Destinations – Places to fly

Cape Canaveral

Cape Canaveral, Florida

The NASA space center, one of Florida's hottest attractions, is only 50 miles east of Orlando. Cape Canaveral got its start after Patrick Air Force Base was established in 1940. The decision to start a space center on an island just offshore was the foundation of the US space program. NASA was founded in the late 1950s and took over the space center; since then, it has coordinated the operation of all space missions.

Where would we be today without everything developed as part of the space program? Just consider Teflon, which is more than a household name--it's in every household! Such innovation would be impossible without extensive research programs. The space center exhibits use pictures and text to convey fascinating information on many topics, including the Apollo 13 mission and the development of the Saturn 5 rocket, in which German scientist Wernher von Braun played a significant role.

Of course, you can also see a space shuttle for yourself. The Space Center has 5 areas: the KSC Industrial Area (administration buildings, etc.), the launch ramps, the nearly three-mile-long runway for shuttle landings, the actual launch complex, and the visitor center, which is the starting point for various bus tours. Visitors can see launch ramps, parts of the buildings where shuttles are put together, and much more.

Key West

Key West is one of the Florida Keys, a chain of islands extending from the Florida mainland into the Gulf of Mexico. Key West is the southernmost point of the continental United States. Key West was used as a naval base during the Cold War. The island is strategically vital because it is only 90 miles away from Cuba. The Florida Keys has a very interesting system of bridges that are worth a look. It was a railroad company that gave the order to develop the Florida Keys. Bridge construction began at both ends of the Keys at the same time and moved toward the middle. You can't miss the point where the two systems meet: one of the engineers preferred arched bridges, while the other one liked box girder bridges. Today, most sections of the railroad bridge are gone, destroyed many years ago by a hurricane.

A modern highway for cars was then built out to Key West. We recommend that you stay and relax for a few days so that you can soak up the island atmosphere just like Hemingway did. Lush subtropical vegetation dominates the entire island. Homes and mansions have that quintessential Southern charm, and you'll often feel that time has stopped here. Today the city is primarily a tourist destination, offering a large variety of hotels and bed & breakfasts for your accommodation.

Disney World Orlando

One of the largest amusement parks in the world, Walt Disney World Resort, is located southwest of Orlando. It consists of six individual parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, Disney Universal Studios, Animal Kingdom, and the water parks Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. Most tourists visit the Magic Kingdom, a delightful experience for young and old alike! The Magic Kingdom has several parts: Discovery Land, Adventure Land, Frontier Land, Tomorrow Land, and Main Street USA. Every afternoon at 2:00, there is a parade for visitors with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and lots of other characters from the Walt Disney movies. The beautiful Cinderella Castle is located at the center of the Magic Kingdom, providing a landmark that can be seen from every corner of the park. Older children and adults will enjoy a ride on Space Mountain, an indoor roller coaster that takes riders through a gigantic pitch-black dome. And the haunted castle is a must-see for every horror fan.

The "ghosts" here look so real that you'll wonder how they make the holograms appear. More than 15 million visitors come to Disney World every year. Up to 100,000 people visit the park daily on prime summer vacation days. A day pass is good for an entire day and costs $65. You can use cash or credit cards to buy tickets. There are also "hopper tickets" enabling you to go to several parks and multi-day passes that also give you the right to visit several different attractions. There is also an option called FAST PASS that allows you to show up at specific attractions at a scheduled time and bypass the line. Note that you can often expect one-hour waits for some attractions after noon. If all that waiting in line makes you hungry, a large variety of fast food restaurants and snack bars are waiting for you around every corner. Smoked or roasted turkey legs and chicken wings are only two of the many different items available--rustic food choices that we highly recommend. If you have a sweet tooth, try a churro, a sort of long star-shaped funnel cake.

Everglades

The Everglades, a huge nature preserve, are located not far from Miami. Hundreds of different birds and fish and other wildlife live in this natural marshland. The incredible variety of plants in the marsh are also worth making the trip to see. The Everglades was designated a National Park in the 1950s.

The Everglades cover thousands of square miles. As you may have heard, you can spot wild alligators. The swamp extends from Lake Okeechobee down to Southwest Florida. In some areas, the water in the swamp is less than a foot deep, and you'd never guess it is actually a river. The grasslands hide the movement of the water, making it look stagnant. Florida is extremely flat. The difference in elevation is only about 10 feet in the Everglades, so water flows very slowly and takes many months to finally reach the open water. Trips to the Everglades can be booked in Miami hotels. Once you've driven about 45 minutes out of Miami, the landscape changes completely in the blink of an eye, with no skyscrapers or supermarkets within sight. Soon you will arrive at the first gator parks. These parks offer air boat rides through the swamp. After a brief informational session on the Everglades, your boat will take you into the swamp, and you can see gators hanging around in the brush or even catching some sun on the docks.