SUMMER CAMP FOR GROWN-UPS:
WESTGATE RIVER RANCH BEACH, PLEASE:
MAINSAIL BEACH INN
T
he great thing and the not-sogreat thing about Anna Maria Island are the same: no hotels (for now – Waterline Marina Resort is slated to open in late 2017). The community is full of beach rentals, many of which have a minimum of a one-week stay, but Mainsail Beach Inn features two- and three-bedroom condos with two- or four-night minimums just off the beach, perfect for sharing with friends for a quick getaway. For the $279 starting room rate in mid-August and September, that’s about $50 per bestie per night. Two hours from Orlando, the sleepy gulfside barrier island is lined with sugar-sand shores and dotted with art galleries and fun restaurants. Rent a bike and ride up and down the streets to find your favorite beach house, and stop at Two Scoops for artisan ice cream in a dipped waffle cone, covered in rainbow sprinkles. Hop back in the saddle and pedal to the beach for the rest of
L the day – you won’t want to miss the sunset. Mainsail Beach Inn condos and townhouses all have outdoor grills, so you might want to book a fishing excursion or just pole fish off the famous Rod & Reel Pier on the north end of the island for a small fee. Bring your catch back to your digs, YouTube how to clean a whole fish and throw it on the (well-oiled) grill stuffed with lemon and parsley. In the a.m., head to the Donut Experiment for classic cake donuts topped with your choice of five icing flavors (chocolate, caramel, maple, vanilla or glaze) and toppings like sea salt and bacon. Visit their Instagram account @thedonutexperiment beforehand to get ideas for a personalized pastry. Try the sriracha donut to add “spicy” to the sweet-salty combo. 101 66th St., Holmes Beach, 888-849-2642, mainsailbeachinn.com
et’s be honest: Summertime camping in Central Florida sucks. Westgate River Ranch, which should be at the top of every local’s to-visit list, makes it way more fun. Settle into your “glamping” tent (it’s a combo of “glamour” and “camping”!), which goes for $265 per night in the summer and sleeps four in the comfy, not-a-sleeping-bag beds – one king and two twins. The tent is air-conditioned, but isn’t immune to the elements, including skeeters, so be vigilant about keeping the screens zipped. A private, lockable, hotelstyle bathroom is just a few steps away. If your pup is under 60 pounds and not on the “aggressive breed” list, you can pack the pooch too. Westgate River Ranch is a true old Florida dude ranch, complete with horses and cattle dotting every vista. The ranch covers 1,700 acres, so the $60 per day golf cart rental or $15 per day bike rental is money well spent. Each activity on the ranch is priced individually, from elevated swamp buggy rides through the Florida prairie, gator-spotting on airboats down the Kissimmee River, skeet shooting, archery and more. Wear comfy, lightcolored clothes. Glamping may be less “roughin’ it” than the average campout, but it ain’t fancy. If you’re there on a Friday night, settle into the saloon for cocktails and line-dancing lessons. You might scoff, but the ladies wearing the boots with the blinking LED lights are so into it, the fun is infectious. Ten smackaroos says your honky-tonk badonkadonk will be shakin’ before long. If liquid courage is what you need to get out on the floor, down a couple of moonshine shots and make your way out there. Or buy a 32-ounce plastic boot orlandoweekly.com
●
to fill with draft beer for $10; refills are just $5 throughout your stay. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself longing for a ten-gallon Stetson before long. The ranch has an in-house Western store selling felt and straw hats, boots and other ranch-appropriate apparel. Saturday night, locals and travelers alike fill the 1,200-seat rodeo arena for what’s certainly the best ticket in town. Refill your boot and grab a seat to watch cowboys and girls from as far away as Pensacola and Okeechobee make eight seconds on a bucking bull, perform stunts and beat time trials. Stay late for the street party complete with live country cover band. Take the long way home. As you exit Westgate River Ranch, turn left toward Lake Wales and down State Road 27. You’ll pass through small rancher towns and eventually hit two stops to complete your “old Florida” staycation. First, there’s Struthers’ Honey house on the left. The specialty grocer and honey producer has been in business since before Walt Disney came around. The raw orange blossom honey is sold on the honor system – no one mans a cash register – so bring cash or a personal check to pay. The sign on the box says “take your honey and leave your money.” A few miles down the road on the right is the Florida’s Natural orange juice plant. It’s worth stopping at, too, before getting on I-4 and heading home. Pull into the Grove House parking lot and take the tour of the plant, complete with OJ samples. The gift shop sells cool vintage souvenirs of Lake Wales and Florida’s orange-growing heritage. 3200 River Ranch Road, River Ranch, 863-692-1321, westgateriverranch.com
JULY 26-AUG. 1, 2017
●
ORLANDO WEEKLY
13