City Guide

Sure, anti-smoking legislation has limited the places you can find and enjoy a good cigar, but that also means that for those of us who do enjoy the occasional stogie, those few places where we still can are also places where we’ll find like-minded individuals. It’s always more pleasant to be in the company of those who share your hobby, rather than to foist your smoke on those who would prefer not to smell it.

Orlando is a great place to find these elusive cigar connoisseurs’ retreats. Whether you need a break from the theme park action, want a classic cigar bar with a good selection of complimentary adult beverages, or are simply trying to track down that oh-so-rare brand that has eluded your usual tobacconist, Orlando may hold the answer. After the jump you’ll find my personal suggestions for where to find stogies in the Orlando area.

My family and I have stayed in Orlando for the last three years and we have been to every park there is. We have been to Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon, Universal, and even Gatorland and we wanted to try something new.

After talking it over with my husband and kids we decided to take our love for thrills and theme parks to Tampa so we hopped in our rental and drove to Busch Gardens. Unexpectedly, but fortunately, the drive only took us 50 minutes from the Ginn property.

Busch Gardens was great! They had something for all of us. My two oldest loved all the fast roller coasters like the Kumba, Montu (your feet dangle), Gwazi, and the newest addition SheiKra (a “dive” coaster, meaning it goes straight down!). As for my youngest, she had a blast on the Gondola that hung high above zebras, giraffes, and even antelope that grazed in Busch Gardens man made savannah.

In all honesty, I would say Busch Gardens is up there with any Orlando attraction as far as thrills, entertainment, food, and fun go.