Things to Do in Sanford

Renowned golf-course architect Bobby Weed aims to fill his courses with the kind of rich details typically produced only by Mother Nature herself. His 2008 overhaul of The Deltona Club completely transformed the course: today, blowout-style native-sand bunkers bear roughly scalloped edges that call to mind a raw desert landscape, and the elevation rises in craggy steps as the course progresses, giving players a sense of conquering the land itself. The course's resulting beauty, sense of challenge, and secret bonus level snagged the club a spot on Golfweek's list of best Florida courses in 2012.

Sweetwater Golf & Country Club's 18-hole Highlands Course weaves over 6,771 yards of fairways and greens stitched by mature oaks. The player-friendly, par 72 course puts clubbers face to face with the Loch Ness Monster—which is the name bestowed upon the course's signature hole, a 625-yard par five that double-doglegs around a lake. Golfers can prepare for their round with a stint at the club's driving range, where practice balls await to be launched in the stratosphere while commenting on the tense relationship between golf balls and sheets of glass. The club fosters more competitive fun at its tennis complex, which boasts eight lighted, outdoor Har-Tru—green clay—tennis courts.

After a day spent reading putts or thrashing forehands, guests can unwind at one of the club's three dining facilities. The relaxed vibes of the Fife & Drum Pub and the Carnoustie Café welcome casually-clad guests fresh off the course, and the more formal, chandelier-lit confines of the Highlands Dining Room provides an apropos backdrop for dinner parties or a romantic setting for date night for golfers and their caddy.

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.