What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

New on the forum, so HI ALL! The Wife and I are visiting TV Sept 5-11. What are "must" see-do-goto-get-eat-whatever things in TV?

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

first time in the area?

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Rent a golf cart.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

ON OUR 1 AND ONLY TRIP FOR 6 DAYS IN TV WE WERE SCHEDULED TO RENT A GOLF CART. OUR REP. SAID NOT TO AND I AM GLAD WE DIDN'T. WE WERE SO BUSY LOOKING AT THE MAJOR THINGS (HOUSES, FINDING OUT WHERE WE WERE AT, LOOKING AT MAPS AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WAS CONFUSING, WE WOULD NOT HAVE APPRECIATED THE GOLF CART. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO GO SLOW AND LOOK REAL CLOSE TO EVERYTHING. IT IS ALL GREAT. THE VIDEO THAT THEY SEND YOU IS NO WHERE NEAR WHAT IT IS LIKE DOWN IN TV. YOU WILL LOVE :bigthumbsup:IT. TAKE CARE KAR GUY

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

All ready setup the GC rental. We plan on using it every day so we thought it would be a plus to have one in the garage ready to go.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

I would take advantage of the free bus tour leaving the sales center. It's only 45 minutes but you get a chance to ask your guide questions and get a sense of The Villages.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

2wheels:

I'd agree that a ride on the trolley would be a major thing to do.

And, then, I'd get one of the good $5 maps and drive the whole area, if for no other reason than to get a feeling for how extensive TV has become (something like 12-15 miles from County Road 466-A at the south boundary to County Road 42 at the north). Venture into the various villages, to see how the older ones have grown up, how the newer ones have a way to go!

Visit both squares in the evening. Eat at a different restaurant every night. Do NOT think about how much money that might be! I'm inclined to suggest that you abandon the golf cart on this visit, as you do not want to waste time figuring out how to get from here to there - the golf cart paths are not necessarily the same as the automobile paths!

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Kind of agree with most of these responses, every time we have newbies visit the one thing that they talk about is being able to do everything on a golf cart. Spend a few bucks and rent one. You won't be disappointed.
:bigthumbsup: :bigthumbsup:

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Check out the "Market Nights" on each Villages' square-- Lake Sumter Landing and the Villages Town Square. They alternate as far as I know during the week days (except Friday)--one night it is at Sumter Landing, the next at Spanish Springs.

See if you can get a kind Villager to show you around Katie Belle's.

The fictional history of the buildings in Lake Sumter Landing as told on the various wall plaques are also amusing. The theaters are quite nice too here in the Villages. The Old Mill Playhouse is quite fancy for a movie theater. It is in Sumter Landing.

The lakes around Sumter Landing are scenic.

Very easy to get lost the first few weeks in the Villages especially if you are in a car or truck. Less so in a golf cart but the Villages is now so big that it takes quite a while to get around here in a golf cart. I believe it would take you a few hours in a golf cart to get from its most northern golf cart paths to the most southern paths if that is even doable now?

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Make sure to take the time to visit the Savannah Center, it is awesome, a few community centers, visit a couple of golf clubs, like the Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez. If you have hobbies, look at the scheduled activities and go visit some that interest you and even participate. Enjoy and just envision yourself living here for the rest of your life!!!

:welcome:

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

It's true that can't possibly see everything in a golf cart but to get a feel for the lifestyle, I would definitely do the golf cart. I was down for my lifestyle preview two weeks ago can't imagine not doing it. It's impossible to do or see it all in 5 or 6 days. I was there for 5 and I felt I only saw the tip of the iceberg. :bigthumbsup:

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

If you are interested in wood working visit the wood working shop. The people there were so friendly. They reallly made my wife and I feel welcome and at home. :)

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

2wheels
Do exactly what SWRINFLA says....he hit the nail right on the head..be sure to buy the good $5.00 map as it will take you where ever you want to go and this place is big big.....you won't use your cart much on this visit.....good luck ....your gonna love it....

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

A BIG THANKS :clap2: to all of you for your ideas. I think I'll copy this thread the day before we leave and take it with me (paper of course).

We are really excited about this trip to TV and we'll try to jam in all we can.

The Trolley tour is the 1st thing on the 1st day. Buy Map. The live music also at night (would have liked to see Rocky & the Rollers but they're not playing during our visit). And Yes, those club houses and rec centers were impressive looking in the video, we'll check those out as well.

6 days will not be enough...

We live in a 55+ community in a semi-rural area of Arizona and like to go out at night in the Golf cart to "hunt" the wild life. Any chance we would discover something interesting out there at night in TV? Gators? Or would the bugs just see us as good dinner :o

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

You will see Buffalo :) :)

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

The squirrels here are HUGE.

There are tortoises here too. http://www.nsis.org/wildlife/rept/turt-tort.html I came close to hitting one when looking out for other drivers in a heavy downpour near one of the Villages' various round-abouts. The tortoise was crossing the road.

Some rabbits. Armadillos.

It is rumored that one of the local ponds in the Villages has a 6 foot alligator but I have yet to see it. I have not looked very hard for it though. :bigthumbsup:

If you really want to see alligators after you move to FL, take a trip to Lake Tarpon. It has thousands of gators. http://www.laketarpon.org/ http://lapstrake.blogspot.com/search.../lake%20tarpon It is about a 90 minute to 120 minute drive from the Villages.

I used to summer in my teens in Apache Junction, Arizona. This is near Superstitition Mountain. http://www.arizona-leisure.com/super...-mountain.html There is a lot less dangerous wildlife around here in the Villages, than around Superstition Mountain. And, the critters around here seem to have a lot more to eat.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

I've seen on 2 consecutive nights this week a red fox up by the Mulberry Grove Rec Center. (Northern end of tv)
Both times it was around 10:30 pm.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

2wheels....actually, one surprise you will find is the absence of bugs (very few mosquitos) in TV...not sure if it's because we're inland or the fairly reliable breeze or all the pesticides that are sprayed, but, bugs are a non-issue. Only the annoying (but harmless) love bugs that come out in Sept and May. Enjoy your trip....it'll be fun. I agree with the posters who encouraged you to keep the golf cart...it is such a key part of what makes the Villages special and unique and a great way to see the community close up at slow speed.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Check out these travel web-shots about the Villages. http://travel.webshots.com/album/555...NAwXh?start=12 You can get an inside look of Katie Belle's as well as other shots.

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Besides what everyone else has said, I would suggest going to some of the Open Houses while you're there. It will give you a chance to see the different style homes and you can ask the realtors some questions. We had a realtor show us some houses, once we narrowed down which style homes we like. Take advantage of the free things you're offered, like two free rounds of golf, dinner at the various restaurants, etc. We had no intentions of moving, but once we visited, my husband was ready to put a 'for sale' sign in our front yard. We visited, again, two months later, then did just that. Enjoy! PS The first time we went down, we came down with friends and we both rented golf carts, along with a car. It was more of a vacation trip. The second time, we didn't rent a golf cart, because we were seriously looking around to see where we would want to live.

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All good ideas - when you go on the trolly tour - ask at the Sales Center for a calendar of activities for the month of September. It is published with our Daily Sun paper every month. It outlines when the "market" days are and what entertainment group is performing at each square, Katie Belles and the Church on The Square. If you're coming on "2 wheels" - note we have 2 motorcycle clubs in TV - the NOMADS and the Village Goldwing Club. We have found gorgeous scenery "riding" in the Ocala horsefarm area. Good luck - enjoy our lifestyle :welcome:

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Well finally we're flying into Orlando tommorrow (Wed 9/5) and we'll be hanging out in your 'hood for a week. We just can't wait to get there...

Thanks for all the feedback and great advice.

See ya real soon... ;D

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

Tiki Bar and pool at Orange Blossom Hills CC

http://www.thevillages.com/golf/cham...ossomHills.htm

Re: What things should I NOT miss while visiting TV.
 

I have just joined this forum this evening so if it sounds like I'm fumbling it's because I am.

My wife and I stopped by TV last a year ago to see an uncle while we visiting in Florida. We were fasinated with The Villages' concept so we spent the rest of the afternoon on the Trolly Tour and talking to a sales rep. Over the next 10 months we kept up with the life at TV through the Daily Sun (on line). Then in July we rented a home in the Duval Village and spent a week there. One recomendation that I would add is to attend the CDD orientation on Thursday morning. They do an excellent job (in about 2 hours) explaining the government, taxes, bonds, etc. Also look in the paper for activities at the Church on the Square and don't miss the music on either town square.

On the Life Style tour, you'll get a guest ID card which entitles you to 5 free meals (a great value on great food), movie tickets, golf, discount on TV polo shirts and tennis. Our house was 4.5 miles from Sumter Landing and we don't play golf so the cart wasn't necessary (although we rented one for a day but only used it for 3 hours). Take advantages of all of these opportunities.

The radio station is very good, the newspaper is OK but the TV TV station sucks. It shows the same half hour news prorgam continously all day long. I would also go onto the TV web site and look at homes for sale and then visit some open houses in the styles that interest you. (I like the more established neighborhoods rather than the new construction.)

Be aware that the sidewalks roll up at 9 pm, including the grocery stores. Wal-Mart is open late by it's about 6 miles from Duval. At 14 mpg, that about a half day's travel in a golf cart.

We are looking at selling our home in Pittsburgh in Spring 2009 and possibly moving to TV in the summer. It's a great place for active adults who are looking for a full-time vacation.