I’m a Florida girl, always and forever. That’s why my first visit to Gatorland this past Sunday reminded me of why I love being a Floridian and why I miss and reminisce about the original Theme Parks of central Florida. Growing up I would see gators all of the time in Lake County. It was as if they were the assumed mascot of my county. Now that I am living as an “adult”, I rarely take the time to appreciate the true natural beauty of Central Florida.
During my stroll around the park the commercial feel of today’s ThemeParks was absent at Gatorland….and I loved it!
Don’t get me wrong about my love for the other major parks in the heart of Florida; I just miss this type of simplified splendor that was the foundation of the earlier parks built in this area. With all the shows, exhibits, and animals that Gatorland had to offer, I loved the Swamp Walk attraction the most.
It appeared as though there was very little human interference which allowed the natural setting to tell its own story. This part of the park put the biggest smile on my face. Memories of walking through mysterious tree bearing trails like this one flooded my mind and made me happy that my partner insisted we stop here on our way to the Food and Wine Festival over at EPCOT.
This trip was definitely a great one! I highly recommend Gatorland for visitors to Florida who want to experience aspects of this great state that you may not see anywhere and also to the locals who may have fell out of touch with the true beauty of central Florida due to the day-to-day demands of life.
For more information visit GATORLAND’s official website.
Click here for pictures from my Gatorland trip.
NikkyJ