Historic Photos of Florida Tourist Attractions

by Steve Rajtar (Text by)

Overview

Today, we're familiar with the major theme parks which charge families hundreds of dollars a day to wait in line for moments of thrills on technologically amazing rides. Florida, however, has been drawing tourists for centuries with simpler attractions which cost much less to view the animals or exhibits, or commune with nature. In Historic Photos of Florida Early Tourist Attractions, Steve Rajtar brings us back to the simpler ways early visitors enjoyed their time in the Sunshine State.

Tour the state with photos of the tourist attractions which were here before Walt Disney World, in the days when a row of antique cars sufficed and tourists did not require constant action. See the wax figures which amazed visitors long before the invention of audioanimatronic mannequins. See what curiosities brought in the tourists and their dollars decades before today's theme parks dominated the billboards and themselves became worldwide vacation destinations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683369943
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	01/01/2008
Series:	Historic Photos
Pages:	202
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 8.75(h) x (d)

About the Author

Steve Rajtar grew up near Cleveland, Ohio, came to Florida to go to college, earned degrees in mathematics, anthropology, law and taxation and decided to stay. The combination of a love of the outdoors and local history has resulted in his establishment of over 150 historical tour routes through the communities of Central Florida, which anyone can use to learn about the areas' histories. He also leads guided walks, bike rides and kayak trips of the communities as a leader with the Boy Scouts and the Florida Trail Association. His previous thirteen books deal with history and hiking.

Editorial Reviews

Tour Florida with these wonderful photos of the attractions which were here before Walt Disney World. You will see what curiosities brought in the tourists and their dollars decades before today's theme parks dominated the billboards and themselves became worldwide vacation destinations.

Accent On Tampa Bay Magazine

Steve Rajtar's new book, Historic Photos of Florida Tourist Attractions, is so much fun. Each of the photos in this rich book offers a glimpse back into historic locations, while the captions provide additional details. Each image invites close examination and evokes feelings of wonder . . . The sheer number of these attractions and their history make it easy to see where the stage gets its varied and often notorious character. For many, it will stir up memories of family road trips where billboards promised possibilities of untold adventure at the very next exit. That offer of excitement has always been part of the allure of the Sunshine State.
—Scott Leon

Jill Orlando Arts Magazine

Walt Disney may have perfected Florida tourism, but he didn't invent it. Long before Mickey, Goofy and the rest of Uncle Walt's colorful crew made a home for themselves in our state, tourists were already coming here in droves to gawk at all manner of things. You'll find a lot of those things on display in this delightful book, a collection of about 200 black-and-white photos that show some of the attractions that thrived hereabouts in those halcyon pre-Disney days.
—Jay Boyar

Orlando Magazine