Winter Park Part Two - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Days Out
Having so much enjoyed our first afternoon in Winter Park we decided to set out for a full day the second time we visited. We decided to start slowly and we began with Winter Park’s fantastic boat tour, run for many years by friendly and enthusiastic locals. The boat tour takes your round Winter Park’s many lakes. Our guide was knowledgeable about the million-dollar homes we passed, and also the local flora and fauna. He kept us all entertained with anecdotes from his childhood, living and playing with his friends on the islands of Winter Park’s lakes.
Lunch was an amazing affair. We decided to opt for a Turkish restaurant named Bosphorus, and we were glad that we did! The food was superb, the staff courteous and knowledgeable. The menu was diverse, even catering for our one vegetarian, and the portion sizes were large. In fact, the prices were very reasonable too, and in holiday spirit our party of six ordered a sampler tray of the Turkish spirit Raki. It was a great end to a very enjoyable lunch!
Amongst the delights of the food available at Winter Park is an old-fashioned sweet shop, several small non-Starbucks coffee houses, and an ice cream bar named Kilwin’s. One of our party loves ice cream and was naturally drawn inside, and he declared that the strawberry cheesecake ice cream was the best he’d ever had! We all decided to try some, and I have to agree with him- my salted caramel cone was delightful. Apparently, the toasted coconut ice cream was a hit too.
Whilst exploring, we discovered a small shop named the Ancient Olive. Inside, many different varieties of olive oil and balsamic vinegar are arranged in small vats and bottles, waiting for you to try. There were ingenious cooking gadgets, handmade pasta and sauces- all organic and most locally sourced! Another foodie heaven! I ended up buying a fantastic all-natural sugar body scrub, which smelt divinely of grapefruit.
Unfortunately time ran out on us again and so we didn’t get to visit any of the world-class museums at Winter Park. One we were sorry to miss is the home of sculptor Albin Polaseck, containing many of the artist’s works, and the other is the Charles Hosmer Morse museum. This museum is home to the world’s largest collection of Tiffany glass, amongst other art. We were also told about various cultural events which take part throughout the year such as the Bach Festival , Park Avenue Fashion Week, Sidewalk Art Festival and the Ice Skating ring open over Christmas time. It would appear there is something to do all year around.
With its genteel atmosphere and fascinating shops, Winter Park has been one of my favourite outings this holiday. We have all decided to go back again next year, and discover the museums, amongst other things! A truly enjoyable gem of Florida and proof that Orlando isn’t just about ‘the mouse’.
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