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Magical Mount Dora
Theme parks and excitement are what a holiday in Orlando is all about. But for many families, after a few days of the hustle and bustle of rides and parades, it’s time for a break. And where better than the sleepy town of Mount Dora?
Mount Dora is situated just forty miles northwest of Orlando and it is a very easy drive which takes around an hour on well sign posted roads.
Mount Dora is how you imagine an old US town to be, with quaint shops, small homely restaurants and a generally slower and quieter pace of life.
We headed straight for the best hotel in town, the one hundred and twenty year old Lakeside Inn. It really is ‘lakeside’ and the views from the restaurant and other public rooms are beautiful. It has an old fashioned ambience with a wide veranda, and old wooden rocking chairs. This overlooks the landscaped lawns, leading to a huge swimming pool and then Lake Dora.
We arrived for breakfast and enjoyed a freshly cooked A la carte meal in quiet and civilised surroundings for barely more money than it would cost at any chain restaurant.
As well as all the traditional breakfast favourites like eggs done anyway you could wish for, breakfast meats –they do a fabulous steak! -pancake stacks and freshly cooked waffles, they specialise in the farmers Omelette which has cheese, ham, peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms together with fried potatoes. Totally awesome!
On Sundays you could enjoy Brunch and between June and September, Brunch is served in the veranda overlooking the lake. What better way to start your day.
Our children had brought their swimming things and the hotel staff were more than happy that they took a dip in the pool before we headed off to explore the town.
Mount Dora is famous for antique shops and there are certainly plenty to choose from. We had a great time popping in and out of the different shops. There are also plenty of little gift shops and we found one place that sold gorgeous hand made greetings cards and parcel tags.
We were very full from our breakfast but couldn’t resist snacking on delicious bakery items fresh from the oven of a local bread shop. There was even a tiny tea shop and we whiled away some time people watching while drinking a great cup of tea –a rare find when we are out in Orlando.
Our day passed by very quickly and we can’t wait to return.
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