Lance Around Orlando

By now, regular readers of my blog understand that Forever Florida is a very special place.

The last five blogs have focused on the main activities at Forever Florida:

–The Allen Broussard Conservancy, a 4700 acre tract of land forever preserved in memory of the young man who passed on too early and is forever loved.

Montessori Student Explores the Florida Landscape

–The Zipline Safari, an opportunity to see the REAL Florida by zipping up to 55 feet in the air and walking across two sky bridges.  A definite must-do!

–The Coach Safari, a gentle way to experience the wilderness and diverse ecosystems of Florida while riding five feet in the air on a monster coach.

—The Horseback Safari, giddy-up and ride ’em cow hunter (don’t say “cowboy” unless you’re lookin’ fer trouble) through the wilderness of Forever Florida.

—The “City Slicker” Dude Ranch experience at the Crescent J ranch, a real, hands-on adventure in ridin’, ropin’ and drivin’ cattle across the pristine Florida wilderness.

Yet, with all that, we have barely scratched the surface of what Forever Florida has to offer. 

Look Closely

Camp Illahaw in Forever Florida offers campers of all ages the chance to experience everything that’s great about Florida.  The diverse ecosystems, wildlife, rich heritage, a working cattle ranch and more are part of the experience.  Each summer Camp Illahaw provides weekly Summer Adventure Camps for children ages 10 to 15.  Throughout the year church, civic, school or scout groups can reserve the campground for a true Florida outdoor adventure.

A low ropes course is available for corporate or private group retreats.  Teach your organization the value of team building, leadership and determination as you master the challenges presented on the course.

Montessori Students Find Delight at Every Corner

Camping is a large part of Forever Florida.  There is a small, primitive one-troop Scout Camp on the Crescent J Ranch that has been used by Girl and Boy Scouts for over thirty years.  There is a remote but up-scale campground way back in the wilderness of Forever Florida for individuals, couples or small groups.  Also, a large area “up front” can comfortably handle a Camporee of up to twenty Scout troops.  Plus there are two more campsites in-between.  What’s more, in the fall of 2009, Forever Florida will add six person cabins.

Education is a large part of the Forever Florida mission.  They provide Educator Resources designed to be compatible with Florida educational standards.  They host student classrooms, such as my daughter’s Montessori School, who spent a day at Forever Florida learning about the wildlife, taking a coach tour, and learning teamwork with the ropes course.  There is a Teacher In-Service Accrual program for teachers searching for non-traditional in-service point accrual.  They are also in the process of developing an On-line Interactive Eco Classroom.  It will focus on the various Florida ecosystems and their relationships to each other and to us.

Breath Deep

If bringing your class or group to Forever Florida is not possible, the Forever Florida Mobile Classroom can come to you!

Hungry?  The Cypress Restaurant provides a daily BBQ special with all the fixin’s fer just $10 per person.  They even serve beef that was raised on the Crescent J Ranch.  It’s also a wonderful place to host a birthday, anniversary, wedding or other special event party.

Right beside the rustic tables in the restaurant is the gift shop which features artwork by local Florida artists along with suitable souvenirs of all kinds that help remind you of your time in the Florida wilderness.

Want more?  Okay, there are nighttime zipline adventures, Howling Halloween scare nights, the Owl Room provides a multi-media space for corporate or group meetings, the Panther Pavillion is a popular venue for informal events, special parties and BBQ’s with all the fixin’s brought over from the Cypress Restaurant.  A Harvest Music Jam takes place in October.  This year will feature the 10th annual Patrick Smith day, which honors the acclaimed Floridian author with a day of storytelling, arts and crafts, vendors, animal interactions and a special kid zone.  (Just $10 per carload.)

Abundant Wildlife of All Sizes

More?  How about celebrating Thanksgiving or Christmas at the Cypress Restaurant; ringing in the New Year; or celebrating the season of renewal and new life by having your Easter Dinner at Forever Florida.

You want even more?  Tell you what, give the folks at Forever Florida a call.  They will work with you to create any kind of special event.

After all, this is a very special place.

Forever Florida
4755 N. Kenansville Road
St. Cloud, FL 34773
866.85.4EVER

This entry was posted on October 4, 2009 at 12:04 pm and is filed under Off-the-Beaten-Path. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.