Free Recession Buster Getaway: Orlando

We know you love Milwaukee. We do, too. Sometimes, though, it's good to get on plane and head out of town.

And we're happy to help. This summer and fall, OnMilwaukee.com is teaming up with AirTran Airways to offer six free "Recession Buster Getaways." Every two weeks, we'll preview a great destination, report on some of the bars, restaurants, shops and events that make them unique.

All you have to do is read our guide, then write your own Readers Blog about why you deserve a trip. If we pick your submission as the best, we'll give you a pair of roundtrip tickets, a brand new netbook and a little cash to buy in-flight Wi-Fi.

The complete rules are here, but for this sixth and final contest, you can blog between now and Sunday, Oct. 11.

For this destination, staff writer Maureen Post visited Orlando.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- In the city of Orlando proper, not a single Walt Disney tourism attraction exists. It's a city defined not by what it is, but by what it's on the verge of being.

Surrounded by glowing attractions, castle-like hotels and streams of chain retailers, I set out to find another side to Orlando. I hoped to find activities, food and fun free of Disney, and after a weekend of travel, I'm pleasantly surprised to report it does indeed exist.

Orlando's population is just 200,000, but that number jumps to 2 million when you include the surrounding metropolitan area.

Despite the first settlers' arrival in the mid-1800s, it wasn't until the arrival of Walt Disney World in 1971 that the Orlando area saw tremendous growth.

Capitalizing on a flourishing tourism industry and an entertainment district, the Orlando area now sports more theme parks than anywhere else in the world. But in recent years -- due to several hard-hitting hurricanes, a complete drop-out of the real estate market and freezing threats to the area's citrus farms -- Orlando's prosperity took a hit and the local economy has since been waging the upward battle back.

Orlando's residents refreshingly know what they are and what they are not. They recognize recent strides in development, city-wide population growth and the possibilities of where they might be in five or 10 years. It is, to a certain extent, a mentality similar to Milwaukee; most residents refer to Orlando not as a cosmopolitan center but affectionately as a big town.

Disney is far and away its largest employer, luring immigrants from all over the world with the promise of seasonal employment. The result is an ethnic and cultural mix of individuals residing just temporarily or finding a long-term solace in the Orlando area.

Walkable Neighborhoods

Just as I had begun to give up on Orlando as a pedestrian-friendly city, a bartender pointed me to the Thornton Park neighborhood. Just one mile from Orlando's downtown, Thornton Park is bound by Summerlin Avenue on the west, North Brown Avenue on the east, Robinson Street on the north and Central Boulevard on the south.

With early 1900s cracker bungalows interspersed with cafes, boutiques, salons and bars, it's what I dreamed Orlando could be: brick streets, weeping tropical flora, a mix of old and new, and undoubtedly a touch of wealth. It's the kind of place you want to wander, with visually entertaining homes exuding a vibe distinctly divergent from Milwaukee.

But, whereas Thornton Park is a walkable conglomerate of European-style proximity, College Park offers the same uniqueness in restaurants and shops but separates commercial from residential. Edgewater Drive runs the length of the neighborhood full of charm and indie shops, restaurants and services. Off the main strip are high end homes with sizable lawns, the same brick laid streets and manicured lakes and parks. In short, if Thornton Park were Milwaukee's Third Ward, College Park would be Shorewood or Whitefish Bay.

Outside the city, suburbs like Sanford, Winter Park and Winter Garden offer quaint downtown villages littered with small boutiques, local restaurants and a decent amount of nightlife.

Places not to miss: Thornton Park, College Park, Antique District, Colonialtown, Sanford, Winter Park, Winter Garden

Outdoor Adventure

Drive just 70 minutes northeast and you'll access the Florida coast.

New Smyrna Beach, located just south of Daytona Beach, is home to some of the best surfing, sport fishing and wildlife viewing in the area. It's a coastal town connected to an island over an inlet and you can literally feel the rat race of the city deplete as residents truly operate on island time. Bordered by Smyrna Dunes Park to the north and Canaveral National Seashore to the south, this town is home to million dollar homes and local cottages alike, welcoming high-end yachts, international sailors and hardcore surfers.

I opted to take a charter with Gotcha Hooked Sportfishing Charters and it turned out to be my best choice of the trip. Operating out of various marinas, Gotcha Hooked Sportfishing Charters offers half-day and full-day adventures for inshore and offshore fishing. The surrounding waters promise jackfish, redfish and trout. Manatees swim freely in the channels and dolphins, ospreys and turtles are just a few of the animals living within the coastal mangroves.

If you're looking for biking in the area, the West Orange Trail runs 30 miles along Lake Apopka passing through the small towns of Winter Garden, Clarcona and Apopka. It is quite possibly the nicest trail I've ever ridden. Small parks, restrooms and picnic facilities are postured incrementally along the trail and for visitors, West Orange Bike and Blades rents equipment at the trail's County Line Station.

If you'd rather beat the heat and get out on the water, kayak or canoe rentals are available at rivers and coastal inlets minutes from Orlando.  Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon, Canaveral National Seashore or the Econlockhatchee and St. John's Rivers take paddlers along some of the most beautiful beaches with indigenous wildlife and manageable waters.

Culture and Nightlife

Orlando's arts culture may be muted by louder tourist attractions, but search out the city's museums, gardens and historic sites and you'll find it exists in abundance.

A short drive from downtown, you'll find international visual art exhibits at the Orlando Museum of Art and the largest camellia collection outside of California at the Harry P. Leu Botanical Gardens.

Among the skyscrapers and modern day architecture, you can tour Orlando's Historic District. Comprised of 60 historic buildings within an eight block radius, the Historic District reflects the city's commercial and governmental history between the mid-1800s and early 1900s. Easily walkable, you can conveniently download a self- guided tour online.

In terms of nightlife, travelers have typically looked to Disney's Pleasure Island (currently closed for renovation) or Universal's City Walk. But local hangouts reveal that nightlife outside Disney is alive and well, too.

The quiet desolation of Church Street Station in the afternoon made me pause and reaffirm it wasn't a now-defunct tourist destination. But come back anytime after 10 or 11 p.m. and it's a completely different beast.

The two club-lined blocks of Church Street and surrounding four-block radius come alive with an energy registering somewhere between Spring Break on Daytona Beach and Mardi Gras. It's definitely of the club vein, places like Ceviche and Antigua drawing in young local crowds late into the night.

Loud music, people and sidewalk lines are everywhere and in turn, there is a strong police and security presence. But for those looking for a wild night out on the town, Church Street Station packs all the necessities of dozens of clubs, valet parking and late night eats.

If you're looking for something a bit more low-key, head to Will's Pub in Colonialtown or Redlight, Redlight, just north of the city. Redlight, Redlight is a novelty in Orlando, the only craft beer joint offering a long list of imports and domestics.

If you're willing to make the drive, the Wine Room in Winter Park is one of the hottest new trends. The concept is part lounge/part store; customers put money on a card and then purchase 1-ounce pours of any number of wines. The result is a personalized wine tasting, different on each and every visit. Both appetizers and full bottles of wine are offered in the lounge-like setting.

Indie Shopping and Eating

Turn toward downtown Disney and it's entirely possible to lose your sanity in the compact chain of restaurants, cookie cutter retailers and monstrous national hotels.

But to say that's the true Orlando would be to dismiss another side of the city all together. Independently owned boutiques, bookstores and markets can be found city-wide; the movement to shop locally permeates an underground culture of restaurateurs, small business owners and conscientious residents.

In the Thornton Park neighborhood, visit Etoile Boutique or Marie France for women's clothing and Urban Think Bookstore for local, reading-infused version of Starbucks.

It's difficult to determine where Orlando falls on the culinary map. Southern, Puerto Rican and coastal influences all tinge the plate, but none takes a large enough piece of the cake to win as sole descriptor.

So, I set out to find good food, which to me meant something outside the box; something creatively local and something seasonally relevant.

In the Thornton Park neighborhood, Dexter's blends seasonal cooking with a low-key bar-like atmosphere. A monthly changing menu offers a balance of fresh seafood, hearty salads and even the classic burger. Just down the street, you'll find Shari Sushi Lounge, likewise a balance between fine cooking and the moderate, occasional diner. Offering a long list of sushi, sashimi, salads and rolls, Shari Sushi reinvents Japanese classics with fresh, local fish.

Amid the downtown chains, you can still find plenty of local, independent restaurants. Urban Flats, a central Florida chain, offers a great happy hour and creatively-topped flatbreads such as fig and prosciutto, Tuscan chicken and arugula and tomato. Ceviche Tapas Bar, located right on Church Street, is known for some of the best tapas in the area and The Dessert Lady cuts rich and delicious cakes, pies and until 11 p.m. everynight.

A touch further from Downtown, you'll find some of the city's most celebrated and sought-after restaurants. The Colonialtown strip is home to great Vietnamese and Thai restaurants; Little Saigon has long been noted for their summer rolls and Sea Thai is a gem hidden in a strip mall. If you're looking for Mexican, El Coqui Mexicano should be your choice and if you're look for light and healthy, Ethos Vegan Kitchen brings you meat and dairy-free fare among the city's Antique District.

Other noteworthy stops: Pom Pom's Teahouse and Sandwicheria, Loving Hut, Christo's Café, Enzian Theater 

Basic Tips for Your Trip

If you're planning a long weekend to the Orlando area, there are just a few things I'd recommend you keep in mind:

• Rent a car. There's no way to efficiently get around the Orlando area without one, unless you're staying strictly Disney.
• Don't pay to park. I found street parking (especially if you're willing to walk a block or two) everywhere.
• Even if it's 95 degrees outside, plan to be cold. Frigid air conditioning is the norm, so throw a sweatshirt in your bag.
• Take a GPS or Google Maps system. The city is laid out on a grid system, but dozens of lakes create confusing natural variations.
• Tourists, outside of Disney, are few and far between. Feel free to talk with locals, ask for directions and accept suggestions.