Things to Do in Pine Castle

When French native Joel Martin was young, his family moved to Africa. While there, Joel learned to stalk many jungle creatures including crocodiles with the help of his Malgache friends. Years later, in 1995, Martin packed up his own family and moved them to Florida, where the heat and humidity reminded him of his beloved childhood in Africa. Today he owns and operates Black Hammock Adventures and charters picturesque airboat rides on the gator-infested waters of Lake Jesup. His boat, equipped with Goliath's desk fan, skims earplugged riders past alligators and other lake fauna at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. During rides, experienced guides pilot the vessel safely through narrow creeks and shallow wetlands, and help tourists to spot sunning reptiles. After zooming by a congregation of gators, guests can stop by Black Hammock's wildlife exhibit, enjoy a lively libation at the Lazy Gator Bar, or hand over their cameras as they pose for pictures with Black Hammock's 12-foot-long alligator, Hammy, at his dockside cage or barter for an autograph with hunks of raw meat.

The plate beneath a meal can say as much about the chef as the ingredients in it, especially when that chef is also the plate’s artist. The sculptors at Pottery Pad offer that chance to dish users of all ages, providing the paint, workspace, glaze, and kiln to finish off premade clayware. They produce mugs, cereal bowls, and even pet dishes, arranging the sculpted products in neat rows around the circumference of their room. In the middle, long tables covered in palettes and pools of paint await the presence of a creative mind to turn each dish into a work of art.

The staff hosts individuals, birthday parties, and even entire scout troops, keeping careful track of each participant's wares. At the end of sessions, they collect the painted pieces and ready them for a trip into their 1,800-degree kiln. Once the firing is finished, they call up the piece's owner to let them know its ready and warn them to blow on it before use.

After training for weeks, runners take their positions at the starting line, wait for the signal, and adjust the regulation sombreros attached to the tops of their helmets. Upon hearing the starting gun, they all bolt forward—only to tumble into a pit that puts them neck deep in oozy, disgusting, glorious mud.

Participants in the American Mud Race replicate this scene as they take on a 3- to 4-mile mud-filled obstacle course, all in the effort to benefit wounded veterans through the Home at Last Project by West Orange Habitat for Humanity. Afterward, racers bring home their mud-caked clothing and costumes to take revenge against their bathtubs, or they can replace them at the race site with a free T-shirt. Food and drink wristbands entitle their wearers to barbecue lunches and unlimited beer at the after party, where live music and DJs provide a soundtrack for dancing.

Most of the CPR-certified instructors at Central Florida Paddleboarding grew up exploring central Florida's myriad bodies of water. They use their firsthand, intimate knowledge of the region to lead group standup-paddleboard excursions through waterways such as Wekiva River and Lake Fairview. As they paddle past banks flush with mangroves or beaches lined with palm trees, the crew points out manatees, turtles, and other various forms of alleged wildlife. Trained in water safety, they also teach paddleboarding with one-on-one personal instruction, rent and sell paddleboards, organize summer camps, and maintain balance during on-the-water birthday parties.

Florida Magical Tours & Transportation's professional drivers chauffeur clients all over Central Florida in stylish vehicles. The fleet consists of Lincoln Town Cars, Cadillac Escalade ESVs, Lincoln Limousines, and Ford Vans—the largest of the fleet—which carry up to 10 passengers. Each vehicle has plenty of luggage space and complimentary booster and car seats for babies, children, or fragile dolls. The drivers' most popular routes are to local airports, Disney World, and Universal Studios, as well as to events, including weddings and proms.