[terrieb]

Just asking......someone mentioned a good town to visit for specialty shops and restaurants is Mount Dora. Has any TOTV's been there and is it a good place to spend some time? I also heard that Mount Dora is one of the higher elevations in the state of Florida.


Thank you

[lovinganimals]

I went there in the fall. I was not impressed but we went there on a weekday and the majority of the shops were closed so I can't comment on the stores. I think it is a place that is better to visit on a weekend.

[cquick]

It's true that there are not as many specialty shops downtown, but Mount Dora is a great place to do a day trip! It's fun to walk around the town, visit the antique shops, go out to eat lunch, watch a lawn bowling team, go on a sunset cruise on Lake Dora, walk the boardwalk at the park and look at the alligators. I could go on! Also the art fair is coming up pretty soon, too.

[mmac321]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2O0o4uSRY4

[gomoho]

Mount Dora is a great day trip - cute little restaurants for lunch and as cquick said fun to walk around the town.

[2newyorkers]

Mt Dora is a nice small town with a few good restaurants. When it is warmer you can take a lovely canal ride. I personally prefer Winter Park Park Avenue shopping and eating. Winter Park also has a boat ride.

[kfierle]

Check out this web site for events in Mt. Dora.

[Happinow]

Mt Dora is a great day trip. There are many nice shops to visit and little cafés and restaurants to eat in. It is an older town but fun to browse. Go during the day because the shops will be open. They close early in the evening. Make this one of your go to places.....at least once. It was beautiful at Christmastime!!!

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by terrieb

Just asking......someone mentioned a good town to visit for specialty shops and restaurants is Mount Dora. Has any TOTV's been there and is it a good place to spend some time? I also heard that Mount Dora is one of the higher elevations in the state of Florida.


Thank you

After hearing about Mount Dora for approximately twenty to thirty years, we finally made it over there, while spending the month in TV. We were not impressed. It appears to be a town that has seen better days....or else, the hype is over exaggerated. Certainly does not live up to its name of "The New England of Florida"........the downtown was totally DEAD.

Coming into the area, we passed by Lake Tavares and stopped there (that town was also dead) but the lake was beautiful. We continued on Lake Road or some such name....maybe Lakeside Drive. It was a pretty ride.
The towns left a lot to be desired.

Nothing like the created towns that the Villages is so talented in providing.
Nothing at all like the quaint New England towns we have been touring and vacationing in for the past almost 50 years.

Also, the Lakeside Inn is NOT on the lake.....but aways away.

Also, the "Lighthouse" in Mount Dora was NOT what we expected.

We would not return to Mount Dora. It was very blah.

A cute town to visit is Tarpon Springs. Great Greek restaurants, the old sponge docks...the meandering bayous and lagoons and park like setting of the residential areas....the very old Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Tarpon Springs has a little more "character" than Mount Dora, in my opinion.

http://spongedocks.net/
Tarpon Springs Florida , Sponge Docks, Greek Restaurants, etc.
PLEASE USE THIS ABOVE HYPERLINK and then USE THE DROP DOWN MENU AT TOP....for restaurants, etc., etc., etc., including craft shops......it works. The below links did not work correctly. Tarpon Springs has a rich history.
There is a beach if you wish to go exploring. Also, they should be celebrating epiphany .........

http://www.tarponspringshomesonline....elebration.php
Epiphany Celebration in Tarpon Springs, Florida



Saturday, January 18
10:00am Spongedocks Arts & Crafts Festival

WhenSat, January 18, 10am – Mon, January 20, 9pm

Sunday, January 19
All day Spongedocks Arts & Crafts Festival

Monday, January 20
» 9:00pm Spongedocks Arts & Crafts Festival

Saturday, February 8
10:00am Food Truck Ralley

Sunday, February 9
» 9:00pm Food Truck Ralley

[terrieb]

We went to Mount Dora yesterday morning/afternoon. They have some nice gift stores but nothing spectacular. We ate lunch at the Lost Parrot I think it was called and was good food and service was excellent. When we got there around 10:00a, it was quite dead but people starting coming and by the time we left, the town was quite busy. There were empty stores as a result of the economy which is what we seem to be finding down here. Florida used to have all these "unique" one of a kind gift stores with upscale gifts but in today's economy, it is the "need to have stores" that seem to be surviving instead of the "nice to have stores".

We enjoyed our day and will try Tarpon Springs (thank you for the suggestion) in the near future. If anyone else has suggestions for nearby (within two hours) of the Villages that might have unique shops (home décor or outside patio decorations) is what I am looking for, I would appreciate it. December 2012, we took a ride on A1A on the Atlantic coast with friends and was very disappointed with the gift stores. Mostly T shirts and trinkets.

Have a good day everyone.

[senior citizen]

Originally Posted by terrieb

We went to Mount Dora yesterday morning/afternoon. They have some nice gift stores but nothing spectacular. We ate lunch at the Lost Parrot I think it was called and was good food and service was excellent. When we got there around 10:00a, it was quite dead but people starting coming and by the time we left, the town was quite busy. There were empty stores as a result of the economy which is what we seem to be finding down here. Florida used to have all these "unique" one of a kind gift stores with upscale gifts but in today's economy, it is the "need to have stores" that seem to be surviving instead of the "nice to have stores".

We enjoyed our day and will try Tarpon Springs (thank you for the suggestion) in the near future. If anyone else has suggestions for nearby (within two hours) of the Villages that might have unique shops (home décor or outside patio decorations) is what I am looking for, I would appreciate it. December 2012, we took a ride on A1A on the Atlantic coast with friends and was very disappointed with the gift stores. Mostly T shirts and trinkets.

Have a good day everyone.

vero beach florida gift shops
Gift Shops

We liked Vero Beach very much (the barrier island part)....not the mainland.


Pretty beach town; nice parks, nice shops.....at least when we were there.


We drove from there to Palm Beach on A1A. Nice leisurely ride; no traffic.
Palm Beach is a must to see....very pretty. (But you go through only one seedy part of A1A before you arrive).


As we entered the town , it reminded us of an English seaside village with stone walls, etc. Quaint gas station.


I know, hard to fathom. Ditto for Vero Beach. Perry Como retired to Vero. Lots of hardwood trees and shady streets. Different than most barrier islands.


Vero Beach is south of Sebastian Inlet and even more south of Indialantic by the Sea which has Fifth Avenue and very very nice shops and restaurants. Population stays consistently at about 3,000 or under.
Another pretty barrier island off of Melbourne Florida.


Have fun exploring......and you are very welcome.

[kwtoman]

In case anyone has heard of the Book "Alas! Babylon" by Pat Frank. Mount Dora was the town used as the model for Fort Repose.

[gomoho]

Originally Posted by terrieb

We enjoyed our day and will try Tarpon Springs (thank you for the suggestion) in the near future. If anyone else has suggestions for nearby (within two hours) of the Villages that might have unique shops (home décor or outside patio decorations) is what I am looking for, I would appreciate it. December 2012, we took a ride on A1A on the Atlantic coast with friends and was very disappointed with the gift stores. Mostly T shirts and trinkets.

Have a good day everyone.

Try St. Augustine - maybe a little more than 2 hours, but definitely worth the drive.

[MikeV]

Been there - Most likely not going back - Not impressed at all.