If you feel like a day away for the Disney Parks why not visit Ocala which is 90 minutes north of Orlando. You will enjoy its rolling hills with ancient oaks and sleepy backroads and you will see the most beautiful horse farms.
The whole town is a based around the horse business. You will find about 1, 000 farms (approximately 600 Thoroughbred farms) within a 50-mile radius, and they attract many visitors each year. Ocala is very famous in the horse racing industry. In the 1940s, only about a dozen horses a year were bred there for shows or racing. Today 3, 500 to 5, 000 race horses are born there each year which is about 10 percent of the nation' s total.
Needles, winner of the 1956 Kentucky Derby was the first legend born and raised in the hills of Ocala. Affirmed, who in 1978 was the last Triple Crown winner also came from Ocala. Gate Dancer, winner of the 1984 Preakness, was another that began a successful future there. This has all helped to make Ocala the centre of Florida' s horse industry.
Most of Ocala' s farms are working farms that do not open for tours, but there are horse-drawn trolley or carriage tours of area horse farms available booking is however necessary.
If you want to go horse riding go to Ocala Foxtrotter. It is a horse farm that will remind you off ' National Velvet' with its 90-acres of rolling hills, miles of white fence, and beautiful horses. Trail riding is available daily however each Saturday business types from the city and cowboys arrive to saddle up for a two-hour trail ride that leads into the adjacent Greenway, a protected slice of Florida forest. Midway into the ride there is a brief rest they stop at a rustic log cabin, then riders cross I-75 via the nation' s only equine-designed overpass. After the ride everyone enjoys an afternoon barbecue with live entertainment.
The Ocala National Forest has more visitors than any other national forest in Florida. At Salt Springs, Alexander Springs, and Juniper Springs you can enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, have a picnic, snorkel, scuba dive or even canoeing.
One of the newest hiking experiences in the forest is the two-mile Lake George Trail that originates at the Silver Glen Springs Recreation Area. It goes along the shoreline of Lake George with great views of wildlife, plants and trees. As you finish the trail you will see a lovely scene of a rustic old pier and boat house.
Finally if you fancy looking for deer and black bears go on the Paisley Woods Bicycle Trail is 22 miles long and this goes from the Alexander Springs Recreation Area on the north to Clearwater Lake on the south.