Winter Garden has grown considerably since I first moved to Orlanda back in 2001. The Winter Garden…read moreHistoric District is a great place to come and walk around, do a bit of shopping and/or grab something to eat. Winter Garden has truly come into its own as a community and is not just an outpost west of Orlando. This area is convenient to get to by Highway 408 or East Colonial Drive. They have a great farmers market here on Saturdays, which I would also recommend. Winter Garden has a lot of history here in central Florida, but we also must embrace the Winter Garden of today and where it is headed to in its tomorrows. The area is quaint and enjoyable. It is easy to see why it is so popular. Overall, I would definitely recommend here and I will give it a rating of five stars.

Quaint and vibrant downtown. We love coming as a couple, with friends or the kids for a family…read moreouting. There are some great restaurants and activities, especially the Saturday Farmers Market or the splash pad for the kids to best the FL heat. You can plan a quick visit or a full day of fun, there is plenty for everyone.

This place is without a doubt one of central Florida's top venues! The property has been…read moretransformed from a state of disrepair to a beautifully restored piece of history, now open for private party rentals. While the venue is stunning, my only hesitation about renting it for a wedding is the extensive list of rules. It seems a bit like micro-management, and I worry that it might detract from the overall experience for couples.

William John Howey (January 19, 1876 - June 7, 1938) was an American real-estate developer, citrus…read moregrower, and Republican politician from Florida. He founded and served as mayor for the town of Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida where he developed and sold citrus groves, becoming one of Florida's greatest citrus developers. He was one of the first citrus growers to send fruit from Florida to England. In 1921 he opened Florida's first citrus juice plant. He ran for governor on the Republican ticket in 1928 and 1932. Mr. Howey's prominence led to many distinguished guests visiting the Howey mansion, These included Lord Bathhurst of England, H.B. McNeal, publisher of Golfer's Magazine, golf master Chick Evans, Kansas Governor Alfred Landon, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Phillip's of petroleum fame, and President Calvin Coolidge who was guest of honor at an all-male dinner party in February 1930. Mr. Howey's former home near Lake Wales, Florida became the site of Florida's Bok Tower at the Bok Tower Gardens. In 1925 Mr. Howey commissioned a 20 room mansion in the town he founded. The architect was Katherine Cotheal Budd. During WWI she designed temporary lodgings known as hostess homes for women who were visiting their husbands at military training camps. Budd is credited for creating 72 lodgings with a homelike atmosphere and the Howey House is one of a few existing examples of her work. The Howey Mansion was designed in the popular Mediterranean Revival style. The house is set back on a wide lawn with wrought iron gates and a long horseshoe drive. The entrance to the home features an elaborate, two story bas relief frontispiece .The massive front door and the woodwork on the first floor is made from peaky cypress. Leading to the second floor is a graceful curving stone stairway with a wrought iron banister. Other features of the home include three large fireplaces, a ballroom-size drawing room, enormous beamed ceilings, and a servant call-bell phone system. There is even a hidden passage behind a sliding bookshelf panel in the library. The original 15 acres grounds of the mansion were called The Park and included many botanical plants and shrubs. On March 6, 1927 The Park was the host site for an open air concert performed by the New York Civic Opera Company bringing the top opera singers of the day to the mansion for a concert for the community. The mansion was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Place on January 27, 1983. On April 12, 2017 it was listed for sale at $480,000. The new owners are Brad and Clay Cowherd, Orlando real estate investors who have made period-accurate restoration of the house. I visited the Howey Mansion for the Founders Day Festival. Admission for tours of the home was discounted to $10. The Howey Mansion is available for private rentals like weddings while historical tours are also available Monday through Friday at 11am. The Founder's Day event included a local market, food trucks, live music, and family activities. I enjoyed visiting the tents and touring the mansion including the hidden bar in the basement that was created during prohibition. Behind the mansion, is a trail through the woods that will take you to the Georgian marble mausoleum where the Howey family is interred including William J. Howey (1938), daughter, Lois Valerie Howey (1941), and Mary Hastings Howey (1981). This year Centennial Founder's Day Celebration, marked100 years since the town's founding in 1925.

A treasure in Central Florida. Located in Clermont across from Lake Louisa State Park, this is a…read morerunners dream. Softer then road or concrete running, but not as soft as trail running. This is a 10 mile loop around. Straight lines with minimal turns and multiple hills, it offers stunning views depending on how you see it. If you get there early in the morning and run while the sun rises, you'll appreciate the natural beauty it has to offer. There is no shade and no restrooms. Be prepared to be emptied or stop off on any part of the trail to do your thing. This is also the same area as the Blueberry U Pick 5K that will be held in the back half of the loop. The main entrance is off of Bradshaw road that connects to 5 mile road. The road isn't smooth and parking is on a grass shoulder. There will be development soon so the 10 mile loop won't be a full loop anymore. If you want a place to run or practice any upcoming races, this is a perfect place to go!

Used to be here regularly and it's ok. Only here to have a beer and maybe a grab something to eat.read more

The Citrus Tower in Clermont is one of those classic Florida roadside landmarks that still feels…read morerooted in the state's older tourism era. I've been to the Lake Placid tower, which is closed, so it was nice to see this one still operating. I passed through at 6am, well before sunrise, so the doors weren't open yet, but even from the outside the orange and white stripes and the height of the structure make it stand out. Built in 1956 as a 226 foot observation tower meant to showcase the miles of surrounding orange groves, it once drew up to 500,000 visitors a year when US 27 was the main north south route through Central Florida. Today the groves are mostly gone, but the tower remains open as a nostalgic attraction. Admission is usually around the ten dollar range for adults, depending on the season, and gets you access to the elevator ride up to the 360 degree observation deck. Considering the history behind it, including five million pounds of concrete, 149,000 pounds of steel, and a grand opening that drew representatives from Cypress Gardens and Silver Springs back in 1956, it's an inexpensive way to experience a piece of old Florida. Next time I'm passing through during actual business hours, I'll make a point to go up. [Review 1620 of 2025 - 2197 in Florida - 25168 overall]

The Florida Citrus Tower is a quick 20-minute landmark attraction located in Clermont, Florida, 24…read moremiles west of Orlando. For $11 a person, take a 50 second elevator ride 22 stories up to a glass-enclosed observation deck for 360 degree panoramas of the Central Florida landscape. Built in 1955, the tower was once Florida's highest lookout point at 226 feet tall. On a clear day, visitors can "see 35 miles to the horizon and up to 8 Florida counties. The tower contains 5 million pounds of concrete and 149,000 pounds of steel" according to a posted sign on the elevator door. Some of the highlights from high above include viewing the city of Clermont, the "Gem of the Hills" from the west, Lake Apopka, Florida's 2nd largest spring fed lake from the east, and Florida's green wetlands area looking towards the south. Guests can return back down the elevator at their own leisure. The lobby has a coffee bar if you'd like to sit down with a refreshment. Hours are accommodating opening at 7am daily until 10pm, and even 11pm on Friday's and Saturday's. Overall, the Florida Citrus Tower is a no-frills roadside stop for those folks looking to take a brief pause to appreciate sweeping sceneries from a unique vantage point.

The Wonder House is worth a visit if you are in the Bartow area. The home was the dream of Conrad…read moreSchuck, a building contractor and stone quarry dealer from Pittsburgh who was told by his doctors that he only had a year to live. In response to this devastating news, he packed up his wife and nine children in the 1920's and moved to Bartow so that he could take advantage of the warmer climate. To occupy his time he built his dream house. Conrad Schuck started construction on the eighteen room Wonder House in 1926 and he built it out of the bedrock he dug into while he was clearing the land. He purchased steel rail lines and scrap from the railroad and he made his four story house out of concrete over stone reinforced with the steel rails. The walls are 18 inches on the ground level. Schuck went on to work on the house with his son over the next 40 years, far outliving his doctors prediction. Leading up the house are two 30 foot bridges that crossed over a koi pond. The house was designed in the shape of a cross to maximize cross breezes in a time before air conditioning. Each room opened onto two porches. The walls are decorated with mosaics glass and tile and hand carvings. Concrete channels were built into the house to collect rainwater, which cooled the house and watered the plants that grew across the exterior. There is a fishpond on the third-floor porch. Conrad Schuck never lived in the house and when he finished it he opened it for tours in 1934. The Wonder House became a popular tourist attraction from 1934 until 1963. Visitors were charged a dime to see the ponds and 25 cents to see the interior. Conrad Schuck lived until the age of 94 and after his death, the Wonder House had a number of owners. Lucy DuCharme opened the house for Christmas tours when she owned it in the 80's and 90's. She purchased the house in 1964 and added central air and heat. Eventually the house was abandoned. In 2015, the Wonder House was in a state of disrepair when it was purchased during an online auction by attorney Drew Davis and his wife Krislin who are in the process of fixing it up. They are currently living in the house but you can purchase an online ticket to tour the house. They have taken the torch from Conrad Schuck and are now slowly working on returning the house to its former glory.

This is not your typical tourist trap. It's a unique home that attracts the curious. The owner/tour…read moreguide is a perky lady who is renovating the house back to its original splendor and adding her own personal creativity. She talks about the history of the house and her encounters with the spirits of the original owner. Lots of antiques throughout and a few quirky collections. A diamond in the rough with the mystique of an opal. There is an assistant tour guide, Joan of Bark, who is the sweetest, most laid-back pup. Take some time to enjoy this unicorn.

We passed by this house while in Mt. Dora. Really cool to see this. It's beautiful!! Right on the…read moremain road so hard to miss.

I've heard the residents of Mount Dora were in an uproar when this house was painted, but…read moreultimately the city failed to make the homeowners to revert to a standard color (lost court case). Hearing this was painted to help their autistic son identify the house if wandering off made my heart happy. It also offers both residents and tourists a beautiful mural and testament to artistic expression. Very glad I was able to see it and hope others are able to appreciate the beauty of the mural (renovated in 2025).

The Windermere 9/11 Memorial was dedicated in 2010. It honors all of the victims of the September…read more11 attack on the World Trade Center, Flight 93 and the Pentagon. The project was erected as part of a 15 year old Eagle Scout's Project. A long list of businesses and locals donated to assist in making this endeavor successful and the end result is beautiful. The Windermere Florida Never Forgets Memorial and Gardens is very thoughtful. The memorial showcases a piece of steel that was salvaged from the rubble from World Trade Center. There are small square tiles at the base of the structure that represents the country of each person who died from this attack. There is a plaque displayed that gives details of the September 11 attacks and the project.

Whenever I am in downtown Windermere i try to visit the 9/11 memorial. It is so sad that i have to…read morehold back my tears. Today i noticed that people had left some photographs of people who had died in 9/11. My heartfelt condolences to anyone who knew someone who perished there. I highly recommend a visit to this memorial which is behind the Winderemere Town Hall and next to the Windermere library

Not many people are aware that a segment of the Berlin Wall stands behind The Hard Rock Cafe at…read moreUniversal Studios Orlando CityWalk. I passed by it dozens of times for nearly two years and never gave it even so much as a glance. Then one day someone told me it was there. And what do you know? it is! It's amazing how blind we can be sometimes to things that are right in front of us! I think it is amazingly awesome that we are lucky enough to have such a rich piece of history in Orlando. And it's not roped up in some museum with signs posted everywhere warning "Do Not Touch." Nope, it's right there all out in the open. Go ahead and put your hands right on it. It's amazing, just amazing, I tell ya! DO NOT go to Universal Studios and not take the time to walk behind The Hard Rock Cafe and see this piece of history!

So many of the Berlin Wall segments sit outside in California, but this is the only one permanently…read moreplaced in Florida. This stands in a very odd place, basically if you are walking towards Hard Rock Café and coming from the backend where the University Studio's Globe is, the Wall is on the right side of the Hard Rock Café building. One would never even know it is there, as everyone goes inside Hard Rock Café from the other entrance. While observing the wall, I seen countless people just walking around and no one even seems to notice this significant piece of history right in front of them, how sad? If you are in Orlando and visit the CityWalk, definitely checkout the Berlin Wall Segment. [Review #374] (20th Review of 2016)

This historical tour was fantastic! We did the last tour of the day with Kayla, the owner. She was…read moreextremely knowledgeable and shared so much information on the home and what's happened over the years. I'm going to have to take this tour again just to try to remember it all! Lovely maintained home with so much history. Who visited, who contributed to the building and maintenance of the home, the restoration efforts. It was fascinating. We happened to be there on a day when they received a gift of an original Edison grammaphone with the beeswax songs in paper wrappers! And it actually worked! Amazing. Also loved the Louis Comfort Tiffany windows - just gorgeous!

If you're planning a visit to nearby Blue Springs State Park, the Stetson Mansion is an absolutely…read moremust-visit stop. Yes - Stetson - as in the hats. I was just as surprised to learn that the famed hat-maker once called the small town of DeLand, FL home. I happened to be visiting during peak manatee season and so had the privilege of being able to still enjoy the mansion during its special holiday tour season. During the holiday tour, each room of the mansion has a unique theme to it that you get to learn all about from your helpful docent. Not only do you get to the enjoy the wonderful story of that room's decorations theme but the history of the home and family is wonderfully blended in. I'm told that obviously during the regular historical tour you dive deeper but I left learning waaaaay more about the Stetson family than I ever expected (or knew). The home is privately owned and you the love and passion the new owners have for the historic property is evident in every room. We even had the pleasure of meeting one of the owners (the super sweet and DeLand native, Kayla) I was surprised to learn she had even created many of the decorations herself that adorned the opulent rooms in the mansion. The Stetson Mansion is a great example of one of the many historical gems tucked away in Florida small towns that you can stumble upon when exploring the state. Whether you're doing the regular history tour or holiday tour, you're sure to have a fabulous visit to the Stetson Mansion.