| Monday, November 28, 2005 | | | | "Orange fever" hit Central Florida in the 1870s, |
| Exploring Downtown Orlando - A Beautiful Walk | | | | aided by the completion of the South Florida |
| Around Lake Eola | | | | Railroad in 1880. |
| After our interesting visits to the Orange County | | | | The Great Freeze of 1894 to 1895 destroyed |
| Regional History Center and the Well's Built | | | | Florida's citrus industry and it took 15 years to |
| Museum of African-American Culture and History, | | | | recover. Florida's citrus industry peaked in the |
| we decided to continue our explorations of | | | | 1950s with more then 80,000 acres (32,000 |
| downtown Orlando and its surrounding historic | | | | hectares) of plantations. |
| neighbourhoods. After driving through beautiful | | | | Orlando's first airport opened in 1922. Orlando also |
| residential areas, framed by majestic oak trees | | | | plays a significant role in the defense and |
| adorned by Spanish Moss, we decided to take a | | | | aerospace industry: during World War II bomber |
| stroll around beautiful Lake Eola, which is just | | | | pilots were trained here. A missile factory was |
| minutes from downtown's Heritage Square, home | | | | built by in 1956 by a forerunner of the Lockheed |
| of the Orange County Regional History Center, | | | | Martin company, which still serves as the |
| and every second, third and fourth Saturday of | | | | backbone of the area's technology industry today. |
| the month is also home to a lively farmer's | | | | Tourism became Central Florida's main draw. From |
| market. By this time, the sun was starting to set | | | | an early entertainment park in 1895, to the |
| and Lake Eola and the surrounding highrises were | | | | creation of the Cypress Gardens Adventure Park |
| bathed in the golden hues of sunset. | | | | in 1936, the opening of Walt Disney World Magic |
| Lake Eola is one of Orlando's more than 300 lakes | | | | Kingdom in 1971 really laid the foundations to |
| and is surrounded by established residential areas | | | | Central Florida's tourism boom. Other Disney |
| and highrises ringing the downtown core. The park | | | | attractions followed, including Walt Disney World |
| extends over 43 acres (17.2 hectares) and | | | | Resort, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studies, and Animal |
| provides generous sidewalks around the lake on a | | | | Kingdom. Universal Studios Florida opened in 1990, |
| 0.9 mile (1.4 km) loop around the water, which is | | | | followed by Islands of Adventure in 1999 and |
| enthusiastically used by walkers and joggers. The | | | | Universal City Walk, an entertainment complex. |
| lake itself can be explored on paddle boats, and | | | | Indeed tourism is Central Florida's main industry |
| other facilities include a playground, a small | | | | today, with more than 50 million visitors annually |
| outdoor cafe, gondola rides, and the Walt Disney | | | | and yearly revenues of $28 bllion. Tourism |
| Amphiteatre for special events. | | | | combined with high-tech and the citrus industry |
| Lake Eola is intricately connected with Orlando's | | | | are the three dominating economic sectors in |
| history. Even the origin of the name Orlando may | | | | Central Florida. |
| be connected to Lake Eola: the first European | | | | After our walk around historic Lake Eola we |
| settlements in the Orlando area grew around an | | | | strolled back into downtown and grabbed a table |
| old army post: Fort Gatlin. According to one story, | | | | on the street patio of "Tijuana Flats", a Mexican |
| a U.S. soldier by the name of Orlando Reeves, | | | | restaurant located right on Heritage Square, and |
| was killed by an American Indian's arrow while on | | | | just one of many diverse kinds of eating |
| sentinel duty in what is today Lake Eola Park and | | | | establishments in the downtown core. |
| may have given name to this town. Originally, | | | | While savouring some tasty and very filling |
| Orlando had been called Jernigan after a Georgia | | | | Mexican food, we watched the early evening |
| settler, Aaron Jernigan, who settled in the area in | | | | street life in Orlando's downtown. We reflected on |
| 1843. The origin of the town's name Orlando is | | | | how different the downtown area is in |
| not certain, however: another popular story claims | | | | comparison to the newer and very spread out |
| that a certain Judge Speer named the settlement | | | | tourist-oriented hotel and resort areas, which |
| after the Shakespeare Character "Orlando" in the | | | | often seem rather devoid of character. Here in |
| play "As you Like it." | | | | the downtown area you really get a feel for the |
| Be that as it may, the town was named "Orlando" | | | | history and the community that started |
| in 1857 and was centered around the cotton and | | | | developing in the first half of the 19th century. |
| cattle industry. Demand for beef was fuelled by | | | | The downtown and Lake Eola areas, all of which |
| Cuba while cotton plantations thrived until the Civil | | | | are on an easily walkable scale, have a much |
| War, which stole away the area's workforce, | | | | more authentic ambience to them which we |
| compounded by a devastating hurricane in 1873. | | | | thoroughly enjoyed. |