Disneyworld's Neighbor Becomes a Destination in its Own Right

Bok Tower Gardens (Ricardo Marta)

It’s not on the beach. And it doesn’t encompass DisneyWorld or Universal Studios.  But the Polk County region has long turned those potential pitfalls into perks, at least for value-conscious travelers.

It’s these folks who choose to do their theme park vacations from here, commuting over the county line just 15-minutes to the Magic Kingdom. Who head to one of the county’s hundred-plus lakes for some serious bass fishing; or to Bok Tower Gardens, with its Olmstead design, for a taste of the gracious Florida of the turn of the last century. Aviation nuts swarm the county for its two flying museums/attractions; sports teams choose the area for their tournaments, due to the wide variety of sporting facilities the area boasts. And very soon (in October), families with elementary school aged children will be coming here in droves to enjoy the new Legoland,  which will be the largest of the chain.

So why am I featuring Polk County today? Because DirectAir starts its service to Lakeland Airport today, which will give residents of a number of smaller gateways  cheaper, direct flights to this emerging Florida hotspot.