Orlando

For decades, Orlando was an obscure farm town with a drawly southern accent, its economy dependent upon citrus and cattle. However, its demeanor changed over the years, especially after Walt Disney World opened in 1971. Today this includes four different theme parks; Universal has two, and Sea World has two. Together, they offer an incredible assortment of rides, shows, exhibits, zoos, water parks, recreational options like golf and waterskiing, and hundreds of restaurants, live music venues and shopping possibilities. Having transformed Orlando into a worldwide tourist draw, it is now giving it a friendly shove toward urban sophistication as well.

However, Orlando is so much more than its theme parks: it’s done a good job of restoring its downtown, emphasizing historic preservation, carefully retaining its original brick streets, while allowing tasteful, pedestrian-friendly new construction.

Its success has drawn a new type of downtown resident – young, upscale, computer literate – and that, in turn, has created a demand for urban dining, clubs and cultural amenities that might not otherwise be there.

Such amenities also charm Orlando’s many visitors. It’s fun to walk downtown, along the shady edge of Lake Eola Park (Robinson Street and Eola Drive, FL 32801, +1 407 246 2827), which hosts frequent arts and crafts festivals, bandshell concerts, restaurant tastings and other special events. Rent a swan-shaped paddleboat ($10 per half-hour), or book an hour-long Venetian gondola ride, complete with photos and dinner, featuring lobster and filet mignon ($154 per couple from GondEola, Inc, 211 Eola Parkway, FL 32801, +1 407 658 4226, www.GondEola.com). Either way, the lake, mirroring cotton candy clouds, will melt your troubles.

Orlando is located at the state’s midpoint, so it’s a 90min drive to beaches in both directions – to the east, the pristine national seashore near Cape Canaveral, to the west, the broad, soft sand beaches of Tampa Bay.

Local history

Even before Walt Disney arrived, orange trees, Southern charm and subtropical temperatures meant a steady stream of travellers coming down the once-beautiful Orange Blossom Trail. However, the opening of the Magic Kingdom – and, almost as importantly, the interstate highway that connects Orlando, Tampa and Jacksonville – irreversibly altered the city's visage. Nonetheless, thanks to the nearby Kennedy Space Center, aeronautics and technology are probably more integral to the area's growth than theme parks will ever be.

Local politics

Though Orlando superficially seems like a picture-perfect conservative city with its suburban sprawl, overabundance of mega-churches and business-first attitude, it's also one of the most tolerant cities in the South, with a large out-and-proud gay community, a thoroughly diverse population and a substantial number of progressives. Rather than a culture war, however, a pleasant sort of apolitical detente tends to dominate the scene.