Winter Park Downtown
Worth Avenue meets Duval Street in downtown Winter Park just north of Orlando. Brick paved Spanish courtyards an cafes with winding pathways of boutiques hint that Addison Misner had a hand in this, yet an old fashioned head shop not to far down the block from Lilly Pulitzer reminds you of stumbling around Key West. This is a very cafe society little town and quiet money is the rule. Grab a table, order wine...
Mount Dora
The Villages to Mount Dora 29-mi, 40-minOcala to Mount Dora 48.7-mi, 1-hr 10-minGainesville to Mount Dora 91.7-mi, 1-hr 40-min
Take vistas across rolling hills, picturesque lakes, orange groves, then add a railroad line - something great is bound to happen over time. Todays Mount Dora is an architectural record of the homesteaders, business people and civic achievements that have been unfolding...
Micanopy
The Villages to Micanopy 49-mi, 54-minOcala to Micanopy 27-mi, 31-minGainesville to Micanopy 12-mi, 18-minPronounced: [MICK · uh · NO · pee ]
Glancing down side streets you get the feeling of lingering intrigue, there is lots going on in these woods around Micanopy and there always has been. Locals refer to it as "the town that time forgot" and they work dilligently to preserve this. Named after the...
Dunedin
The Villages to Dunedin 94-mi, 2-hrGainesville to Dunedin 153-mi, 2-hr 30-minOcala to Dunedin 110-mi, 2-hr 10-minBeyond the Wall Guesthouse520 Skinner Blvd, Dunedin, FL 34698 (727) 500-2337
The Honu516 Grant St, Dunedin, FL 34698 (727) 333-7777 Happy’s Bayou Bites431 Skinner Blvd, Dunedin, FL 34698 (727) 240-1102 Thirteen of us Villagers spent the night at the Beyond The Wall Bed and Breakfast...
Silver Springs State Park
The Villages to Silver Springs 26-mi, 1-hr 40-minGainesville to Silver Springs 40-mi, 1-hr 5-min5656 East Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs, FL 34488(352) 261-5840 8:30 AM to sunset 365 days, $2 park admission + $11 for glass bottom boat tourNo charge for parkingThe first impression of Silver Springs feels like a YouTube “exploring abandoned theme parks” video. Passing an oversized, tired entry sign,...
Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp
The Villages to Cassadaga 60-mi, 1-hr 20-minOcala to Cassadaga 70-mi, 1-hr 27-minGainesville to Cassadaga 107-mi, 2-hr 6-minCassadaga Hotel, 355 Cassadaga Road, Lake Helen, FL 32744 (386) 228-2323 No admission fee, free street parking Fred’s Marketplace, 835 Currency Circle, Lake Mary, FL 32746 (407) 915-6808Even if you are not a believer, it is nice to be in a place where anything is possible....
Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
The Villages to Epcot 66-mi, 1-hr 20-minOcala to Epcot 87.5-mi, 1-hr 35-minGainesville to Epcot 121-mi, 2-hr March 6th trough June 3rd
Want to see the grandkids explode with excitement? Just mention a trip to Disney World, actually most adults display a toned down version of this reaction too. March through June is the time to catch Epcot in full bloom with DIsney themed topiarys, butterfly...
Leesburg Bikefest
The Villages to Leesburg 14-mi, 24-minOcala to Leesburg 41-mi, 47-minGainesville to Leesburg 80-mi, 1-hr 45-minAnnual 3 day event in late April, no admission fee, free or nominal parking fee
Leesburg is a sleepy southern town with charming homes from all eras, an architectural history of the areas economic progression. Like many rural centers, the downtown is in the process of a gentrification after...
The Hipp and Micanopy
The Villages to Gainesville 68-mi, 1-hr 16-minOcala to Gainesville 38-mi, 43-min
25 S.E. 2nd Place, Gainesville, FL 32601 352-375-4477 hipp@thehipp.org
The Hippodrome State Theater was originally a post office and courthouse, and is now an elegant example of the adaptive reuse of an historic building. The theater is sited at the head of Southeast First Street...
Brunch and Polo in The Villages
Ocala to the Villages Polo Club 22-mi, 37-minGainesville to the Villages Polo Club 64-mi 1-hr 10-min
If you have never attended a Polo match, it is not what you expect. Don’t worry about what to wear because comfortable and casusal is the rule, sunglasses and a hat are a good idea. The Villages Polo Club has two fields (one on either side of the grandstand) and season is between March and May...