by David R. Chase

Created on: June 01, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2008

Balmy breezes, puffy white clouds and lots of sunscreen - sounds like Orlando! It's the perfect place for a weekend getaway, but there's more than meets the eye in "The City Beautiful." You're on a time crunch, so you'll need to know the best spots for packing in the memories.

A thorough visit to Walt Disney World could nibble away your entire weekend; however, if mouse isn't on the menu, buy the souvenir t-shirts everyone asked for at a touristy shop somewhere on the main drag, International Dri ve, and move on.

One of the most entertaining things to do in Orlando is to check out the Blue Man Group. They've embedded their roots in the Sharp Aquos Theatre, where you can take in their comedic (and family-oriented) satirical performances in hour-and-a-half doses. There's no such thing as fashionably late to a Blue Man Group show, though - they've been known to mercilessly poke fun at people who stroll in after the performance has begun. You've never seen anything like them before, and you might never get the chance again; these three guys are well worth seeing live.

When was the last time you witnessed a fifty-year old, twelve-hundred pound cow grazing underwater? Don't fib - you never have... unless you've been to the Blue Spring State Park on the St. Johns River. The park is teeming with manatees in their natural habitat; they really dig the temperate waters (and the attention they get as they lumber around close to the shoreline).

You wanna swim with the fishes? If you've got money to burn, spend a day at Discovery Cove. You've got to make reservations ahead of time (we're talking several weeks), but it's not as crowded as next-door Sea World and you get to interact with dolphins to your heart's content. Sea World isn't cheap, but the tickets are a little more reasonable for most of us - and they've got roller coasters.

There's no shortage of good food in Orlando, so don't spend all your time at the largest McDonald's Playland in the world (yes, it really is the world's largest - but no, they still won't let grown-ups play in the ball pit). The menu at Emeril's Orlando was completely designed by the world-famous Chef, and everything is as mouth-watering as it looks on TV. Looking for a little more edge? Go to the Hard Rock Caf! It's the biggest one in the world - and even though they don't have a ball pit, you'll still have a great time.

As a side note, you might want to check out what's happening at the Amway Arena while you're in the area. Indoor sporting events, live shows and concerts are always going on - and don't worry; you won't have to recruit anyone in order to have a good time.

A weekend in Orlando isn't quite enough time to see it all, but you can easily have an action-packed, fun-filled trip... and Monday morning, you can start planning your next Orlando weekend getaway!

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