Things to Do in Wekiva Springs

Most people don't get business calls from Walt Disney World. But, two decades ago, Glass Addicts owner Denise Hurley received just that—along with a request to design and build Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa's carousel horse. In the years since, orders have continued to pour in from Kohl's, The Mirage hotel, and other businesses and collectors seeking Hurley's Tiffany-style stained-glass and art-glass designs. Hurley also builds masterpieces on a smaller scale, restoring and repairing customers’ already existing pieces and building custom panes for homes and offices. Intent on sharing her talent with others, Hurley teaches classes on formats ranging from mosaic picture frames to stepping stones to dentists' mirrors overlaid with your favorite Metallica album covers. No previous experience is necessary, as classes accommodate beginners and master artists alike. Sessions take place in spacious, well-lit rooms filled with materials, and students and customers can study from books inspired by Hurley's designs or observe the installment skills of her professional staff.

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.

In 1976, busy California mother Joan Barnes wanted nothing more than to find a play place where she and her kids could enjoy age-appropriate, educational activities. Finding none, she developed her own innovative play environment within a developmental-based program structure now known as Gymboree Play & Music. Today, kids tumble and learn in more than 650 locations in 33 countries around the world, engaging in open play and classes designed to build cognitive and motor skills. As parents participate in their children's development, their kids learn to paint, play music, and interact socially outside of their preschool knitting circles.

The seven fields at Paintball World Sports Complex cater to playing styles ranging from quick assaults to studied campaigning. After outfitting combatants with equipment, the staff turns into referees and oversees play on fields such as Big Fort, a collection of plywood shelters connected by a wooden bridge and sheltered by overhanging trees. Elsewhere, field terrain includes inflatable cover, upturned tractor tires, and pieces of giant corrugated tubing. An FAQ page anticipates visitors' questions, such as "What should I bring?" and "How much to rent an invisibility cloak?"

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.