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The Barn Antiques Lake Alfred
The Barn Antiques Lake Alfred
We discovered Barn Antiques one day, quite by chance, when we were actually looking for Fantasy of Flight. We had taken the 27 to get to Fantasy of Flight instead of using the I4. - In my opinion if you have time to avoid the I4 it is always more of a voyage of discovery rather than one of stress. This time I had simply gone the wrong way and we ended up leaving the 27 on the Old Polk City Road (confusingly this has the same number as the new road which is also 17)
We meandered along for a while, having to stop twice for Sandhill Cranes crossing the road. When we got to the 557 we turned left with the plan to turn right on the 557A which we knew would lead to Fantasy of Flight. As we got to that junction we saw The Barn Antiques so having never heard of it, and always on the look out for new places of interest, we stopped and explored its various buildings.
I would say that it is worth a ride out if you want lunch and a browse around. It is not for theme park lovers and I would not bother taking any youngsters unless it was just for a lunch stop on the way to Fantasy of Flight or some other more exciting destination.
This is a family run business, and that shows, because the stock is selected more randomly than in the outlets and malls. Many of the antiques are European so ambling through the warehouse is very English in feel. They also specialise in stained glass so if you are looking for feature windows villa owners, it could be the place for you
Next door is the Stable, where every nook and cranny is filled with interesting items and the staff is very friendly. They were delighted that we had left the theme park corridor to pay a visit and spent some time telling us which local tea rooms they would recommend. Lavender N Lace in Lake Alfred was highly recommended and we made a mental note to go there next time we were out for as a drive. The stable is normally themed according to the main holidays but they were between seasons when we visited.
The next building was the Back Porch Tearoom which was pretty, overlooking a small pond. The food was served in wooden picnic baskets with soup, sandwiches and salads being the main features. The children have not been forgotten at The Back Porch where a ' Teddy Bear Picnic' is available.
Next to the back porch tea room is the Back Yard Garden shop, a million miles from Lowes garden section in appearance and style. It all felt a bit 60’s hippy to me. Ah yes I remember it well!
This place is very suitable for families who have older people who no longer enjoy the parks but like a ride out for something more sedate. The season runs from the first Saturday in October to the last Saturday in May and is closed on Mondays and Sundays. They open from 10am to 4pm.
We ended up going to Fantasy of Flight on a different day but that’s the beauty of plans in Florida, they can always be changed when something surprising turns up as it does so often when you are there.
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