Let's ditch the car today and enjoy new ways of seeing and learning about authentic Florida.

History by the Hoof beat

St. Augustine was settled in 1565. Naturally, the Spanish brought horses - their preferred way of getting around. Tour the Ancient City the way the Spanish did with a carriage ride on narrow historic streets.

St. Augustine Transfer Company gives you the pace of history in a 2.5-mile ride through the city. Plus they are one of several carriage ride companies that also give Ghost Rides with guides who spin haunting tales in the night.

Country Carriages, Inc. has a special Cinderella Carriage, and weddings are a popular event to combine with carriage rides - truly romantic. Many proposals have been made and accepted during a ride.

In Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, horse-drawn carriage tours are a leisurely ride while seeing landmarks in the 50-block downtown district. Old Towne Carriage Company uses purebred Belgian Draft Horses, known as "gentle giants."

If you want to see the "Horse Capital of the World" up close and personal, then hop aboard an hour-long horse-drawn trolley or carriage ride with Ocala Carriage & Tours. You will trot by some of Marion County's horse farms with Thoroughbreds, Tennessee Walkers, Paso Finos and Quarter Horses out in the pastures.
If you want to see the "Horse Capital of the World" up close and personal, then hop aboard an hour-long horse-drawn trolley or carriage ride.


Hop Aboard the Trolley

You can't miss the orange and green trolleys of Old Town Trolley Tours in Key West. When you take a tour, each conductor entertains passengers with colorful island history. This tour has 12 stops and 100 points of interest.

Tampa has had electric streetcar lines built in 1892. They stopped running after World War II, but today, the streetcars are back! The first phase of the streetcar system runs 2.4 miles connecting downtown Tampa, Channelside and Ybor City, the historic center of Tampa's cigar industry.

Step back to Old Florida on the Dade City Trolley Tour. Choose from a  1.5-hour or 3.5-hour narrated tour. Choose your subject - the Citrus History Tour or the Historic Dade City tour. Afterward, walk around historic downtown Dade City and for one lunch idea, check out my blog post on Lunch on Limoges. Simply delicious.

The South Florida Sun-Trolley in the Fort Lauderdale area is so user-friendly; they say just wave your hand and they will stop for you to board. Give it a try!

Tarpon Springs has a vibrant Sponge Dock area with its Greek history and a thriving downtown arts and antiques area called Spring Bayou, but there is a distance of about 2 miles between the two. To connect the two areas, the Tarpon Springs Trolley runs every 25 to 30 minutes. The trolley operates from September through April.

Boat Tours Are a Natural Highway

Want to get to paradise quicker? Get on the water and take the Key West Express from Fort Myers or Marco Island and be in Key West in record time. Travel time in a high-speed catamaran is approximately three to 3.5 hours one way depending on weather/sea conditions.

St. Johns River Cruises and Tours at Blue Spring State Park in Orange City is a two-hour narrated nature and ecological tour - a great way to see the real Florida naturally. Tours leave at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Do bring a camera as stops are frequent, and chances of being up-close with nature are excellent. You may even see manatees!

Central Florida has a chain of lakes that can be missed when driving, but you can see the lakes with a boat tour. Bart's Boat Cruises in Tavares does daily 90-minute tours of Lake Eustis and Dora and the Dora Canal.

Up, Up, and Away

Hot air balloon rides show Florida in a spectacular way. The Kissimmee and Orlando area have a number of opportunities to get carried away. It is a great way to start your day, literally, as most balloons launch at daybreak.

Bob's Balloons in Orlando flies 365 days a year in Central Florida, weather permitting. A ballooning adventure lasts approximately three hours with about an hour in the air complete with a complimentary champagne brunch. Flying altitude is from the treetops to 10,00 feet. Here is a nice perk - if you are visiting and don't have a car, they will pick you up and deliver you back to your hotel.

At Fantasy of Flight in Polk City you can choose between biplane rides or balloon rides, or do both! Plus visit the museum and see the exhibits of more than 40 vintage aircraft. Stay for lunch at the Compass Rose with a vintage corner soda fountain.

Orlando Balloon Rides will have you up and away at sunrise, floating over the Disney area of Orlando. A champagne toast, full buffet breakfast and souvenir flight certificate are all included.