Sunny Faces, Sunny Places

So, since I'm in the mood for finding destinations and things to see, and I'm going to Florida in about two days, why not one for there, too? Obviously there's less to see than most places, considering sanitized tourism took over the areas long ago, but there are still some gems left over!

First of all, a call back to a time without Disney's stranglehold on the region: The Citrus Tower. The tower is over 200 feet high, and when it was built in the mid-50's offered a stunningly beautiful view of the pristine orange groves in the area. Most of the groves are gone now, but the tower still stands to show off the development in the area. Eight counties are visible from the top. The tower is open from 9-5 Monday through Thursday, and costs $4 per person for the view. The Citrus Tower can be found at: 141 North Hwy 27, Clermont, Florida 34711.

The Monument of States serves as another old school attraction in the area. The Monument features a stone from every state in the union, a collection first begun in 1942 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The monument has stood since then in Kissimmee, topped with a model of the world and a bald eagle, and surrounded with stones from various world locations. It's free to see and open during the daylight hours. The Monument is located at: 300 East Monument Ave., Kissimmee, FL.

Next up is the Bok Singing Tower and Gardens. The rock tower opened in 1929 and features 57 bells of differing pitch. The tower is said to be pretty impressive, and the bells toll and play frequently. Also in the area is a nice garden with lots of local flora to entertain yourself while you wait for the music to play. The garden is open from 8 - 6 daily and is free. The tower is located at: 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales, FL.

For all the lovers of giant statues built for the sole purpose of advertising stupid things (aka me), there's a giant golf ball on a tee in Kissimmee. Definitely pretty great. It's an advertisement for a mini golf course. Located at: US Hwy 192, south side at Florida Plaza Blvd.

In 1993, a theme park opened in the already theme park-saturated area of central Florida. This park was called Splendid China, and featured rides and performances based on this theme. Included was the rotating cast of acrobats visiting directly from mainland China - many of whom fled the park and applied for asylum in the United States. After the closure of the park in 2003, the property changed hands several times, and the park was finally destroyed for good in 2011. All that remains is a Winn-Dixie Supermarket filled to the brim with kitschy Chinese memorabilia fit for a theme park. The supermarket is open until 11pm most days and is located at: Formosa Gardens Blvd., Kissimmee, FL.

Finally, there's Celebration, Florida. Most recognize Celebration as the Disney planned "community of the future," and others were reminded of existence when the town of about 7,000 experienced its first murder a couple years back. The whole thing gives me a weird "Stepford Wives" kind of feeling that makes it irresistible to at least drive through.

Anyway, there are a few other interesting things to see, it seems, but quite a bit of driving away from where I'll be staying. If any of them seem a bit more enticing, however, I'll definitely be posting them here.