If you want a day away from the Theme Parks during your vacation then why not consider Thornton Park?
Thornton Park is in Orlando about an hour from your villa near The Parks and has a mix of historical houses that are sure please the eye and transport you back to another era.
There are also shops, cafes and even pubs and you can certainly spend a pleasant half day here.
Famed for its Cracker Homes you can also see examples of Shotgun, American Four Square, Meditteranean and Craftsman Houses.
The American Four Square home is also known as the Prairie Box and its balanced appearance invites one to compare it with a Georgian home in England. They have a well built appearance and are constructed from wood, stone and cement. They normally have a shallow roof line and a deep overhang.
Shot Gun Homes are seen in many of the Southern States and are built with a wooden frame. They are designed to withstand the extremes of the hotter months and form a long narrow line. These homes are rarely wider than 12 feet and have no hall way. Rather the 3 to 6 rooms are built in a single line. Sometimes 2 homes are built together with a passageway between them.
The Craftsman House is a bungalow; a style that is very popular in Florida where land was always plentiful in supply. They usually have exposed rafters and always had generous eaves and a low roof line.
Cracker Homes were built by the early settlers from the materials that were to hand. Thus they used cypress and oak for construction on a bed of lime and oyster shells. They all feature a large porch to beat off the sun and were easily extended when the need (or funds) allowed.
One of the best things about this area is the proximity to Lake Eola. This is within walking distance.
If your schedule allows, I would suggest visiting on a sunday and starting in Lake Eola. On a sunday there is usually a most interesting market and sometimes some entertainement. There certainly will be lots of locals taking a stroll round the lake.
That done you can take the short walk to Thornton Park for lunch in one of the cafes and afterwards have a walk round and see how many of these traditional homes you can spot.
You can round off your day by having a welcome drink before driving back to the welcome of your lovely villa and pool!
Thornton Park is in Orlando about an hour from your villa near The Parks and has a mix of historical houses that are sure please the eye and transport you back to another era.
There are also shops, cafes and even pubs and you can certainly spend a pleasant half day here.
Famed for its Cracker Homes you can also see examples of Shotgun, American Four Square, Meditteranean and Craftsman Houses.
The American Four Square home is also known as the Prairie Box and its balanced appearance invites one to compare it with a Georgian home in England. They have a well built appearance and are constructed from wood, stone and cement. They normally have a shallow roof line and a deep overhang.
Shot Gun Homes are seen in many of the Southern States and are built with a wooden frame. They are designed to withstand the extremes of the hotter months and form a long narrow line. These homes are rarely wider than 12 feet and have no hall way. Rather the 3 to 6 rooms are built in a single line. Sometimes 2 homes are built together with a passageway between them.
The Craftsman House is a bungalow; a style that is very popular in Florida where land was always plentiful in supply. They usually have exposed rafters and always had generous eaves and a low roof line.
Cracker Homes were built by the early settlers from the materials that were to hand. Thus they used cypress and oak for construction on a bed of lime and oyster shells. They all feature a large porch to beat off the sun and were easily extended when the need (or funds) allowed.
One of the best things about this area is the proximity to Lake Eola. This is within walking distance.
If your schedule allows, I would suggest visiting on a sunday and starting in Lake Eola. On a sunday there is usually a most interesting market and sometimes some entertainement. There certainly will be lots of locals taking a stroll round the lake.
That done you can take the short walk to Thornton Park for lunch in one of the cafes and afterwards have a walk round and see how many of these traditional homes you can spot.
You can round off your day by having a welcome drink before driving back to the welcome of your lovely villa and pool!