Sometimes you just can't take another minute in a theme park _ the lines, the humidity, the jostling crowds, the screaming kids (and sometimes screaming parents) or too many renditions of "It's a Small World." Or maybe theme parks aren't for you at all. You're there only for that family reunion and need to get away from the sibs. What else to do?
Plenty. Orlando, Fla., and its surroundings aren't only about princesses and wizards. The headwaters of the Everglades are here along with the St. Johns River and the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, all of which offer opportunities for paddling, boating and wildlife viewing. You can delve into history, learn to swing on a trapeze or a zip line, ogle old war planes, ride a train into Old Florida or try a different kind of wine-tasting.
Here are some of our favorite escapes, most within an hour's drive of the parks.
