LAKE WALES -- Atop the highest point in Central Florida stands a remarkable monument, the iconic Bok Tower.

Made largely of pink and gray marble, the soaring 205-foot tower surveys woodland gardens designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and hundreds of acres of citrus groves, conservation lands and nature preserves. And it houses one of the world's great carillons.

Walking trails let visitors explore the extensive gardens surrounding the tower. In winter, visitors are encouraged to pick a grapefruit or orange from the garden's trees. In spring, the trails burst into color when azaleas bloom. A reflecting pool that is home to a pair of swans provides a much-photographed setting for the tower.

The carillon's 60 bronze bells, ranging in weight from 16 pounds to 22,300 pounds, ring out every half hour. Recitals are given daily at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Known also as the Singing Tower, this National Historic Landmark was built by Edward W. Bok in the late 1920s and dedicated in 1929 by President Calvin Coolidge. Bok, a renowned editor who wintered here, became enchanted with the vistas from Lake Wales' Iron Mountain, 298 feet above sea level, and decided to create a place that would ``touch the soul with its beauty and quiet.''

Bok Tower Gardens is Lake Wales' No. 1 attraction, but it's not the only thing that draws visitors to this pleasant city, which is set in Florida's orange country less than an hour from the theme parks of Orlando and 200 miles north of Miami.

One of the state's biggest orange juice plants -- Florida's Natural -- has a huge complex here. At Grove House, the company's visitor center, guests can sip on free juice, browse through exhibits and watch a film that tells the story of citrus growing and processing. Outside, a small grove showcases various citrus fruits -- not just oranges and grapefruits but also less-known varieties, such as kumquats and tangelos. Growing season is October to May.

Lake Wales is home to Chalet Suzanne, a unique country inn whose pastel-colored units give it an alpine fairyland look. Each section of the place was put together separately and rather haphazardly over the years by the Hinshaw family. No two of its 26 rooms are alike. The inn's internationally known gourmet restaurant (open to the public Fridays and Saturdays) is a consistent award-winner. Chalet Suzanne also has an airstrip for guests who want to fly in for lunch or dinner, and it has a canning operation for its brand of gourmet soups and sauces.

For active travelers, Lake Wales is known for two challenging activities: sky diving and bicycling. Because winds from the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts meet at the Lake Wales Ridge that runs along the spine of Florida, conditions here are well-suited for sky diving. At the Florida Skydiving Center at the Lake Wales airport, more than 20 loads of parachute jumpers may go up (and down) in a day. Bicyclists roam rural roads that wind through citrus groves, then head downtown to circle Lake Wailes. (The town was named after a Sydney Wailes, but the ``i'' was dropped from the town and not the lake.)

Downtown Lake Wales, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, still has an Old Florida look, with many buildings dating back to the 1920s. A couple of streets have been prettified, and two-dozen large murals color downtown store walls.

For an allegedly supernatural experience, visit Lake Wales' famed Spook Hill. Drive to the base of the hill, put your car into neutral and watch it roll uphill. If you don't believe that's an optical illusion, would you like to buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

Info: Lake Wales Chamber of Commerce, 863-676-3445; www.lakewaleschamber.com

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