100 Things You Must Do in Orlando

An updated list (in no particular order!) of things every person who lives in Orlando should do at least once.

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100 Things You Must Do in Orlando
Illustration by Sean Walsh

Page 4 of 5

No. 67 - Image via Skycraft
Image via Skycraft
No. 67

61. RSVP on the website and join one of Greenwood Cemetery's Moonlight Walking Tours, where you'll see the final resting places of people with last names like Bumby, Carr and Tinker (1603 Greenwood St., cityoforlando.net/greenwood).

62. Marvel at the beauty and delicate scent of a night-blooming cereus. The cactus flower known as Selenicereus grandiflora unfolds only at night and sometimes only once a year. They're so beloved in Orlando that there's a Facebook group devoted to tracking them down.

63. It doesn't matter if you're vegan or the biggest carnivore in town – after you stagger out of a downtown bar, there's no more welcome sight than the Vegan Hot Dog Cart. Wolf down a Holiday Dog; in the morning you'll be glad you skipped that run for the border (facebook.com/theveganhotdogcart).

64. Do a train shot at Ivanhoe Village's Hammered Lamb (1235 N. Orange Ave., thehammeredlamb.com), where the shots are complimentary for bar patrons each time the train rolls past the back patio.

65. Devour oysters at Lee and Rick's Oyster Bar (5621 Old Winter Garden Road) until someone discovers a pearl. The world may not be your oyster, but the pearl, now that you have a claim to.

66. See a show at Timucua (2000 S. Summerlin Ave., timucua.com). This unique music venue is actually in the home of local musician Benoit Glazer and his family, but don't by shy – it's an acoustically pleasing, fully functional venue with three tiers of seating for a crowd of up to 150. Most shows are free, but you're expected to bring a bottle of wine to share. A pittance for such a gorgeous experience.

67. Try to build a robot out of random items from the looks-like-a-mad-robotics-engineer's-laboratory-just-exploded electronics surplus shop, Skycraft Surplus (2245 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park, skycraftsurplus.com). But do it soon if you want to see the iconic rocket and flying saucer out front.

68. Attend an Orlando City Council (every other Monday) or Orange County Commission meeting (every other Tuesday).

69. Catch a drag show, play trivia, or pose on the pool deck at the famous Parliament House (401 N. Orange Blossom Trail, parliamenthouse.com).

70. Drink your way around the world at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, and don't miss the live chef demos (disneyworld.disney.go.com).

71. Take a twirl through the Florida Prize in Contemporary Art at Orlando Museum of Art, an annual celebration of the best new artists working in Florida (2416 N. Mills Ave., omart.org).

72. Complete a feat that has only been accomplished by the few, the proud, the elite drinkers among us: Start at the Brass Tap and have a drink in every bar on Mills Avenue until you hit Wally's. This one gets harder and harder every year, so eat some tacos along the way.

73. Conquer your fear of heights by riding the 400-foot tall observation wheel overlooking I-Drive – currently known as "the Wheel at Icon Park," but that's the third or fourth name in seven years. Just head south, you'll see it.

74. Drink a beer you've never had before at Redlight Redlight (2810 Corrine Drive, redlightredlightbeerparlour.com), still the OG craft beer hub even with all the new breweries we've sprouted. Ask a knowledgeable bartender to recommend one or just close your eyes and point.

76. Chug a yard of beer out of a big glass boot while the crowd cheers you on at Hollerbach's Willow Tree Café (201 E. First St., Sanford, willowtreecafe.com).

77. Visit the West Art District and marvel at the thousands of square feet of mural art. Then go back a month later and see all new work covering up what you saw last time (1011 W. Central Blvd., westartdistrict.com).

78. Play with the interactive sculpture "Light Waves" on the Magnolia Street side of the Orlando Public Library. See if you can puzzle out the directions to unlock a special sound and light show just for you.

75. Go to Lake Eola Park and lounge on the 40-foot-long "Muse of Discovery" sculpture's hand.

79. Pet a panther at Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge (10525 Clapp Simms Duda Road, facebook.com/btnwildlife), or any other Florida rescue they've taken in to rehabilitate, from ring-tailed lemurs to fallow deer.

80. Jump feet first into the shockingly (but also refreshingly) cool springs at Wekiwa Springs (1800 Wekiwa Circle, Apopka). Or reserve a cabana at Wekiva Island and make new friends while partying your ass off (wekivaisland.com).

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