friends, family or couple. We know that in life the most spontaneous adventures that you don’t need to plan with great time ahead sometimes end up being gone of the most fun and great adventures. Therefore why not organizing a great trip, where you can enjoy with your loving ones?

Camping: Camping is one of the best experiences to feel nature at its top. From time to time we do need to leave luxuries behind and just adapt to simple situations, and something more simple and great than camping is hard to find. So why not organize a getaway to a close place with your friends and camp. It is great how eco-friendly this experience can be, but remember always to clean well the area where you did your camping in order to take care of the place.

Sun: The great thing is to wake up with the sunrise and the view of a sunrise sky is amazing. Therefore why not enjoy sleeping earlier than other days just to see this view. A good thing about camping and being outside is that you don’t count with light and you use and feel the light from the sun and the moon which is something most of the people most of the times forget.

Light food: To your trip you can also accompanied with a healthy menu, which will allow you to eat healthy. This would not only make you feel lighter and healthy, but its good from time to time to just detoxify the body eating lighter things and drinking tea or water.

With all this tips I just want to encourage all the people that need a simple backpacking experience to pack their things and run off to the closest place that can bring them peace and help clear the mind.

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