The 20 best things to do with an out-of-towner in the Orlando area this fall

Get up early and go see manatees in the wild

Lower temperatures have manatees fleeing to warm-water rivers and springs. Get chummy with a sea cows on a guided boat tour, watch them from a boardwalk viewing area. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a self-guided tour with a canoe.

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Take a day trip to the Central Florida Zoo

Feed the giraffes or visit the rhino encounter, but try not to psych yourself out too much if you make eye contact with a snake in the reptile viewing space. If you want to explore your inner Tarzan, try the ZOOm Air Adventure Park, where you can glide across the grounds in a zipline and obstacle course. As a bonus, live music and drinks are available for adults 21 and over after 5:30 p.m.

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Check out Fire Pit Fridays at Wekiva Island

Enjoy chillier nights with a dinner cooked over an open fire pit at Wekiva island. Each Friday’s meal and live music is different, so you can make it a weekly happening without getting sick of it. Dinners are served from 5 p.m. and end when the food is gone. Just pay a fixed price and get your grub on.

Photo via Wekiva Island/Facebook

Visit Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales

Bok Tower Gardens are something straight out of "The Sound of Music," so get your Julie Andrews on and take a tour through the Pinewood Estate, a 20-room Mediterranean mansion, or lounge in one of the shady resting spots and listen to the sound of the 205-foot neo-Gothic and art deco Singing Tower. Gardens are open year-round, so it’s well worth a day trip to Lake Wales.

Photo via Bok Tower Gardens/Facebook

See gators in the wild at Black Hammock

Gatorland may be the most well-known gator attraction spot in Central Florida, but Black Hammock airboat rides, restaurant and bar on Lake Jesup offers a more authentic take on true Floridian culture — something that doesn’t have to be experienced in sweltering hot weather. It’s also a go-to spot for anyone who wants to try fried gator tail tacos and catfish (with an ice-cold brew in hand, of course).

Photo via Black Hammock Adventures & Airboat Rides/Facebook

Explore the many hiking trails near Orlando without suffering from heat stroke

One of the most underrated things about Orlando is the city’s proximity to some impressive hiking trail options. Trails range from novice-friendly jaunts at Lake Mills Park to seven-mile treks through the Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail. Cooler weather guarantees a good time, regardless of your level of hiking expertise.

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This is really one of the best times of the year to go to the beach

What better way to introduce Florida to an out-of-towner than by showing off the Sunshine state’s beaches? Even Daytona, New Smyrna, and Cocoa Beach are more civilized during this time of the year, but you’ll want to explore some more obscure — and idyllic — spots on the Florida coastline. Enjoy the crystal waters and white sand beaches of Clearwater or pretend you’re snorkeling at the Galapagos at the Blowing Rocks Preserve, a barrier island sanctuary.

Photo via lundscapes/Instagram

Take a clear bottom kayak tour

Sure, a kayak is a kayak, but these unique transparent kayak tours are definitely worth sore arm muscles. Paddle over the crystal waters of Rock Springs, coast through the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, or take a bioluminescent tour; glow-in-the-dark waters and a clear kayak makes for an ethereal experience.

Photo via Get Up And Go Kayaking/Facebook

Take a Moonlight Walking Tour through Greenwood Cemetery

We all have a friend who lives near Greenwood Cemetery and brings it up all the time. You can also join in on the boasting by taking a 4-mile Moonlight Walking Tour through the city’s historic, 100-acre site. Expect to visit about 100 graves of notable Orlando families and historic residents. Tickets are free and sell out quickly, so don’t forget to RSVP beforehand. Oh — and you might want to bring a flashlight.

Photo via Greenwood Orlando Cemetery/Facebook

Take advantage of patio season at Orlando’s bars and restaurants

Normally, dining outdoors in Florida is...inelegant, to say the least. Take advantage this time of the year to bask in lakeside, waterfront views or indulge in chic Park Avenue brunches.

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Go camping at one of the Central Florida’s natural springs

Florida’s natural springs may be the go-to summer destination for locals and tourists alike, but there’s something about the calm, cool air that makes these natural destinations even more beautiful in fall — sans the mugginess. Grab your camping gear and get to know the better side of Florida’s flora and fauna.

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This is the only time of year you can paddle a Swan boat and not sweat

For some, only a masochist would board a swan boat in open, sunny Lake Eola, but what better way to explore Orlando’s iconic lake — and in ideal weather — than on a giant bird? Rent a boat in the evening for the best views of Downtown nightlife.

Photo via dixie.rocks/Instagram

Explore Lakeridge Winery and Vineyards

Not only does Lakeridge offer complimentary winery tours and tastings seven days a week, the 80+ acres of vineyards are home to a series of festivals and live music events — all on a lush countryside estate. Need we say more?

Photo via Winery & Vineyards/Facebook

Go explore Orlando’s botanical gardens

See the colorful, exotic plants and shady trees that surround Orlando (and all within driving distance) without feeling like you’re actually in the Amazon. Take advantage of the cooler air and take that walk around all 50 acres of Leu Gardens or through the Legacy Greenhouse at Mead Botanical Garden.

Photo via Harry P. Leu Gardens/Facebook

Get into the fall mood by checking out Central Florida’s corn mazes

Grab your flannel and lose yourself in one of the area’s corn mazes. Try your inner GPS out at the elegant, well-manicured mazes of Long & Scott Farms; surviving their “Confusion” tree maze will surely get you some street cred and some Instagram-worthy material. If the idea seems intimidating, try out Partin Ranch’s 5-acre mini corn maze for kids of all ages.

Photo via Long & Scott Farms/Facebook

Cheer on the Orlando Magic, they’re actually not terrible anymore

Sure, some of us have an on-again, off-again relationship with the Magic, but it’s our job as Orlando residents to lug out-of-towners to Amway Arena for the experience alone. Who knows, maybe you’ll turn a friend or family member into a fan.

Photo via Orlando Magic/Facebook

Catch one of the many outdoor movies showing this fall

Get your picnic blankets and lawn chairs ready; it’s outdoor movie season. Catch a first Friday movie at Leu Gardens, where wine, beer and food are permitted (so don’t shy away from packing a full meal), or at Cranes Roost Park’s Sunset Cinema event on select Saturdays, where films are screened on the lawn in front of the Plaza tower. If you opt for one of the free Popcorn Flicks in the Park in Central Park, you’ll want to grab some food to-go at a nearby Park Avenue eatery or bring your own snacks.

Photo via aroundwinterpark/Instagram

Catch a rocket launch from Cocoa Beach

Central Floridians sometimes take our proximity to the Kennedy Space Center for granted. Cape Canaveral’s NASA site. The center has the closest public viewing of launches, you just need a launch ticket and your best binoculars. Once you experience a launch up close, you won’t be so indifferent to that vague, flying streak in the sky.

Photo via Kennedy Space Center

Take advantage of Orlando’s food truck scene

Orlando’s food trucks are one of the benefits of living in a foodie city. Hit up one of the Tasty Takeover events, where food trucks take over the parking lot behind the Milk District every Tuesday evening. If you’re too overwhelmed by the options, track one of the city’s moveable feasts by name, time, or location.

Photo via Tasty Takeover/Facebook

Take a Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

Only the brave of heart would endure a Winter Park boat tour in the late summer months. In fall, you can actually listen to the tour guide’s take on the historic city without having to reapply sunscreen or worry about Winter Park’s swamp-like climate. Canals and cool breezes make for a relaxing, humidity-free ride.

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