Orlando Sentinel

Brownie Wise Park

reweidman50 Florida Parks, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves in Kissimmee and decided to explore Brownie Wise Park, a charming natural oasis located within the Tupperware Island Conservation Area and overlooking Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho to locals), which is part of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Although there isn’t much of a hiking trail, Brownie Wise Park features picnic areas, pavilion rentals, and a canoe and kayak launch. At this point, you may be asking, “Who the hell is Brownie Wise?” She was a Tupperware business pioneer, who “lived on the shores of the lake until she died in 1992 at the age of 79 and owned land in the area,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.

 

 

King Henry’s Feast

reweidman50 Defunct Florida Attractions, Uncategorized , ,

kinghenry

King Henry’s Feast was a popular tourist attraction on International Drive in Orlando that operated from 1986 to 1999. According to a 1987 Orlando Sentinel article, “Down on tawdry International Drive, which enjoys a certain notoriety in these parts, the tourist-trade establishments blend together in one neon blur. But one of them stands apart, at least in terms of architectural novelty: King Henry’s Feast is a gargantuan fortressy affair with pink and white turrets. The self-proclaimed ‘Entertainment Banquet Attraction,’ which went by the name Shakespeare’s Tavern when it was housed in downtown Orlando, moved to International Drive in early 1986.”