Florida Guide > Other Parks
The Best of Winter Park
The Orlando suburb of Winter Park is a regular contender amongst the best places to live in Central Florida. It is not difficult to see why, with its wide tree lined thoroughfares, an abundance of high end shops and boutiques as well as some excellent restaurants where the discerning visitor can sample just about every culinary delight from around the globe. It also boasts more parks and green places than anywhere else in the state and has a plentiful amount of interesting museums and heritage centres.
To get there is fairly simple as it is only a couple of miles north east of downtown Orlando lying astride of the US426 at Fairbanks and Aloma Avenues.
There really is so much to do and see that one visit is never quite enough, so the purpose of this article is to highlight what we believe to be the best of Winter Park.
To the north of Winter Park are the famous Kraft Azalea Gardens which provide a peaceful retreat along the tree lined paths bordering Lake Maitland. The azaleas are at their best in January through March but this really is a lovely place to visit at any time of year and the sunsets across the lake are truly stunning.
For the more energetic among you why not hire a bike along the Cady Way Bike Trail? This is a four mile trail linking Winter Park to Orlando, and if cycling is not your thing as a alternative you can either rollerblade, run or simply take in the scenery with a leisurely stroll. Remember though it is nearly eight miles there and back.
One of the most popular attractions in Winter Park is the Scenic Boat Tour based on the southern shores of Lake Osceola. From here the pontoon like craft navigate through the lake system by way of narrow man-made canals. Visitors can often experience Florida’s wildlife close up, maybe coming across a water crane, or the odd lazy alligator basking by the shoreline. The cruise also offers the opportunity enjoy a variety of sub tropical plants looked over by swaying palms and tall cypress trees.
Nearby is Rollins College which is happy to open its doors to visitors, and the large campus area features many historic buildings with distinct Mediterranean architecture. The centrepiece at the heart of the campus is the ‘Walk of Fame’ which showcases hundreds of large millstones set in a semi circle, each of which bears the name of a past scholar who has gone on to be influential in their field of expertise and is considered deserving of recognition.
These are just some suggestions of how to spend a day at Winter Park, but there really is so much more to do and see. We hope you enjoy your visit.
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