Orlando , FL : There’s something about Orlando that won’t let me and 50 million visitors forget how great it is. Perhaps it’s because there’s so much to discover every time I go there. I’ve spa-ahed myself silly, shopped ‘til I dropped, enjoyed cultural outings, visited gardens and museums and most of all, soaked up the warm sunshine.

This time I plan a different kind of escape. We headed to Orlando for a short mother-daughter getaway during the college break and half the fun was planning how to spend those precious days together.

Getting Around

At Orlando International Airport we head to the Dollar Rent-A-Car counter to collect a full-size vehicle, but it is unavailable and they give us a choice of a convertible or SUV Intermediate. Within minutes we are on our way in a Jeep Liberty.

www.dollar.com

Checking in at The Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center

There is nothing more awesome than to land in this imposing four-acre lap of luxury that turns into our comfort zone for a few days. It is Bridget ’s first visit and my second, but it’s just as exciting to explore this Florida-themed oasis, brimming with Old World charm of St. Augustine , splashes of Key West island color, misty swamps in the cypress-laden Everglades and luxurious privacy in Emerald Bay .

Overlooking the Everglades section, we watch from our balcony as guests follow the wooden platform to the Old Hickory Steakhouse where chef Guy Reinbolt presides over the best Black Angus steaks and succulent seafood dishes. Artisinal cheeses from New York chef Terrance Brennan’s fromagerie also adorn the menu.

Once ensconced in the spacious surroundings, complete with a sitting room, dining table, wet bar, mini refrigerator and two television sets, one in the bedroom furnished with sleep inducing king-sized furnishings, it’s tempting to stay put, but there is much to see and do around the three atriums. A new and welcome introduction for guests is Internet access via an in-room computer, which is just great for finding activities in the area and securing directions.

With a push of the Everglades elevator button we are at the 20,000-square foot full-service Canyon Ranch SpaClub where treatments range from facials and body wraps to the ancient art of Ayurveda, plus a beauty salon for hairstyling, manicures, pedicures and makeovers. We start off with a sports massage, the answer to my daughter’s muscle tension in her shoulders, the result of curriculum overload, and my favorite indulgence, a facial. A taste of Key West comes with Sunset Sam’s Fish Camp, open for lunch or dinner. It’s one heck of a fun place to be, especially around sunset when everyone gets happy with giant cocktails, fresh seafood (try the Dayboat Selections – tuna, swordfish, mahi mahi seared or grilled with exotic sauces) and lip-smacking desserts. Live entertainment often features Jimmy Buffet tunes belting across the 60-foot sailboat called Gaylord, while a stilt dancing performer livens up the party.

Anchoring the St. Augustine guest rooms is Villa de Flora, the Mediterranean themed restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guests can indulge in European influenced cuisine (French, Italian, Spanish and Greek) that arrives fresh from the six kitchens of the specialty chefs.

The resort location is ideal for exploring the Orlando-Kissimmee attractions. It is less than a 10-minute drive to the tents of Arabian Nights and easily accessible to the nearby freeway.

www.gaylordpalms.com

Shows Galore

The dinner show circuit is as varied as it is entertaining.

If you like animals don’t miss the Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede Dinner & Show. Billed as “Orlando’s Most Fun Place To Eat” it is also quite unique – a 35,000-square-foot arena filled with 1,000 excited guests chowing down on a four-course dinner - tasty and filling vegetable soup, rotisserie chicken, barbeque pork loin, herbed potato, homemade biscuit, apple pastry and wine, beer and soda, tea and coffee. Entertained by daredevil horseback stunt riders, amused by racing pigs, ostriches and even wowed by a real live herd of buffalo, it’s really fun. The Christmas extravaganza re-creates one of the best nativity scenes, complete with live camels and sheep.

Pre-show entertainment in the Carriage Room features song and dance entertainers (Miss Dixie and Piano Man) and magic tricks by Dr. Lovecraft. There is lots of time to visit before and after the show with the beautifully groomed horses in their outdoor stalls at the arena. And a great souvenir of this delightful evening is the twin pack old-fashioned black and white and full colored prints that we just have to have of ourselves, taken just before entering the arena.

www.dixiestampede.com

Orlando ’s fairytale image in Orange Country, Central Florida , continues in Kissimmee at the Arabian Nights featuring Walter Farley’s legendary Black Stallion in a unique setting, the Palace of Horses . It is the only fixed indoor, climate-controlled equestrian venue and the largest with 1,200 seats on the planet. Since its launch in 1988 by Mark and Galen Miller, the multi-award winning Arabian Nights, continues to wow audiences year after year with Broadway-style performances starring 65 talented and exquisite horses and over 24 riders.

As the dramatic love story of Princess Scheherazade unfolds with intrigue, injected by some laughter by the likeable genie, palace “guests” feast on prime rib of beef, certified Black Angus chopped steak, grilled chicken or vegetable lasagna, alongside vegetable medley, garlic mashed potatoes and rolls, plus unlimited wine, beer and colas. There is also a very funny skit with the talented and funny antics of special guest star, Gaylord Maynard (“Chief Bearpaw”) and his Appaloosa, the “drunk” horse.

Admission rates are general or VIP, the latter assures the best seats in the house – first three rows, free drink (Budweiser, California blush wine or Coke product, a poster and a meet and greet session and photo ops with starring riders and horses.

www.arabiannights.com

(Both of these show offer personalized keepsake photographs for sale (brought to you during the show) and they will always be treasured memories for us.)

Newly located on International Drive, The Sleuth Mystery Dinner Show takes place in a large room a la Sherlock Holmes, but of course the perceived villains perform on stage. It’s a night to play detective by solving the crime amidst a plot of mystery, comedy and intrigue. The method is simple, each table appoints a spokesperson to ask a question that would unravel the mystery and whoever pinpointed the culprit wins a prize: a magnifying glass! A three course dinner is served during the “interrogation” stages, amid the oohs and ahhs of the audience - honey-glazed Cornish hen, prime rib dinner (extra charge) or four-cheese lasagna with optional meatballs, served with mashed potatoes, vegetables, garlic bread, green salad, rolls and hors d’oeuvres. The plot unfolded slowly for us as we got delayed battling very heavy traffic and construction zones to get there, but we got into the mood after listening to other “detectives” and spotting clues in between.

www.sleuths.com

More Dinner?

Bahama Breeze is truly a “Welcome to the Islands ” and as we discover also, a fun place for dinner.

Island favorites (“On Ice” and “From The Deep Freeze”) are all mixed drinks with provocative monikers like Goombay Smash, Zombie, Sunstroke, Rum Runner, Bushwacker, Caribbean Sin, St. Somewhere Freeze and Berry Berry Good. Beer, rum, wines and non-alcoholic drinks (called Frozen Notions) and juicers are also listed.

Samplers are “generously portioned for sharing” and it’s an excellent idea. We absolutely adore the West Indian Patties, spicy ground beef in mini crescent-shaped pastry, served with seasoned sour cream and apple-mango salsa. The Coconut Shrimp is a close runner up, along with Roasted Cuban Bread, Creole Baked Goat Cheese and Habanero Wings.

Seafood, chicken, beef and pork are creations “From our Caribbean kitchen” which once again catches our attention. Tropical Tiger Shrimp with passion fruit butter? Well, they broil my tiger shrimp in it and sit them atop island rice that certainly has a kick to it, but those succulent shrimp with a tangy flavor are the best in Florida ! Everything on the menu is aptly described so it’s no surprise the West Indies Ribs is “a full rack of fall-off-the bone baby back ribs” and the guava barbecue sauce glaze is indeed “sweet and smokey.”

At the International Drive location, Tommy really knows the menu to a “T” and he has to – he’s got Mike in tow, showing him the ropes. He keeps us entertained all evening. “Here are some hot sauces to play around with,” he says, and delivering the bottles with a flourish and a twinkle in his eyes, he adds, “I’m a saucy person.” No doubt.

Too soon we find ourselves drawn to the seven desserts, all vying for our attention: Rebecca’s Key Lime Pie, Bananas Supreme, Chocolate Island , Pina Colada Bread Pudding, Tropical Tower , Jose’s Chocolate Tres Leches and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake. In a moment of weakness, we must confess, the latter two proved irresistible…… just look how delectable they are in Tommy and Mike’s hands!

And since we enjoyed it so much, we stopped by the Altamonte Springs location too. Next time we’ll probably check out the one at Lake Buena Vista .

www.bahamabreeze.com

Girls like to shop (and eat too)

There is every excuse to shop, shop, shop at The Mall at Millenia. Anchor stores Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Macy’s are the answer to every couture need. If not, a quick fix at Burberry, Lacoste, Hugo Boss, Kenneth Cole, will do. But the list goes on, there’s Chanel, Coach, Gucci, Dior, and Louis Vuitton, to mention just a few. For those must-have baubles try Cartier and Tiffany & Co. (Memo to self: remember to bring along honey’s credit card to do double duty next time.) Do valet park, just so the trek doesn’t get too hard on the tootsies and who wants to go looking for their vehicle at the end of the day after all that shopping?

When the moment hits for finding a place to eat, The Mall at Millenia has several excellent options including Brio Tuscan Grille, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and McCormick & Schmick’s, our choice. The array of 30 seafood varieties on the “Fresh List” is the answer to every seafood lover’s dream: salmon, calamari, snapper, grouper, scallops, tilapia, albacore, swordfish, blue crab, flounder, lobster, catfish, monkfish, clams, cod, corvina, mahi mahi, yellowfin tuna, triple tail, ruby red and rainbow trout and oysters from seven Atlantic and Pacific locations. Wow!

The extensive menu at lunch time is a challenge, but we rise to it, going over the appetizers, soups and salads, entrée salads and pastas, sandwiches and lunch entrees with gusto. We start with the Onion Stack and Maryland Lump Crab Cake, reserving the Cornmeal Fired Oysters, Steam Littleneck Clams, Gulf Shrimp Popcorn and Steamed Mussel for next time. Fast forward to the entrees and it’s Seafood Fettucini for Bridget, who enjoys the bay scallops and gulf shrimp with Alfredo sauce. Rainbow Trout from Buhl, Idaho gets my nod. This almondine crusted delicacy with roasted garlic butter is so tasty, I surprise myself and finish the entire serving!

And for all wine afficionados, the extensive list features selections from the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Salut!

www.mallatmillenia.com

Time out for Mom’s Favorite Museum

It’s a museum I’ll never forget, and figure it’s one my daughter should visit too, so we head to Winter Park and The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. The rare Tiffany treasures will always bring me back here, especially the Tiffany Chapel, fully re-created as a permanent exhibit at the museum.

Imagine exploring 19 galleries housing some of the most exquisite American art, including Louis Comfort Tiffany’s studio creations. From his trademark leaded glass to blown glass, jewelry, enamels, pottery, mosaics to paintings and artifacts, Tiffany’s expertise is essentially a rare treat. But there are also late 19 th and early 20 th century American decorative art, as well as painting collections by Robert, Henri, John Singer Sargent and Maxfield Parrish from the same era. Pottery lovers can also revel in the collection featuring Rookwood, Grueby, Wheatley and Teco.

There is so much to see, try to get there early and savor every moment of Tiffany’s talent. Check the web site before you visit, there’s always something new to see and do.

www.morsemuseum.org

Up, Up and Away

At the crack of dawn we head to Kissimmee ’s Comfort Suites Maingate, the pick up point for Blue Water Balloons, and thereafter to the launch site. Between the slowly emerging sunrise and the guys inflating the balloon, the scene rapidly changes as it only takes these “supermen”

20 minutes to do the job. Half the fun is climbing into the basket and then the pilot takes off. A balloon ride lasts between 45 minutes and just under two hours, picking up speed with the wind as it heads for the clouds.

Since this is Bridget's debut hot air balloon flight it’s a lot more magical to be flying above Disney, and it’s a real treat to be checking out the kingdom from above!

Alas, this is something we will have to do again as our much anticipated balloon skyride is cut short due to poor visibility, but the Champagne corks still pop and we enjoy the breakfast picnic fare of fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, chips and salsa, along with Florida orange juice of course. And we also meet owner Don Edwards, who holds a flying record of over 2,000 hours piloting balloons in several countries around the world. Our pilot Dean, and chase crew, Damien and Dave, are a great team.

Just for the record, the only required dress code is enclosed shoes. It’s the same temperature up in the air as it is on the ground and it’s a pretty smooth ride.

www.bluewaterballoons.com

See and do more with the GO Orlando Card

It’s small like a credit card, and along with the complimentary pocket-sized guidebook, we discover some super savings for some of the most popular attractions in Orlando . Over 10 are located in Central Florida and even 15 in Miami , a total of 45 altogether.

Two, three, five or seven-day cards are priced accordingly and expire within 14 days from the first date of use. Admission is either free or discounted at attractions, tours, museums, restaurants and stores, adding up to a savings of over $500.

Although we tried, it was impossible to visit all the places covered by the card, but Cypress Gardens , Kennedy Space Center and Daytona USA are definitely on our list for next time.

The compact guidebook lists attractions by location and includes an overview, photograph, contact information and prices, if applicable.

Driving directions, as well as area maps are included.