Things to Do in Sanford

Spun sugar crystals float by spinning horses and pools of docile magnetic sharks beneath the glittering midway lights of Carol Stream Amusements' lively traveling carnival. The nearly 110-year-old fair company's third-generation of stewards bring rides, games, and snacks to states such as Florida, North Carolina, and New York, where it operates the state fair in Syracuse. A 65-foot century wheel soars above the bustle of the music-filled midway, where LED lights twinkle in patterns of white, green, blue, and red around its gondola cars. A merry-go-round sends fantastical steeds cantering around in a stately circle, while bumper cars careen around their nearby enclosure. Carnival games such as squirt-gun races and fishing for magnetized sharks yield prizes such as stuffed animals and inflatable Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob, and Henry VIII dolls, while flurries of corn dogs, cotton candy, popcorn, and taffy apples fall constantly on hungry fair-goers.

At Good Vibration Yoga, a nurturing community of yogis learn to watch closely and see the world change in small increments, from trees sprouting new leaves to fellow students touching their toes for the first time. Here, seasoned instructors help their charges recognize these markers of progress, and celebrate them with movement and laughter. During Yoga From the Ground Up sessions, beginners learn to align their bodies into basic yogic poses and stretches. Ashtanga-yoga pupils summon sweat and build strength with athletic poses, while Yoga Flow students’ deep, focused breaths help them concentrate as they move from pose to pose with balance testing movements as graceful as a swan’s curtsy. In addition to hosting group classes, teachers provide one-on-one instruction to help students achieve specific goals, and organize community-building activities such as drumming workshops and movie nights. The warm scent of complimentary tea lures visitors into the studio’s boutique, where clothing and gifts help cultivate positive change with eco-friendly materials.

Expedition Florida Adventures’ guided kayak tours explore the placid, pristine backwaters of Blue Spring State Park, less than an hour away from downtown Orlando. As CPR-trained guides describe the complex ecosystems, boaters may witness sand cranes wading in tall grasses, gators soaking up sun, and turtles discussing the housing market. Prior to each kayak outing, adventurers receive equipment such as state-of-the-art kayaks, paddles, and life jackets equipped with whistles or tambourines.

Overseeing 500 acres that encompass hills, swamp, and forest, the adventure enthusiasts at Bearclaw Ranch present visitors with their multiactivity playground for outdoorsmen. Two-seat off-road go-karts let guests romp through the Central Florida wilds while helmets, shoulder-harness seatbelts, and heavy-duty roll cages enhance drivers' safety. For a piece of the action while on two feet, Bearclaw's hunting grounds abut protected lands along the St. Johns River and give trophy hunters a chance to stalk game such as osceola turkey and dove. The hunting staff maintains year-round food plots to supplement the diet of the area's deer, often resulting in large bucks that reach eight points and above and who are often recruited into the NBA. After exhausting the grounds' go-kart trails and hunting grounds, a visit to the ranch yields views of horses and 60 acres of pasture, where land can be rented for outdoor parties.

Growing up, Butch Finnigan frequented the Atlantic Ocean with his father and grandfather, reveling in the rush of netting a big catch. Matt Riley found similar solace atop the ocean's seemingly endless bounty, where he and his family enjoyed each other's company as they fished. More than two decades later, the veteran anglers have become captains and co-founders of Xtreme Saltwater Angler. They assemble all necessary components for fishing excursions into the big blue, including signature lures and apparel, portable lighthouses, and the expertise needed to guide fishing charters and eco-tours.

The captains and their staff switch up their charters from brief inshore jaunts into the famed Mosquito Lagoon, Canaveral National Seashore, and Indian River Lagoon system to lengthier saltwater fishing trips into the Atlantic. Close to shore, anglers snap up species such as red and black drum, sea trout, and famished free divers, while deeper waters teem with cobia, kingfish, grouper, and yellowfin tuna. The sailors also nurture relationships with nature on eco-tours that explore more than 2,100 plant species and 2,200 animal species, including some of the U.S.'s most diverse flocks of birds.

Surrounded by 9,000 acres of conservation land, the Wekiva Falls KOA campground immerses visitors in nature and wildlife, and maintains controlled water-recreation areas and modern amenities. Staffers block out sites for large camping trailers, and also reserve tent sites nestled in view of the river and picnic tables that are kept primitive to facilitate a rough wilderness experience or decked out with electric and water hookups. The campground also rents canoes and kayaks so visitors can paddle up and down the adjacent Wekiva River taking in the lush shoreline scenery. In a separate swimming area fed by a large sulfur spring, guests can frolic around a 40-foot waterfall or plunge down dual tube slides, and they can also lounge in a heated outdoor pool in the event of cooler temperatures. Alternative forms of entertainment are also available including a full bar; crafts sessions; themed parties and dinners; and day trips to local golf courses to cartwheel down the fairways.