Last weekend, I decided to take a break from life and travel to Bradenton, Florida to catch some sun. There was a huge cloud looming over as I drove past the city to get to the beaches on Anna Maria Island, but the sky (thankfully) cleared up.
After a few hours at the beach, I went back to Bradenton for my first zip-lining experience. It was amazing! It took a while for me to grasp the idea that I wouldn’t fall even if I let go, but by the second course, I was having the time of my life. Not to mention it was a wonderful workout – my arms were sore the next day.
Later, I drove to Orlando and met up with a few of my friends. I’ve been to Orlando plenty of times but never really explored the city beside going to the parks. Honestly, after this trip, I discovered a lot of cool things to do. I’m going to list the places I recommend below so you guys can check them out!
Bradenton / Anna Maria Island
- Two Scoops Ice Cream Parlor and Coffee – Definitely a local favorite! I highly recommend black raspberry, birthday cake butter, and maple walnut.
- TreeUmph! – A super fun activity if you enjoy the thrill. It’s more than just zip-lining since there are “obstacles,” but I think that’s part of the fun. The guides are really friendly and I enjoyed the freedom I had (you go through the courses with others but the guides stay down at the bottom and assist you only when you need help). I will definitely come back!
Orlando
- Artegon Marketplace – I would describe this place as an indoor, slightly more upscale, farmers’ market. Each storefront is decorated differently and they sell things from local honey to Russian nesting dolls. It’s really an artsy person’s paradise. There’s also a kid zip-lining area in the food court. The place seems relatively new and I believe the official food court is not yet completed.
- Enzian Theater – This. Place. Is. So. Cool! It’s a small theater nestled in nature that shows many indie and throwback movies. The seats are really comfortable and the food and drinks are great. They have lots of different events throughout the month so check those out before going – you never know what you’re going to get!
- Escapology – Escapology is definitely my favorite thing out of this whole entire list. You pick an escape game and have an hour to solve puzzles and put together clues to solve a mystery. It’s an activity that works well with a group so if you don’t want to gamble and hope that someone else signs up in your time slot, bring friends! The max per game is six people. They did a really great job with creating the atmosphere because I felt a bit jumpy during my experience. As a huge Sherlock and Detective Conan fan, this was amazing. The staff were super helpful and you get a wristband and their personalized water after the game. Even though this is the first “escape company” I’ve tried in Orlando, I would suggest going here before anywhere else 🙂 (Advice came from friends who’ve done escape games from other companies…hehe.)
I hope this list gave you guys some ideas to try something new for the last remaining weeks of summer. Have fun and stay travels!
With love, Suze
With Suze 