An I-4 Family Adventure

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Two girls check out a dinosaur at Dinosaur World in Plant City.

Photo Credit: Dinosaur World

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Grab four friends and take a 15-20 minute flight in a bi-plane at Fantasy of Flight.

Photo Credit: Contributed Photo

If you're one of the millions of people who travel I-4 through central Florida from Orlando to Tampa, check out some of these family-oriented pit stops along the way.

“The road less traveled” certainly does not describe Florida’s Interstate Highway, I-4. This famous 132-mile stretch of road takes millions of visitors and locals across the Sunshine State every year. In fact, I-4 can take you from Tampa to Daytona Beach in just a few hours.

So what’s there to see on this drive? This was what my family and I set out to discover. We decided to narrow our quest to the stretch between Tampa and Orlando since this is the most popular portion and I didn’t want this article to be 132 miles long as well!

Dinosaur World

Only 20 minutes from Tampa and an hour from Orlando, Dinosaur World has been thrilling guests for more than 10 years. Their enormous orange T-Rex and blue Brachiosaurus right off Exit 17 are quite the attention-getters! My five-year-old lost his mind when he spotted them and we knew it was going to be a fun-filled afternoon.

You really feel like you’ve been transported into Jurassic Park as you wander the shady trails, admiring the flora and fauna, and then around every corner is a life-size dinosaur peeking out from the forest.

The Boneyard offers skeletal remains hidden in sand for budding paleontologists to uncover. On the Fossil Dig (free for ages 3-12 or an additional $2 ticket for under three or over 12), participants will find plenty of authentic fossils and get to take home three of their favorites. This made for priceless souvenirs and produced the biggest smiles. We also learned how these realistic creatures are made and watched a movie in a cave.

One of the most family friendly things about Dinosaur World is the fact that you can bring in your own food. Heck, bring a cooler! You can have a full-blown feast at your choice of picnic areas. And, their admission fees are more than affordable: $12.75 for adults; $9.75 for children ages 3 to 12; $10.75 for seniors over 60. You can even bring your friendly pets on a leash.

Fresh Country Getaway

Right up the road from Dinosaur World is the Keel and Curley Winery. This little gem is home to award-winning blueberry wine made straight from the berries grown out back. The owner, Joe Keel, was a blueberry farmer for over nine years when he began to wonder what to do with all the berries that were bruised and not fit for market. A few years later in 2003, Keel and Curley winery opened and began offering tastings in 2007. They now produce 10 different varieties.

My spouse gladly volunteered to do a little sampling while the kids and I decided to relax on their enormous deck and drink in some fresh country air. The deck was the perfect place to rest; the kids could run around, and we all loved counting the colorful mallards in the pond. It was also a great spot to have a snack as they sell an assortment of cheeses and other gourmet goodies. On Friday nights, dinner is served from 5 to 10 p.m., happy hour is from 6 to 7 p.m and live music acts play from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge. They also offer wine tasting until 9 p.m., and there is a $5 fee to sample 10 award-winning wines. Keel and Curley Winery is located at Exit 17 off I-4.

Farmer's Market

When we asked the locals where to go for a good meal that was family friendly and affordable, the overwhelming answer was Fred’s Market. Located at the State Farmer’s Market, Fred’s Southern Kitchen did not disappoint! It’s a hearty, southern buffet with all the trimmings from butter beans and fried green tomatoes to a beautiful salad bar and salt-cured ham. Even if your kids are the world’s pickiest eaters, they will find something on this bountiful spread. The motto at Fred’s Market is, “When you’re at Fred’s, you’re treated like family.” They lived up to their slogan. Fred’s Market can be found at 1401 W. Martin Luther King Boulevard in Plant City. There are several other locations in Winterhaven, Lakeland, Bartow and a barbecue restaurant in Plant City.

Fantasy of Flight

Our next day’s adventure would begin at Fantasy of Flight. The brainchild of Kermit Weeks, a World Aerobatics champion pilot, Fantasy of Flight displays his personal collection of planes (the largest in the world with 40 vintage planes on permanent display) but more importantly, Fantasy of Flight aims to spark the imagination of all who venture through their art deco doors.

With hangars to tour (and acres of open land with big future plans), we spent the entire day here and time just flew. We walked through an authentic B-17 Bomber (carefully stepping and ducking along the way), took a tram tour of the restoration workshops, and even met and watched Kermit Weeks fly into the wild blue yonder in his P-51 Mustang which I learned is the “Cadillac of the skies.”

In Fun with Flight, my boys Dustin and Devon were able to take a ride in a hang glide simulator, learn about aerodynamics through hands-on experiments, and make paper airplanes then wing them through hoops. Score!

There’s also a restaurant onsite that’s open to the public, the Compass Rose. We loved the chili dogs, chocolate pie, and soaring windows where we watched planes take off and land from our table.

Water Ski Hall of Fame

Our final day of I-4 exploration took us to the Water Ski Hall of Fame and Museum. Located off Exit 44 in Polk City, here you’ll find 75 years of water ski history, including the original set of skis from 1922, invented by Ralph Samuelson, the "Father of Water Skiing.” Admission is very economical too: $5 for adults; $4 for seniors; children 12 & under $3; and kids 5 & under are free.

The museum houses an extensive collection of memorabilia including boats, motors, ropes, photos, wetsuits, and the most complete reference library on the subject. The Hall of Fame portion is really inspiring with a bronze bust of Ralph Samuelson and portraits in oil. Behind the facility is a ski lake where visitors can watch the sport of waterskiing come to life.

Florida Air Museum

Our final stop would take us to Exit 25, the Florida Air Museum at Sun 'n' Fun. Known as Florida’s Official Aviation Museum and Education Center, here we found an exciting tribute to the first 100 years of flight along with with dozens of examples of great aircraft and artifacts. The museum is also the home of the Howard Hughes aviation collection. With enthusiast volunteers and excellent outdoor displays, this was quite the learning experience. A visit to the Florida Air Museum won’t set you back much either. Adults are $10; Seniors (55+), $8; Students $6; and Children 5 & Under are free. Museum members also get in free.

Each sprnig, the Florida Air Museum is also the site of the annual Sun 'n Fun International Fly-In & Expo. This event attracts 160,000 people and offers more than 500 commercial exhibits and a daily air show. Mark your calendar.

All in all, we loved our I-4 adventures. The best part? We didn’t have to take out a loan for our family of four to enjoy all these attractions. It was completely affordable, educational, delicious, AND fun! We can’t wait to do it all over again.