Renaissance was built in the 1920's. It is part of a collection of the many historical buildings in…read morebeautiful Mount Dora. When it was built in the 1920's, it was the Dora hotel! It was one of the only 3 level buildings in the community. Today there are a number of stores for shopping as well as restaurants/bars inside this historical building!

The Winter Park Downtown Historic District is a fantastic neighborhood with its roots tracing back…read moreto 1881. The neighborhood has some great restaurants and shopping options and is close enough to downtown Orlando to make it convenient, yet far enough away to embrace its own identity and be a lot more laid back. The streets are cobblestone and just adds to the ambiance. This is a nice upscale neighborhood and gives a cool, almost small-town feel in the midst of the city of Orlando, Florida. I would definitely recommend a visit to this cool neighborhood.

Winter Park began as 8 acres of land purchased by David Mizoram Jr. in 1858 who called his purchase…read moreLakeview. The town of Winter Park was plotted when Loring Chase and Oliver Chapman purchased 600 acres in 1881. Life was given to the new town when the railroad was persuaded to extend it's line. The railroad depot built in 1882 was the towns first building. A store was built at Park Ave and Morse Blvd that housed a mercantile, post office, and assembly room. The building still stands. The town was chartered in 1887 and became a retreat for wealthy northerners looking to escape the cold climate in the winter, hence the name of the town Winter Park. The towns economy was built on entertaining winter tourists. Rollins College, the oldest college in Florida was founded here in 1885. The city was incorporated in 1925 and is governed by four city commissioners and a mayor. Today Winter Park is 9 square miles and home to approximately 28,500 residents. The town is known for it's lakes, parks, museums, and shops and restaurants along historic Park Avenue. My favorite restaurant is the Briar Patch. The Winter Park Historic District includes buildings constructed from 1882 through 1965, and it runs along Park Avenue from Canton to Comstock Avenues. Winter Park has held on to its old small town charm. Popular past times here include a boat ride on Lake Osceola, a meal on Park Avenue, and a trip to the Morse Museum. Favorite festivals include the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival and the 4th of July Celebration in Central Park. The Winter Park Historic District is a delightful mixture of the new and the old and just like in the 1800's you can still arrive by train.

The Bradlee McIntyre House, sometimes called the Bradlee Mac was built in 1885 in Altamonte…read moreSprings. It originally sat along with its mirror image home built for Henry Herman Westinghouse, brother to inventor George Westinghouse adjacent to the Altamonte Hotel, which sat at the intersection of Maitland Avenue and State Road 436. This home was built during a surge in Central Florida tourism in the 1880's spurned by the connection of the South Florida Railroad from Sanford to Orlando. By 1886, there was direct rail service from the North to Central Florida bringing wealthy winter tourists to luxury homes and hotels. The Bradlee McIntyre house was owned by wealthy Boston architect Nathaniel J. Bradlee who was known for the Queen Anne style of architecture used to design this home and others in the area. Queen Anne hallmarks include the castle-like tower with a steep-angled gabled roof decorative accents. Nathaniel passed away shortly after the home's completion on December 17, 1888. The family continued to winter here until 1904 when they sold the house to S. Maxwell McIntyre who lived here with family until 1946. The Bradlee McIntyre home fell into disrepair in the 1960s. By 1969 the city was looking to tear it down. The Longwood Historical Society came to the rescue and moved the house to this current location where it was restored and furnished in the late Victorian Style. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Bradlee McIntyre House Historical Museum tours are every Wednesday and Sunday from 1-4 PM for a donation of $5. The home is rumored to be haunted with guests feeling a presence in certain rooms. If you would like to learn more about the supernatural you can take the Longwood Haunted History Tour where guests can learn about ghost stories involving the house. Tickets are currently selling online for $30 for October event dates.

It is always fun to find a historic marker and learn something new and interesting. Having visited…read moreWinter Park many times I was well acquainted with Rollins College, the alma matter of beloved children's television host, Mr. Rogers. While walking in downtown Sanford I learned that it also has a connection to Sanford too. Next to the First National Bank No. 1 building constructed in 1883 is a historic marker for Rollins College. On April 28, 1885, Rev. E.P. Hooker, Rev. J.A. Tomlinson, Hon. F.W. Lyman and Rev. S.D. Smith met in the Lyman Bank Building on this corner and incorporated the college. In 1924, Rollins College was the first home of WDBO, the first radio station in Central Florida and, for a long time, the only one that could be picked up on radios in Sanford. In the pre-television days, broadcast entertainment and information for Sanford residents, including special programming produced for Sanford, came from the Winter Park school that had its roots here in Sanford. The marker is different from the typical blue Florida State and Seminole County historic markers. The marker itself is actually quite old. It was erected in 1935 by the Sallie Harrison Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution and other citizens of Sanford and Seminole County.

If you're in the area this is a fun historic marker to snap a quick photo. Right at the…read moreintersection this location is easy to get to. We love historic things and I'm a a Rollins' grad, so this was a fun pit stop while waiting for a table at Willow Tree! Overall:A Well kept historic sign in the heart of historic Sanfird!

Located in Big Tree Park near the parking area and playground is a landmark bald cypress tree, The…read morePhoenix. Bald Cypress trees are a deciduous tree found in swamps, wet stream banks, and bottom lands in the southern part of the United States. They can reach heights of 80-130 feet and diameters of 8-13 feet. Cypress trees belong to the large group of plants called conifers meaning they produce cones that hold their seeds. Cypress wood is very durable resisting rotting and pests making it a popular choice for fences, docks, and other outdoor structures. Cypresses trees are also found in gardens and parks. They are notable for being one of the very few trees that can survive in standing water. What makes The Phoenix tree so special is that it is a clone of another cypress tree that used to be in the park, The Senator. The Senator was the Florida state champion Bald Cypress tree and was 3,500 years old. On January 16, 2012, The Senator was burned down in an arson fire by Winter Park resident, Sara Barnes. Some of the wood from The Senator was given to artists and you can see the pieces they created in the Seminole History Museum. Before The Senator was lost, the forward thinking Mr. Laymond Hardy, a high school teacher with a strong interest in cypress, worked with Mr. Marvin Buchannan of Central Florida Lands and Timber Nursery and Dr. Donald L. Rockwood of the University of Florida, to develop a seed orchard of selected cypress trees in the 1990's. Mr. Hardy thought to include The Senator and collected several of its branches for cloning. Branches were grafted onto root stock, propagated, and The Phoenix was planted in the park in 2013. The Phoenix has the exact genetic makeup of The Senator. Local schoolchildren chose the name The Phoenix after the bird that rises from the ashes. While the story of The Senator is a tragic one, The Phoenix represents new hope.

I remember when we lost the Senator and the Phoenix was first planted. Just a little sprig of wood…read morewith a fence around it. But look at her now!!!! She's growing up strong and getting bigger everyday. She's right next to the playground at the entrance of the park and is already home to so much wildlife. This is a big part of recent Florida history so bring your kids by to play on the playground and see the tree that has survived incredible odds! I am so proud of the Phoenix and give high praise to Florida for the tribute they have created for the Senator.

Howey-in-the-Hills was founded by William John Howey. On May 8, 1925 Howey-in-the-Hills was…read moreincorporated as the Town of Howey. In 1927 the name was officially changed to Howey-in-the-Hills, this was done to reflect the location of the town in an area of rolling hills. The town's iconic water tower stands at an elevation of 85 feet, the fate of the water tower that was built in the 1920s has been the topic of many conversations due to some possible structural issues under full load and the aging infrastructure, well with the recent upgrades to the city's water system and the addition of a new storage tank it seems this iconic tower will be around for years to come - it will be interesting to see how the restoration will go to preserve a big part of Florida's history.

The Magnolia Square Clock is one of Sanford's most recognizable landmarks. The clock was originally…read morepurchased in 1883 for the First National Bank No. 1, which was located in the Lyman Bank Building at 101 West First Street. When the First National Bank moved to the corner of West First Street and South Park Avenue, the clock was stored in the basement for decades. In 1931, A. H. Moses, a produce dealer, acquired the clock and donated it to the City of Sanford. The clock was then placed on top of a pole and traffic signal at the intersection in front of the bank. The clock broke soon after and rather than pay a $200 repair bill the city instead decided to cover the clock faces with cardboard. In 1941, the clock was moved to the Elks Club Lodge, located at the northeast corner of East Second Street and San Juan Avenue. During a downtown renovation project in the 1980's, Stella Oritt, granddaughter of A.H. Moses and her husband offered to restore the clock on the condition that it would remain on Magnolia Square where she grew up. On July 9, 1985 the clock was dedicated at Magnolia Square, at the north end of South Magnolia Avenue near East First Street. Today the clock is a historic symbol of Sanford. You can see the image on artwork throughout the city and carved onto the tree in front of the Sanford Civic Center. It is even part of the city logo. The clock is a popular place to snap a photo so make the time to visit this beloved landmark when you visit Sanford.

Think twice before moving to this city. The grass goes uncut for long periods the area around 27th…read moreAvenue looks completely neglected. And worst of all, the cost of water has skyrocketed! It's absolutely ridiculous for a place like this; I didn't even pay a water bill that high when I lived in Miami.

Although Groveland is rapidly expanding it is still a laid back rural area with several orange…read moregroves and tree farms. They also have a handful of beautiful parks and a community center. You will not find lots of restaurants and shopping options but Clermont and Winter Garden are close by.