Historic Cocoa Village is a fantastic place to spend a wonderful day and evening for everyone in…read morethe entire family. At Cocoa Village they have several places to shop and also several places enjoy a nice meal. They have a lovely park, collectors shops, and antique shops, coffee shops and ice cream parlors. At times they have live music playing at Cocoa Village, and you can even enjoy a nice rooftop dinner with a view of the water here at Ryan's Village Pizza & Pub.

If you're visiting the cape, this area is a must. They have a lot of quaint antique shops, a…read morebeautiful park on the water, tons of mom and pop restaurants. We spent the day bar hoping on foot and even got tattoos. Such a nice/safe area for a day date.

Belle Isle is a smaller community in the Orlando, Florida area. It is not far from the Orlando…read moreairport and is a nicer and more established community with nice homes and just far enough away from everything to give a small community feel to it while being close enough to everything to make it convenient. I have always liked Belle Isle. It has a great vibe and it has a great overall feel to it.

So many cool choices of bars, restaurants, and local shops here in the Milk District! Lots of local…read moreflavors to indulge in and there is something for everyone. Divey bars to upscale cocktail restaurants. Otto's has a great happy hour, as does Milk House! Black Magic pizza is one of the best pizzas I've ever had. Need to try the Pho place next!! Classic Orlando neighborhood named after the TG Lee milk plant off bumby and Robinson! Come on over to the Milk District!

Today I had the pleasure of browsing around the milk mart for their holiday soirée, they have these…read moreevery now and again I did it go to one already around the Halloween time called their spooky soirée. So what the milk mart Consists of is a bunch of vendors and a bunch of local handmade gifts and what not. There were a couple ones that I recognized like fat ash bakes and there is a local girl that does magnets for the mills district she was there as well. However I think my favorite shop of the whole afternoon was a little booth called the shop of many things most of their art was either spooky or Christmasy they also had a whole collection of DND snails which I thought were absolutely adorable. They did have stickers for three dollars and he told me if I bought three stickers that the fourth one would be free so I thought that was really neat. I had a really great time today at the milk bar and saw all the vendors I only stayed for a couple of hours; but if you do you want to attend one of these in the future I definitely recommend coming at least an hour and a half early so you can find a spot to park- I had to park all the way over by colonial plaza near sprouts so it was about three blocks out. 10/10 Recommend the Milk District

Continuing on with the mural tour is another favorite, Slice of Happiness. It is the newest mural…read moreto downtown and it was commissioned by the Lake Wales Main Street, Inc. and sponsored by Florida Natural's Growers and its Members, and The Ellis Family. The mural is 25 feet x 97 feet. It is the work of native Lakeland artist Gillian Fazio. Fazio received her Bachelors' Degree in Fine Art from the University of Florida in the Spring of 2017. About the mural Fazio has said "the butterflies reference a re-birth and new life. The mural is a nice indicator of what is happening in downtown Lake Wales. Kudos to Lake Wales Main Street and the community leaders for investing in downtown. The mural is an indicator that there are awesome things coming to Lake Wales." Slice of Happiness features Florida oranges and Fazio's signature butterflies. The mural fits in with Lake Wales theme, a city in a garden. I love the subject and bright colors. It makes the perfect backdrop for photos.

Beautiful mural that you can't miss if you're visiting Lake Wales. It really captures the Florida…read morevibes and makes for a great Insta shot. We had bookmarked it and were in the process of looking around for it, when we just walked right by. It's hard to miss if you just wander around the small downtown area for a bit. I love seeing public art like this all over Florida!

Love the park but the sprinklers came on just about noon time…read moreWish they would reset it too turn on when no one is there My mom is in her 70s and got soaked for our mile walk home

5 Stars for one of Orlando's most beloved Main Streets (National award-winning, in fact) that marks…read morethe convergence of Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, and Baldwin Park. Audubon Park is the perfect buffer between Mills 50 (rough around the edges and legit) and Baldwin Park (highly-planned and bougie). It's your granola-making, Birkenstock-clad aunt. You know, the one with the long tunics and butterfly garden, who also keeps beer and kombucha batches brewing at all times. What differentiates this Main Street to the point that it won a National Main Street Award a few years back as America's best Main Street? I'd say it's all about the people and businesses. It's certainly not about the looks. But what this Main Street lacks in curbside appeal (looking at you, Virginia Drive), it makes up for in best-of level businesses. I'm talking best beer bar in the country (or at least known among the best-- Redlight Redlight), best local farmers market (big ups, Monday night Audubon Park Market), best sushi in Central Florida (Kadence, not to be missed), best homemade ice cream (Kelly's), best record shop in town (Park Ave CDs), best indoor market (East End Market), best quintessentially hipster coffee shop in that the baristas will shoot you dirty looks while serving you chai and a salad (Stardust Cafe), etc. I could seriously go on and on about the incredible spots in this little 'hood. Suffice to say, it ain't much to look at, but you're going to want to spend a Saturday hopping from biz to biz for the most epic day date ever.

I love art and dogs so I was instantly drawn to this artwork. Disco is a 35 foot tall, 3,100 pound…read morestainless steel Labrador Retriever who greets everyone as they enter the Lake Nona Town Center. This friendly pup was inspired by the Lake Nona community. His fractal, reflective surface is meant to evoke the water and waves of Lake Nona. Disco is the work of Filipino American artist and Lake Nona resident, JEFRE. He started Studio Jefrë in 2008 after he had a heart attack at the age of 35 followed by triple bypass surgery which gave him a new perspective on life. He transitioned from urban planning to focusing on his art full time. He has gone on to complete large scale art works all over the world. About the artwork he has created, he has said ""I love public art just for the fact that it's actually public. That is my job: to create icons for cities that the public can view and appreciate, that tell the history of the city." You can see more of JEFRE's work in the nearby Lake Nona Sculpture Garden behind the Lake Nona Wave Hotel. There are four pieces in the BAks series, Faith, Empowerment, Time, and Passion which represent the great qualities JEFRË thinks a city should have and which can be found in Lake Nona. JEFRE is currently working on Wings of the Rainbow, a 49-foot-tall polychromatic sculpture in Osceola County's Brown Weiss Park on Lake Toho that will be a memorial to victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub mass shooting in Orlando. I have been a fan of JEFRE ever since seeing his work at the Orlando Art Museum and I look forward to seeing the memorial when it is completed.

Barrier Island Sanctuary is located inside the Archie Carr National Refuge which was established by…read moreCongress in 1989 to protect sea turtles that are threatened with extinction throughout the world. Archie Carr was a graduate professor of ecology and an award winning author of natural history books and articles. In 1959 Dr. Carr founded the nonprofit Caribbean Conservation Corporation to study and protect sea turtles and their habitats. In honor of his contributions to the study of sea turtles, this refuge was named in his honor. The refuge includes 20.5 miles of beach that is home to the most important sea turtle nesting habitat in the United States. More loggerheads nest within the Carr Refuge than anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere. There has also been a significant increase in green turtle and leatherback nesting. The protection that this beach provides is essential to the survival and recovery of these three species. Barrier Island Sanctuary is 34 acres of the Archie Carr National Refuge. In April of 2005 it was renamed Doc Ehrhart Sanctuary in honor of Dr. LLewellyn "Doc" Ehrhart. Doc Ehrhart and his team were instrumental in collecting sea turtle nesting data for the designation of nesting beaches in the Archie Carr Refuge. One if the highlights for visitors to Barrier Island Sanctuary is the Barrier Island Center which is the primary visitor and education center for the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. The center has interactive exhibits, an auditorium, gift shop, classroom, and observation deck. Some of the programs held here include summer camps, turtle walks, and special events. Barrier Island Sanctuary also has a nature trail and beach access. This park is a stop on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. The coolest thing happened as I was leaving. A bobcat ran out from this park and crossed the street before disappearing into the undergrowth. A boardwalk connects Barrier Island Sanctuary to Bonsteel Park. Even if the gate to the parking at Barrier Island Sanctuary is closed you can still walk over from Bonsteel Park and see the outdoor exhibits as I did or possibly even catch sight of a sea turtle.

Small sanctuary, but some nice, educational displays. They do have a boardwalk walkway, and very…read moreshort hiking trail. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wildlife the day we went, but we still had a good time. It's free to wander, but I bought some things for my grandbabies at the gift shop (hoping to support the cause a bit) It's worth a stop if you're in the area.

If I could give zero stars I would! The point of "dining in the dark" is to enhance your taste…read morebuds... why enhance your tastebuds if there is no flavor in the food????? It was cold and just not good. Especially for the amount of money. Let me save you the trip. Don't go.

Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous benefit! This was so much more than just a dinner benefitting a great…read morecause- The dinner itself helped highlight the plight of those without sight, and formed a perfect metaphor for society's 'blindness' to hunger in our cities. Lighthouse Central Florida and Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida came together to put on the dinner, which was at the SH of CFL headquarters. We were first led into an enormous food storage facility for a cocktail hour with a musician singing softly and passed hors d'oeuvre. The anticipation was building with everyone nervously chatting about how some people get anxious and claustrophobic in the dark. But as soon as the Orlando SWAT fellas entered the room and started posing for pictures and mingling all of the nerves left the room and were replaced by giddy ladies (myself included) and laughter. Finally, it was time to line up in our table groups to conga-line into the dark dining room. Alas, I was not lucky enough to be second in the conga-line behind our SWAT gentleman... The room was pitch black- like so black that I couldn't tell the difference between having my eyes open and closed. Eventually, my eyes adjusted a bit and I could see a dim glow of something identifying where the center of our table was. As the dishes came out I realized that utensils were futile. That's right- the SWAT guys, with their night vision, got a great view of me shoveling mashed potatoes into my face with my fingers. And you know what? I was A-OK with that! We were all in the same boat at our table and it led to some great conversations and some new friends! The woman next to me let me know that she is pretty shy and this gave her the confidence to talk to strangers and make friends. In the end, the dinner really highlighted how different life would be without our sense of vision, and it did it in an amazing experiential way. I was a total mess without my vision and I really appreciated it when the lights were turned on at the end. Lighthouse has found a really powerful tool in their awareness arsenal. I would highly recommend this event to others and am now very interested in seeing how I can help both of these fabulous orgs - so, mission accomplished!

With Daytona Beach looking very dated and worn, this segmental bridge was a beautiful treat when we…read morewent to head home. I love the tile mosaics of aquatic and Florida wildlife throughout the bridge. I read that this bridge had a makeover and I highly approve. We only passed through Daytona Beach, but this bridge was the highlight of the area. I wish I could have taken pictures as we were driving by!!! This bridge was originally built in 1948 and replaced in 2001 and crosses the span of the Halifax River. There are 36 tile mosaic designs throughout the bridge and the Broadway Bridge has won awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies. Very cool!

A bridge with…read moreart The Broadway Bridge was dedicated in 2001 and is the third bridge to grace this area. It's over 3,000 feet long and crosses over the Halifax River and the Intra Coastal Waterway. A very useful bridge to be sure and allows traffic to flow from the center of Daytona to the great beaches without too much trouble. A graceful structure that just seems to fit without being intrusive. So many large bridges are closed to pedestrian traffic but this fine bridge has pleasant side walks on both sides. Allows for some fantastic views of the water, boats, buildings and even the ocean in the distance. But what really makes this bridge cool is all the mosaics of local marine life that are placed at various intervals along the structure. Some great works of art that turns this bridge into a lot more than just a way of getting over the river. If you go under the bridge you will find even more mosaics on the supports that hold up the huge roadway. Some bridges are just places for cars to go over. This wonderful bridge allows you to see great views in all directions and even some great mosaics of dolphins, manatees, sharks and sea horses. A unique and wonderful example of how to combine art with function

Had never heard of End End Market until this recent trip I took and some locals a.k.a. my…read morecolleagues who live here told me about it. They have a good variety of restaurants and a couple shops. It's a lot more chill than other places in Orlando I feel like, and seems to be mainly locals rather than tourists. We came for breakfast and I got Lineage Coffee, Papi's Burritos, and Gideon's Cookies. We sat outside and there's plenty of seating and open air concept outside. I would definitely come back here again!

I found out about East End Market from the show Somebody Feed Phil and I have to say it does feel…read morelike a hidden gem. It has such a strong local vibe and it is cool to see a mix of smaller vendors alongside some more well known food spots. That said there are a few things worth noting. First, seating can be a challenge. There is plenty of outdoor seating but not much indoors. The day we went it was pretty hot and sitting outside was not the most enjoyable experience at times. Second, I fully support spending money at local businesses but the tipping culture here felt a bit excessive. I bought a bag of coffee beans with no drink and was prompted for a tip. I spent $45 for 12 pieces of chocolates at Oban Chocolatier and was asked for a tip there too. Same thing when I spent about $25 on four cookies at Gideon's Bakehouse. I am happy to support but it started to feel like a lot in a not enjoyable way. Third, the hours between vendors can be a bit awkward. We came around brunch time which worked for some spots but others were not open yet. For example, Domu does not open until dinner (5PM) and Gyukatsu Rose was not opening until later in the afternoon (3 PM) Overall, I think this is a great place to check out especially if you enjoy trying a variety of local spots. Just plan ahead for seating and timing and be prepared for lots of tip prompts along the way.