Attending RIMS 2009 with a guest? RIMS has arranged for several tours at discounted rates that go from the Colonial period to the Everglades to outer space. Sign up by March 20 to guarantee your spot. View tours and register at www.RIMS.org/GuestTours. You also have the option of mailing the registration form.
Shopping Tour
Sunday, April 19, and Wednesday, April 22 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm, $30.00 per person
Discover sought-after designer labels at factory-direct prices at Orlando Premium Outlets. Retailers include Anne Klein, Barneys New York Outlet, OshKosh B'Gosh, Tommy Hilfiger, Reebok, Samsonite and Timberland. There are also a variety of food vendors, including JR Steakery, Max Orient and Starbucks.
Winter Park Tour
Sunday, April, 19 and Tuesday, April 21
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, $45.00 per person
Downtown Winter Park’s charm is magnified in its details: hidden gardens and side streets that are home to unique stores, a farmer’s market on Saturday mornings and festive parades. Running through the heart of Winter Park is Park Avenue. Bordered by a shady park that plays host to concerts and art festivals, Park Avenue is home to one-of-a-kind boutiques and well-known shops, sidewalk cafés, as well as world-renowned art collections in the area’s museums. Often called "Little Europe," Park Avenue charms visitors of all ages.
Take a scenic boat tour through the canals overlooking the area’s most prestigious homes to see the true beauty of Winter Park, which includes Rollins College, Kraft Azalea Gardens, Isle of Sicily, tropical birds, plants, flowers and magnificent mansions.
Come early or extend your stay in Orlando and take advantage of Disney’s Convention Theme Park Tickets. Purchasing RIMS discounted tickets in advance helps you save money and allows you to customize your free time to suit your schedule. Make time for the Magic at www.disneyconventionear.com/RIMS.
Kennedy Space Center
Monday, April 20, and Wednesday, April 22
9:00 am – 5:00 pm, $90.00 per person
Worlds apart from Orlando’s theme parks, explore NASA’s launch headquarters, a hub of technology and discovery where many of mankind’s greatest accomplishments have taken place. Tour NASA’s launch and landing facilities, view 10-story high rockets from all eras of space exploration, walk through a full-size Space Shuttle mock-up, enjoy IMAX Theater space films, see an actual Gemini program capsule on display, and meet a real member of NASA’s Astronaut Corps.
"Enchanted Forest" and Airboat Expedition
Monday, April 20
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, $80.00 per person
Enter another world and learn about three unique and distinct ecosystems. 25,000 years ago and 12 miles west of the current Atlantic Ocean lies an ancient shoreline of Florida. Walk along a desert sand ridge, onto the floor of a real ancient ocean, and then stroll into dense woods and you will understand why this special place is called "The Enchanted Forest." This an easy, educational nature walk filled with beauty, contrasts and rare species. The tour then heads to a 100-year-old fish camp on the St. John’s River. After enjoying a complimentary sampling of gator tail, tour the Central Florida Everglades. At speeds nearing 40 miles per hour, traveling over land and water, the unique airboat craft will take you, safely, deep into the pristine fresh water swamp.
Orlando Museum of Art
Monday, April 20
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm, $45.00 per person
The Orlando Museum of Art is dedicated to collecting, preserving and interpreting notable works of art. Featuring art of the ancient Americas, American portraits and landscapes and contemporary art in its permanent exhibits, the Orlando Museum of Art also offers exciting and diverse traveling exhibits of local, regional, national and international significance.
Saint Augustine Tour
Tuesday, April 21
8:30 am – 5:00 pm, $90.00 per person
This trolley tour shares the history, attractions and sights of St Augustine, America’s oldest city. Your expert tour guide will narrate more than 100 points of interest. The tour has 20 convenient stops for you to disembark for shopping and sightseeing. Hop on and off as many times as you would like!
Dolphin and Manatee Encounters
Tuesday, April 21
9:00 am – 1:00 pm, $75.00 per person
Experience unique eco-systems and wildlife on this fascinating educational adventure. The Banana River, part of the Indian River Lagoon system, is America’s largest estuary and contains more than 5,000 species of plants and animals, most of which are endangered. Take an easy nature walk and then cruise the smooth, inland waters around Cocoa Beach on a pontoon boat. Observe bottle-nose dolphins as they feed and swim and keep your eyes open for the endangered manatees—more of these unique marine mammals live in these waters than in any other area in Florida.