Ocala
Central Florida

Away from the beaches, Ocala has a sense of order. White corral fences encase lush green pastures and thoroughbred racehorses. An unassuming town that mixes the modern with the past, with its collection of restaurants, delis and antique shops, Ocala has a hometown feel.

A SETTLEMENT BECOMES A CITY...
The area was originally settled by the Timucua Indians, who called their largest settlement 'Ocali' and although the exact location is not known it is thought to be the site of present day Ocala. The Indians were all but wiped out due to contact with the Spanish explorers who brought diseases from which the Indians had no immunity. Ocala was established in 1845 and rich agricultural land provided tobacco, rice, sugar cane, cotton and cattle, thus bringing much needed finances into the fledgling state. The city became known as 'Brick City' when, after a fire in November 1881 destroyed four blocks in the heart of Ocala - including the courthouse and all the principal business premises - the buildings were rebuilt in brick instead of the original wood.

ADMIRE CHAMPION RACEHORSES OR GO TREKKING...
Marion County has a tradition of breading winning thoroughbreds - the county has over 450 thoroughbred farms - not surprising, considering its rich grazing and year round pastures. Rosemere was the first farm established in 1935, but it was not until 1956, when an all but unknown horse named Needles won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, that the area became the focus for the horse racing world. Since that time Marion County has produced more than 37 champion racehorses, including five winners of the Kentucky Derby, prompting the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1999 to recognize it as the 'Horse Capital of the World'. If you tire of looking at the majestic horses grazing peacefully in the paddocks, there are several ranches which offer horseback riding and trekking through the surrounding countryside.

THE LARGEST ARTESIAN SPRING FORMATIONS IN THE WORLD...
One of Florida’s first tourist parks, Silver Springs, is located on the headwaters of the Silver River - the largest artesian spring formations in the world and a 350 acre natural theme park. Tourists flocked to the area to see the crystal-clear waters in 1860 when James Burt brought steamboats to the springs. However, it was not until 1878, when Hullam Jones invented the glass bottom boat by installing a glass viewing box in the bottom of his dugout canoe, that the underwater world was open to everyone without them having to get wet. Visitors marveled at the fish, turtles, crawfish, clams, shrimps and alligators, all viewed through the crystal-clear water.

FAMOUS AS A FILMING LOCATION AND TEEMING WITH WILDLIFE..
Silver Springs has more to offer than a glass bottomed boat ride - it highlights the ecology and history of the area. The Fort King River Cruise takes visitors on a boat ride through the area's history -view a Seminole Indian village, a late 1880s' riverboat dock and a replica of Fort King Army Stockade. The Lost River Voyage takes guests along untouched riverbanks teeming with wildlife such as alligators, herons and ospreys. Big Gator Lagoon is a one-acre swamp that is home to Sobek - believed to be the world’s largest American crocodile in captivity - but don’t worry you can view him from the safety of the elevated walkways. Other exhibits include Ross Allen Island with its reptiles and spiders, Panther Prowl where you can view the endangered Florida Panther, and for the younger visitors there is the Kritter Korral - Silver Springs' petting zoo. Through the years the park has been used as a filming location for six of the original Tarzan movies starring Johnny Weissmuller and it was home to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. It has also been featured in several James Bond movies and played host to television series such as Sea Hunt and SeaQuest.

A MUST FOR ART LOVERS...
The Appleton Museum of Art was originally built to preserve and display the collections of Arthur I. Appleton, a former president of Chicago’s Appleton Electric Company. The three building cultural centre houses collections from around the globe including a Rodin Thinker, cast from the original mold, and early etchings from Rembrandt. Islamic pottery, Hindi and Buddhist artifacts, Japanese Netsuke figures and Turkish prayer rugs sit alongside traveling exhibitions, making this museum a must for every art lover.

SOMETHING FOR DRAG RACING FANS...
'Big Daddy', Don Garlits, has been called the 'King of the Dragsters', and could be considered the patriarch of Top Fuel Drag Racing. His Swamp Rat series of 34 hand fabricated black racecars carried him to 144 national event wins. The Garlits Museum of Drag Racing displays many of Don’s cars along with yellow press cuttings and grainy film that charts the progress of the sport - the centrepiece must be the 1963 Pontiac Firebird Jet, the only car in history to pass the 290 mph mark in the quarter-mile.

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