Recently we traveled to Orlando, Florida as guests of VisitOrlando to experience their city without any of our kids. Like many of you, we’ve been to Orlando before, but the kids were definitely in tow and the trips were all about them.
Would you consider a trip to Orlando if your kids weren’t coming along?
Well, we wouldn’t have before now, but this trip made us change our minds. We had an amazing time and wanted to share five great things to do in Orlando without kids. Orlando should definitely be on your short list of vacation destinations when the two of you are all alone.
1) Eat, Eat and Eat Some More
You will not find a shortage of amazing places to eat in Orlando. During our visit we dined at Seasons 52 (which we’ve visited before with friends) for an in intimate lunch. Seasons 52 is a sophisticated fresh grill and wine bar that has a seasonally inspired menu. We’ve now officially visited Season’s 52 in the fall and in the winter, and were very pleased with the menu offerings as well as the atmosphere and ambiance. It’s perfect for a nice night out with friends or an intimate dinner with your special someone.
We also traveled to the nearby town of Winter Park for a romantic dinner at Luma on Park. Winter park is a small town just outside of Orlando that is home to great boutique shops and fine dining establishments. If you are in the mood for a nice stroll along Park Avenue, window shopping and/or actual shopping, and a great meal, then you will need to make sure you add a visit to Winter Park to your vacation itinerary. Our meal at Luma on Park was excellent. And if you decide to go, then I highly recommend the Scallops!
And speaking of seafood, my favorite meal by far in Orlando was at the Big Fin Seafood Kitchen. We both grew up near the Chesapeake Bay (me in Maryland and Ronnie in Virginia) and we are both big seafood lovers. We love authentic seafood that tastes like it was caught that day and served to you fresh. And that’s exactly what you’re going to get at the Big Fin Seafood Kitchen. We loved our meal so much that we ate there again this week while in town for a training. If you love seafood you’ll LOVE the Big Fin Seafood Kitchen.
2) Find a New Hobby
During our trip, Ronnie and I took a golf lesson at The Annika Academy from LPGA golfer Charlotta Sörenstam and had a ball. I’ve been to the driving range a few times and this was Ronnie’s first golf experience…. but we both loved it. The Annika Academy promises to provide you with the “ultimate golfing experience” from private lessons with their World Champion golf professionals to custom golf club fittings with their state of the art technology. Whether you are a novice or a professional golfer, the Annika Academy will give you the tools to improve your game.
Charlotta, our coach for the day, really took her time with us and did a great job of explaining and teaching two novices. When we returned home, we received an online swing analysis from the Academy that included a video of our swings with audible correction and pointers from Charlotta herself. We enjoyed the session so much that we’re going to take up golf together, when the weather warms up of course lol.
3) Lay On the Beach
In Orlando you can lay on the beach, well kind-of. During the trip we also visited Discovery Cove which is a Sea World property. The first thing we noticed was how intimate the property felt. While there, you can choose to participate in several animal encounters such as swimming with the Dolphins. I fed birds in the bird sanctuary, fed fish to Stingrays, and walked on the floor of the sea…literally, lol. They also have a man-made beach and private cabanas in case you’d just like to just lay back and relax.
Although it is an amusement park, Ronnie and I enjoyed a stress free day for several reasons: it is an all-inclusive park so all of our meals and snacks were included, the total capacity is less than 1500 so there are no long lines and plenty of places to relax, and finally we enjoyed one of their many private Cabanas that gave us a more intimate experience.
4) Shop Till You Drop
We’ve always been aware of all of the great shopping venues in Orlando. Some of our favorite outlet stores are literally within minutes of the resorts and parks. However, during this trip we discovered Ronnie’s dream mall (lol.) The Mall at Millenia is filled with every high-end retailer and every designer brand that her heart desires… all under one roof. In addition to 150+ stores, they have great events. While we were there, Mac Cosmetics was staging a huge event in the middle of the mall and earlier that week Pitbull was there performing.
Ronnie took our trip to Mall at Millenia to another level with a champagne facial in the Neiman Marcus cosmetics department while I had a great conversation with an associate about life and Creed cologne and fragrances.
5) Just Relax
I know that some of you don’t want to do anything while on vacation, especially if the kids aren’t there. In Orlando you can do just that too. On the day that we arrived, we took the opportunity to relax poolside in a cabana. We had lunch by the pool, listened to music, and enjoyed each other. And the next day after our golf lessons and the delicious lunch at Seasons 52, we enjoyed a relaxing spa service at the Ritz-Carlton.
If it sounds like Ronnie and I had an amazing trip where took advantage of the fact that our kids were not there to relax, have fun and connect with each other, then good…because that’s exactly what happened.
The beauty of the trip was that we were able to experience so many things all in one general location. From food to shopping to one of a kind experiences, it all was available in Orlando. So the next time you’re able to take a trip without the kids and are looking for a place to go, don’t rule out Orlando. It’s much more than theme parks and kiddie rides. You definitely can do Orlando Without Kids!
- Round Trip Airfare (2 people)
- Upscale Hotel Accommodations (1 room; 4 consecutive nights)
- $500 voucher redeemable at Orlando’s Official Visitors Center
- One (1) $250 prepaid gift card for spa treatments
- One (1) $150.00 gift card for dining
- One (1) $500.00 gift card for shopping
- Full size rental car provided for five (5) days
*Contest ends on Dec. 22nd 2013.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of VisitOrlando. The opinions and text are all mine.