I decided I want to visit Garlits Museum in Ocala. It sits basically right between Orlando and Tampa. Does it matter which airport I fly into and out of? Tampa or Orlando? Tickets are the same price +/- $10 I will be renting a car, and staying in or near Ocala, and I also have a friend I need to visit in Winter Park, but that doesn't matter.
Orlando is a little bit closer, but you'll have to pay tolls on the Turnpike. If your rental car doesn't have a SunPass transponder, they use Pay-by-Plate, so the rental car agency will be billed by the state. Either way, the agency will send you the bill. So it may be more trouble-free to fly into Tampa.
Tampa over Orlando, avoid all the Disney traffic. I have used both airports, and hate both airports, but Orlando is just awful. How about Gainesville? American and Delta fly in/out of there. Smaller airport, easier, and really not much farther to drive. Either way you're gonna end up on I-4 and/or I-75 so buckle up because, DAMN, those roads are scary. D
Cracker Barrel (chain) is one of the nastiest restaurants in existence. Avoid at all costs. Another vote for Tampa Jedi
That's an idea, though it's not that much closer, since the Gainesville airport is 51 miles from the Garlits Museum, whereas Tampa is 91 miles.
It is certainly not! They have some good items, and wouldn't be as busy as they are if the food was bad. My favorite is the Broccoli Cheddar Chicken which is only available on Wednesdays.
What about Jacksonville? I will fly in via NOT having to change planes.... Why? We have CB's in Nebraska.... And we DON'T have WH in Nebraska - that I know of, anyway. There is one in St Joe Missouri, though, 2 hours away. Right now the plan is the Garlits Museum, and my friend's Gym in Winter Park, other places around there - I have no idea, I have never been to Florida in my life. Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega, yes, but Fla, no. The beach doesn't enamor me.
Too hot on the beaches right now, at least for me. The water in the Gulf of Mexico is over 80 degrees, kind of bathtub-ish. Waffle House is the best. You enter and can slide to your seat without lifting a shoe. The floors tend to be a little greasy, so you can basically skate to your seat. BUT, the food, in my experience, is good breakfast diner quality, and worth the trip. My oldest son (35) always schedules a trip there with us when he visits, the giant waffles are his favorite. They are almost always located near highway exits, and sure enough, there's one right at the exit for Garlits Museum. Image Unavailable, Please Login Although I agree with Jim, Cracker Barrel isn't bad. We go a couple times a year for breakfast. D
P.S. The "Antique Car Museum" is Don's also. Lots of classic cars, mostly Fords. I'm not sure if it requires a separate admission. Make sure you plan to save lots of time for the gift shop - lots of good things to spend your money on.
The Jacksonville airport is a possibility, but it is farther than the others listed. It is north of the city, but you can take I-295 west to I-10, take that west to US-301, which is a four-lane that will take you all the way to Ocala. (Just watch for a couple of speed traps along the way.) If you can make it over to Daytona, the Motorsports Hall of Fame (that used to be in Novi, MI) is definitely worth a visit. You can also take a tour of the Speedway.
I really appreciate all the input, I will see what airline tickets cost over certain days, you know how that is.... a one day swing can cost $400 more... Sun-Thur versus Mon-Fri, I have zero plans to be there over a weekend.... Or maybe even in on Sunday and out on Friday....
That's pretty far away from where I will be.... My brother lives in Murrell's Inlet. Doing my homework, Hotels are pretty expensive in and near Orlando, so I'm not staying there.... Probably a night or two in Ocala, and then three nights somewhere else.... Every flight into Jacksonville requires one plane change, most of them require two, so I'll fly into Tampa, as we have a bunch of direct ones into TAM.
Jacksonville is way too far. There is nothing to do in Ocala. Fly into Orlando or Tampa. Winter Park is in the Orlando area. Go to Christner’s for dinner (tell Dave Christner I sent ya)! It’s the best place in town. Enjoy!
