Orlando Without the Theme Parks

I know it's hard to imagine, but there is a city outside of Disney World, Sea World, Universal Studios, and all of the other theme parks in Orlando. I actually really liked the city, too! I had to learn a couple of lessons the hard way, but overall, it's a beautiful and clean city.

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First thing you must know before driving to Orlando is that you must bring your quarter jar! There were a lot of toll roads, and some of them only take exact change... in which dollar bills are not accepted. Sarah and I spent 10 minutes one night collecting spare change from the nooks and crannies of her car seats just to get through the toll bridge.

We stayed in the Maitland area, which seemed like a new and upcoming area. However, we really enjoyed the Winter Park area the most. On Orlando Ave, there was pretty much every store that you could need and more. For us, we were excited that there was a Trader Joe's, which had a meditation garden overlooking a nearby lake. I also found a really great lunch place called the "Black Bean Cafe". It sold traditional Cuban food out of a small building that only had one counter for indoor seating. The spices were fabulous, though, and I loved tasting a new cuisine!

Beware of downtown Orlando, though! For a large urban area, it is very spacious between buildings. It was very well kept and not dirty at all. I thoroughly enjoyed walking downtown around a nice lake that attracted many joggers. I enjoyed the scenery a bit too long, though, because I almost got my car towed from it's parking spot. When you go, read the parking instructions carefully!! I walked back to my car that was sitting on the tow truck just as he was about to pull out. Luckily, I could pay him off, but it was money I wish I didn't have to spend...

There were also a lot of lakes all around Orlando. I could tell that the city is kind of built around them,

which probably lead to how spaced out all of the sections of the city are. My favorite area was around

Lake Victoria and Rollins College. There was a cute downtown area that Sarah and I spent a night walking around. Most stores sold fudge, Gelato, or high- end jewelry. There were also a lot of cafes with sidewalk seating. We went to one particularly cute candy shop called Rocket Fizz. They sold a lot of different taffy flavors and just about every brand of chocolate created. It had a cute 1980s candy and soda shop feel. Even though it gets hot in Orlando, the nighttime was very pleasant, and I loved walking around outside on their quaint cobbled roads.

One moment that I thought was funny was when I went to Walmart and got told that I had a southern accent. In truth, I really do, but it was almost ironic to travel further south than my home and be made fun of for my accent. Orlando is definitely not a "Southern City" even though it is close to as south as you can get in the US!

Sadly, I didn't see much of Orlando, but it definitely attracts a younger crowd than I expected! I really didn't see many "snow- birds" in the downtown area, but I guess they have retired closer to the suburban golf courses. The water didn't taste very good, but it seems like the kind of city to raise a family in. It seemed clean, safe, and very friendly!

#Orlando #Florida