[OrangeBlossomBaby]

It looks like Winter Park is popular for folks here. It's just under 1.5 hours from home, and it's also just around 1/2 hour from the airport. And cobblestone roads - I love that. My goal is to just get close to the airport and spend several hours walking around, stretching my legs, breathing fresh air, enjoying the sights and sounds of a different environment outside the bubble. It's the experience of the thing that I usually look for, not a specific targeted goal.

Back home, on days when I did /not/ need to be somewhere specific at a specific time, I would sometimes fill the gas tank and go for a ride, until I had almost half a tank left. Just for the adventure of it. I'd stop at roadside farmstands for a fresh tomato as a snack, maybe explore a "population 47 except on Sundays when the bikers come for a weekend of camping, then it swells to 75" village and check out a little vintage clothing store, or head up to Essex to wander aimlessly through the art galleries and sit out on the docks watching the sailboats come and go.

So it seems like Winter Park will be perfect for my idea of "something to do, to kill a few hours time, that won't cost a lot of money, and still be close to where I need to be in the evening."

[Pixelpups]

I’ll put in a plug for the Orlando Museum of Art (Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm and Sat-Sun, noon-4pm). The Florida Watercolor Society show is there until early January. The 2-story Chihuli glass sculpture under sunlight just glows. I’m going back again with some art loving friends. It’s in a campus like setting with other museums around.

[jbartle1]

Lived in winter park for 30 years, I still give it 5 stars, Orlando not so much

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Thanks folks. As I said - my intention was to spend the DAY somewhere, not to visit a museum which might take an hour or two tops, and then have nothing else to do for the rest of the day. Winter Park sounds like it checks all the right boxes. If it was even closer to the airport it'd be perfect but "almost perfect" is perfect enough for me!

[mtdjed]

Another vote for Winter Park. Specifically, Park Ave where it intersects with Morse Blvd. Plenty of restaurants many with outdoor seating. Plenty of shops.

[mtdjed]

[QUOTE=OrangeBlossomBaby;2461182]I have to do something in Orlando next week in the evening, so I figured I'd go for the day. I don't have any specific things I want to see, but I'm on a budget so not interested in 5-star restaurants, or anywhere that requires more than a couple bucks to get in (maybe an art or science museum or two).
/QUOTE]

Another vote for Winter Park. Specifically, Park Ave where it intersects with Morse Blvd. Plenty of restaurants many with outdoor seating. Plenty of shops.

Would recommend spending an hour on their scenic boat ride which launches about 3 blocks east of Park Ave on Morse Blvd.

Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour Orlando | Best Scenic Boat Tours Orlando

Rollins College is also in the area, and you are likely to see a lot of students.

The tuition for Rollins College in 2025 is as follows:
Undergraduate Programs: $60,580.
Graduate Programs: $22,742.

These figures reflect the costs for the 2024-2025 academic year.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Park & Morse, got it, thanks! They have a high-end cosmetics store too, I just checked on the map. Kinda like Sephora on steroids, or the cosmetics department at Nordstrom's.

[nhkim]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

Park & Morse, got it, thanks! They have a high-end cosmetics store too, I just checked on the map. Kinda like Sephora on steroids, or the cosmetics department at Nordstrom's.

Besides the boat ride that somebody suggested (which shows a lot of the old mansions), the Tiffany Museum is a nice self-guided tour, with a backstory of how it got its start from a collection in a burned-out building in New York, which with your background, you should find interesting. Those two things, plus checking out the downtown shops, should fill your time nicely. It's all very walkable and a nice way to spend a few hours.

[Cliff Fr]

There used to be a place called The Hiney Winery in Bithlo (East Orlando). But it's been closed for awhile. Would've been a good place to chill.

(Long time Florida residents will understand the satire)

[ProfZ]

Titanic Museum and/or Chocolate Museum

[halpeters]

There is not a lot of what you are looking for in the Orlando area.

In Orlando, look on North Orange Avenue and Ivanhoe BLVD area. Good walking area (for Orlando), and nice walk path and park around Lake Ivenhoe.

A T Furniture & Antiques - Antique store
1620 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804

Rock & Roll Heaven - Record store
1814 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804

Something Different - Antique furniture store
1618 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804
Funky retailer showcasing a wide range of vintage sofas, chairs & other furniture.

Dora Mae Jewelry - Jewelry designer
1620 N Orange Ave #6412
Orlando, FL 32804

Aniko, the Balkan Market - Eastern European grocery store
1700 N Orange Ave # 200
Orlando, FL 32804

Authentic Books - Book store
1815 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804

Maffrey's - Gift shop
1225 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32804

Also, some trendy "local" restaurants and bars, and there may be other antique shops - haven't been in that area in a while. Not a lot, but it is something...

Good luck!!

Hal

Hal

[psoccermom]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I have to do something in Orlando next week in the evening, so I figured I'd go for the day. I don't have any specific things I want to see, but I'm on a budget so not interested in 5-star restaurants, or anywhere that requires more than a couple bucks to get in (maybe an art or science museum or two).

Things I would be interested in:
Ecclectic boutiques featuring clothes, tchatchkes.
Anywhere that sells pizza by the slice.
Antique stores
Vintage clothing stores

Basically - anything you'd find while walking down Fashion Avenue in Manhattan at Times Square, on your way to Greenwich Village.

Or something like Park St. Boston plus the North End.

Or downtown New Haven plus Westville Village.

Or Mt. Dora's shopping district.

If there's a district/area like this in Orlando, can you name it? Then I can do a mini-tour on google maps and see if it's something I'd enjoy spending a few hours in.

If it doesn't have a name but you know the name of a shop or museum within it, name that and I'll do the same thing that way.

Thanks!

Wondering the Winter Park shopping area is nice, even to just window shop. There is a boat ride in Winter Park to see the nice home along the canals. The weather is nice now to do that. The Orlando Science Center is in the Winter Park area, but I don't know the entrance fee.

[mtdjed]

Originally Posted by mtdjed

Another vote for Winter Park. Specifically, Park Ave where it intersects with Morse Blvd. Plenty of restaurants many with outdoor seating. Plenty of shops.

Forgot to mention Pannullos Italian Restaurant. This restaurant is in the area about two blocks south on Park Street and Morse. I realize that restaurants are a personal thing, but you did mention Pizza. We love Pannullos and they have sidewalk seating and reasonable prices. Check the following lunchtime Pizza offer.

Menus - Pannullo's Italian Restaurant

Also parking, the area looks congested, and you may be tempted to go to a lot. We normally find on street parking within a block or two. A proposed agenda would be to do the scenic boat tour first. They give a narrative during the cruise which gives you an overview of the area. They also respond to questions.

Then do the walking through the area, museum, etc. and then the lunch.

Also, would recommend stopping at the train station and checkout the Sun Pass train route, schedule, and price. Sun pass is a commuter line and goes north and south but I think only runs Monday through Friday. However, it does go to Sanford. Could be an interesting day trip if you had guests.

We have always felt totally safe in this area. Don't forget to check out several minor inlets off of Park Street. There are shops there also. The Park Street walking area would be about two streets north of Morse to about 4 streets south.

I find this area to be an Oasis in a big city.

Enjoy

[mbene]

The boat ride in Winter Park is nice, relaxing and informative, did that last year.
Lake Eola is a nice place for a walk and the library is across the street if that would interest you.
Harry P Leu Botanical Gardens is not far from downtown either.