Free, cheap and outdoors in Orlando

Walk the loop around Lake Eola late in the afternoon, then stay for the fountain lights after dark.

Go on a weekday morning, walk the loop to the lakeside boardwalk, and finish in the rose garden.

Arrive before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m. to avoid the longest wait, then ride the hour-long tour across three lakes and two old canals.

Arrive before the gate opens on a weekend, or come on a weekday, because the park closes to new cars when it fills.

Get to Kelly Park when it opens, with a tube already in your car, and float the clear Rock Springs run as many times as you like.

Visit on a cold weekday morning between about December and February, when manatees crowd the spring run.

Drive out early in the morning in the cooler months, walk or bike a loop on the berms, and count alligators and wading birds.

Pick a tour on a smaller boat with a set time on the water, ideally in the morning or near sunset.

Drive down in the morning, walk the gardens to the reflection pool, and be at the tower for an afternoon carillon recital.

Spend an hour at the Morse on Park Avenue and head straight for the Tiffany Chapel interior, then the lamps and windows.

Check what exhibition is on, then give it about two hours and pair it with the Mennello Museum or the Science Center next door.

Go on a weekday after the school field trips leave, start at the top floor and work down, and book a dome film.

Spend a free morning with wildlife at the wetlands or the Lake Apopka drive, an afternoon in Winter Park, and an evening at Lake Eola or Disney Springs.

Go to the Winter Park market early on Saturday for produce and breakfast, and to the Lake Eola market on Sunday for food stalls and a walk.

Paddle the Wekiwa River or Rock Springs Run on a weekday morning for clear water, turtles and birds.

Start near Baldwin Park, ride the Cady Way Trail north into Seminole County, and keep going on the Cross Seminole Trail to Winter Springs or Oviedo for lunch.

Drive the 11-mile, one-way loop slowly on a weekend morning between about November and April.

Pick a west-facing lakeshore, like Lake Apopka's southern shore or Lake Maitland at Kraft Azalea Garden, and arrive 30 minutes before sunset.