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8 x July 19 — August 1, 2018 x www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com<br />
Most people come to Florida for its<br />
man-made attractions — SeaWorld<br />
Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort<br />
and Walt Disney World Resort —<br />
however, in picturesque Winter Park,<br />
it is all about natural attractions and<br />
sights; one attraction being that of<br />
the treasured Scenic Boat Tour<br />
that has been generating oohs and<br />
aahs from visitors and residents for<br />
decades.<br />
Started in 1938 by the Meloon<br />
family, the boat tour takes people of<br />
all ages through the scenic canals<br />
nestled within the city to view historic<br />
homes, iconic structures and the<br />
beautiful, private campus of Rollins<br />
College.<br />
The tour shows people a different<br />
side of Central Florida that takes<br />
them back to a time when the state<br />
was mostly known for its chains of<br />
lakes and natural surroundings.<br />
“Winter Park architecture is interesting<br />
and not what people think when<br />
they think of Florida: beaches, theme<br />
parks, etc.,” said Ron Hightower,<br />
owner/manager of Scenic Boat Tour<br />
for almost 25 years. “We do hear<br />
NOTEWORTHY<br />
a lot [from visitors] that it is a nice<br />
break from the theme parks.”<br />
The tour originally began when<br />
two brothers — one being Walter<br />
C. Meloon, who established<br />
NEWS<br />
A Timeless Trip on the Water<br />
Scenic Boat Tour Celebrates 80 Years!<br />
by Blair Parke<br />
The Scenic<br />
Boat Tour takes<br />
guests through<br />
canals nestled in<br />
Winter Park.<br />
the boat-manufacturing company<br />
Correct Craft — decided to invest<br />
in a boat tour that would feature the<br />
charming flora and fauna of Winter<br />
Park.<br />
Today, 80 years after its 1938<br />
launch, the Scenic Boat Tour still recognizes<br />
the originality of the historic<br />
homes and locations that are in and<br />
around Lake Osceola, as well as<br />
Florida’s native occupants of alligators,<br />
fish and birds, through its hourlong,<br />
18-person pontoon tours.<br />
“We have always tried to keep the<br />
tour as close to the original format<br />
as possible,” said Ron, whose grandfather<br />
was one of the knowledgeable<br />
tour guides before purchasing<br />
the touring business in 1995. “My<br />
grandfather started working with the<br />
boat tour in 1970, so I grew up here<br />
and came down to the tour as a kid.<br />
It has stayed with me over the years.”<br />
Even if the tour has remained the<br />
same for years, you never know what<br />
you might see — animal, human or<br />
sight — while taking the excursion.<br />
It is not uncommon to see the Rollins<br />
crew team practicing boat drills on<br />
the lake, and, in 2013, the Capen<br />
House was floated across the water<br />
to its new location.<br />
Although the scenery may change<br />
in Winter Park, the Scenic Boat Tour
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