Choose your own summertime adventure. Right here in Lake Nona.
Without booking a flight or planning a road trip, you can build a world-class summer adventure close to home. Sure, we’re fans of the great American road trip, but we also believe the best summer memories don’t always require leaving town. With a little imagination – and a lot of local knowledge from your friends here at the editorial staff – your next adventure might be waiting right in your own backyard.
This guide taps into that same sense of possibility found in Choose Your Own Adventure nostalgia. Think of it as your chance to create your own epic, trailer-worthy summer adventure.
The choice is yours. The only question is: where will your adventure lead?
STEP ONE: Select Your Persona
Choose the type of summer you want to have. Your persona shapes the kinds of experiences, activities and energy that define your ideal playcation.
The Trailblazer. You relish the art of exploration. Whether it’s a new trail, an art gallery or a spontaneous weekend adventure, you deem the unexpected the consummate summer companion.
The Challenger. You’ll base a summer weekend around a 5K bookended by some yoga. You’re an active competitor who treats summer like a sport. With this persona – game on!
The Jetsetter. You bring style (and your own hashtags) to any venue. You haven’t met a staycation that can’t rival a globetrotting getaway.
The Connector. Otherwise known as the social butterfly, you’re the catalyst that alchemizes disparate groups into fast friends. You turn any time and place into coordinates for a memorable event.
STEP TWO: Map Your Route
Now choose the experiences that will shape your summer itinerary. Each route offers a different way to explore Lake Nona.
Art Stroll. In an age of endless scrolls, there’s something novel about experiencing art in person. Wander the 50,000-square-foot Sculpture Garden, discover public art throughout Town Center or curate your own self-guided art stroll across Greater Orlando – with Lake Nona serving as both the starting point and grand finale.
Make a Splash. Whether you prefer a poolside paradise or a thrilling day at the lake, if your perfect staycation revolves around the water, Lake Nona has you covered. Soak up the atmosphere at The Wave Hotel Pool. Then head to Nona Adventure Park for water slides, floating obstacle courses and plenty of thrills.
Trail Adventures. You don’t have to travel far from the buzz of Town Center to find yourself joyfully walking (or jogging or running) through a trail network spanning more than 44 miles. From gentle rolling hills to urban loops and neighborhood routes, these pathways reveal a surprising variety of landscapes to explore.
Shop On Through. With the addition of Total Wine, Barnes & Noble and Homesense at Lake Nona West, retail therapy has become an even better way to spend a summer day. Add a shopping side quest to your day or make it the main event – there’s always more to discover just around the corner.
STEP THREE: Pick a Vibe
Every great adventure needs an atmosphere. Choose the mood that defines your perfect summer day (or night)!
Rock Climbing at Lake Nona Performance Club. Expansive bouldering terrain, top-rope climbing, lead climbing, rappelling and expert instruction. Open to first-timers, experienced climbers and weekend warriors that just watched Free Solo alike. Classes and day passes available for all levels.
Renting a cabana at The Wave Hotel. It’s a colorful, elegant way to spend part of or even a whole day. Reserve a cabana for a few hours or grab a full-day pass. Want to turn your private cabana into something a little more private? Just shut the curtains. The Wave Pool is open from dawn until dusk, every day.
Live entertainment at Boxi Park. This one might be a choose-your-own-adventure all by itself. Pick a night, an act or a genre, or simply go where the music takes you. Between the performances, food and atmosphere, there’s always something new to discover.
Roaming around Art After Dark. Bounce from booth to booth beneath a canopy of string lights, wine in hand. Every Friday, Lake Nona Town Center transforms into a gathering place for local vendors, makers and artists.
STEP FOUR: Create Your Lasting Summer Memory
No two summer stories end the same way. Finish your adventure by selecting the kind of finale you want your season to build toward.
Dockside Farmers Market. In the summer months, the market moves indoors to the air-conditioned Dockside venue, keeping this Lake Nona staple going year-round. Part market, part social gathering, it’s a weekly tradition with live music and local finds.
Everything Pass at Nona Adventure Park. Why should a one-day ticket be considered a peak summer event? Because a day at Nona Adventure Park already has everything you want in summer: equal parts relaxation and adventure, all in one place. Wakeboard, conquer the Aqua Park or set up camp in a beachside cabana.
Great American Block Party. Lake Nona’s all-out summer celebration. This free event includes multiple stages of live entertainment, music, local food trucks, family-friendly carnival games and an evening laser light show.
Lake Nona Triathlon. A signature endurance race challenge, this sprint, point-to-point course starts with a lake swim at Lake Nona Adventure Park, continues with a bike ride through Lake Nona, and finishes with a 5K run ending at Boxi Park.
Whether your perfect weekend includes trail adventures, poolside afternoons, shopping sprees or nights out with friends, your staycation-playcation can be whatever you want it to be.
So choose your route, set a course and see where the adventure takes you.
Only in Lake Nona.
