Orlando bloggers, listen up …

IZEA, a social media marketing company based in downtown Orlando, is planning a conference this September to bring together top-name bloggers, online marketers and the general public to cover all relevant topics in social media & blogging. IZEAFest, as the conference has been named, will be hosted at the Grand Bohemian Hotel and should be an excellent opportunity for education and networking. Top-name bloggers will keynote and attendees will be coming from all over the country (some internationally) for the diversified program schedule.

If this type of event sounds interesting to you, a $15 discount is available to Living Orlando readers. Just click the image above or head over to the IZEAFest website to register.

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Earlier this week, Orlando Weekly announced their “Best of 2008″ winners (and losers) in a wide variety of categories. Among the winners was the Garden Theatre located in downtown Winter Garden, taking home the “Best rehab success story”. OW had the following to say:

Too often these days, rehabilitation is little more than a revolving door of recovery and relapse. But the recently reopened Garden Theatre is a rehab success story that puts even Robert Downey Jr. to shame. Forty years after its movie-palace heyday, the 299-seat theater has been restored in spectacular Spanish courtyard style. They’ve just finished a successful inaugural spring season, and their first full season starts in September - but don’t wait that long to check out the latest freshly polished jewel in Orange County’s arts crown.

The Garden Theatre plays host to movies, live performances, educational camps and the Garden Community Choir. In fact, the educational camps should have been included in my previous post about kid’s activities for the summer. The week-long camps start this Monday (July 21) and run through August 8th. Kids aged 6-14 can choose from an acting camp that mixes in some marine biology concepts, an improvisation camp, and a puppet camp. Full details can be found on the Garden Theatre website.

Movies are shown on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer with tickets only $5 each. If you live in the area, the $50 Summer Movie Pass gets you and two guests in to every movie (call 407-877-4736 for availability). Upcoming movies include “Spaceballs”, “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, and “March of the Penguins”.

If you haven’t been to downtown Winter Garden lately, the Garden Theatre is a great reason to plan a visit. While you are there, try out one of the new restaurants, “Sweet Traditions French Bakery & Cafe” or “Thai Blossom”. I’ve mentioned it before, but the chocolate eclairs at Sweet Traditions are simply amazing.

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“A Comic Shop”, located on the corner of University and Semoran in Winter Park, will attempt to break the one-day record for most donated comics during their drive to collect comic books for American troops stationed overseas. The event, which will take place on Saturday, July 26th, also features a comic book signing by the current writer of the “Batman” comics, Chuck Dixon. If you’ve got any used comic books laying around, this is your chance to put them to good use and maybe pick a few new ones while at the store.

This shop has been voted as Orlando’s Best Comic Shop by the Reader’s of Orlando Weekly for the past two years. Their website lists all of their upcoming events, along with a blog, directions and contact information.

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Earlier this month, Carrabba’s Italian Grill introduced “Wine Wednesdays” to promote its affordable, award-winning wine list by offering $10 off any bottle. For me, that’s a good enough reason to swap out a Friday or Saturday-night dinner with a mid-week one every so often. While I normally don’t buy a whole bottle, being able to do so for $10 less is an enticing offer.

In addition to this event, the restaurant chain is also asking customers to submit creative ideas for a new, Carrabba’s-exclusive wine to debut this fall from Ruffino. In fact, the winning name for this limited-edition, baby Super Tuscan will receive a $1,500 epicurean prize package that includes a case of the new wine, a catered 2008 holiday celebration for 12, and a year’s worth of Carrabba’s dinners in 2009.

My wife and I usually dine out on weekend nights, but we’re going to give “Wine Wednesdays” a try to see what wines are available. Being a Florida-only event, it appears that Carrabba’s is giving us a break for being about as far away from wine country as one can get.

There are seven Carrabba’s in the Orlando-area.

Photo courtesy Carrabba’s Italian Grill

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Recently, my wife and I headed out to paddle Rock Springs Run on the edge of Rock Springs Run State Reserve and Wekiwa Springs State Park. We launched from the privately-owned, King’s Landing, and were on the water in less than 10 minutes from the time we arrived.

If you’re not familiar with the area, Rock Springs Run is a waterway that flows out of Rock Springs and into the Wekiva River nearly ten miles downstream. For canoeists and kayakers, it’s a stretch of water that offers great scenery, abundant wildlife and even some mildly challenging navigation.

In fact, we saw a couple of otters nearly as soon as we turned out of the canal. One of them dove off the bank and swam directly toward us before turning away. During the trip, we counted off dozens of turtles, a few baby gators, a couple of grown gators, and a wide-array of fish and birds.

While the water is only moving at 2-5mph, there are plenty of obstacles that will require your attention. For that reason, it’s probably smart to take it slow through the stretches that wind around downed trees and through the tall sawgrass. Branches, spider webs and more will be in your face in a heartbeat if you take your eyes off the water for more than a few seconds.

But don’t let any of that keep you from making a trip to this wonderful journey through some of Central Florida’s most well-preserved nature. If you bring a light lunch, you can stop at a few places along the way to take a break and have a look around. There are also a bunch of places where you can even stop and cool off in the water if you so enjoy (just make sure you can clearly see the bottom and are aware of any creatures in the area).

Before you go, visit the King’s Landing website for complete information and for directions to their location. You should probably check the weather, too, just to make sure no thunderstorms will be in the area during your journey (plan 3-5 hours for the full trip). Pack a light cooler with ice and water at a minimum. Bring a cell phone to make calls in case of an emergency and also to know the time. Finally, while portions of the run are well-covered by trees, you’ll definitely want to wear sunblock for the stretches that are out in the open and under the hot sun.

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From the Florida Online Park Guide …

To celebrate July as Recreation and Parks Month, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Recreation & Parks is encouraging family-friendly, outdoor recreation with the launch of its Family. Friends. Fun. campaign to reconnect children and families with nature. Since 1985, the National Recreation and Park Association has designated July as Recreation and Parks Month. To celebrate this designation, Florida is waiving admission to all state parks on July 13.

“Recreation and Parks Month is an excellent time for family and friends to visit a state park and experience …the Real Florida SM,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole, who himself started his career as a marine biologist working in one of Florida’s state parks. “State parks provide a multitude of activities that promote mental and physical well being.”

The Family. Friends. Fun. campaign is hosting events in state parks that appeal to individuals and families of all ages and interests this July during Recreation and Parks Month. On Sunday, July 13, entry into all 161 state parks will be free, providing an opportunity for everyone to head outdoors and experience Florida State Parks.
Park Visitors Enjoying The Refreshing Water At Madison Blue Springs State Park

The National Park Service and the National Association of State Park Directors encourage the nation’s state park systems to endorse the national initiative to connect children and nature, and influence the decline of nature-deficit disorder. The ongoing movement to promote outdoor activity began with Richard Louv’s book, The Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder which highlighted the benefits of outdoor recreation. Studies show that young people between the ages eight and 18 average almost seven hours per day playing indoors on computers, video games and watching television, resulting in increased cases of obesity, Attention Deficit Disorder and depression.

“Without the encouragement of parents and friends, children are less likely to play outdoors and gain exposure to natural resources and nature-based recreation,” said Florida State Parks Director Mike Bullock. “Establishing a healthy relationship with nature during childhood is a valuable habit that will benefit individuals and society as a whole for years.”

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