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Published: March 12th 2011
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We took our seats at a table on the outside deck of Pisces Rising, a popular water view restaurant in historic Mount Dora, and it quickly became evident that there was something truly unique about the place. Sure there was a picturesque vista of the lake in the distance behind Mount Dora Yacht Club down below us. But most intriguing was that we were actually looking down on Lake Dora from a hill above. At a mind boggling elevation of 184 feet above sea level, Mount Dora is the closest Florida has to a “mountain-top” town.
The truth is the only thing I knew about Mount Dora was that it is located in central Florida about 25 miles from Orlando and holds an award-winning craft fair attracting more than 350 of the country’s top artisans each year. I had also heard it is one of the best places in Florida for antiquing. Neither interested me much. So I assumed Mount Dora was little more than a sleepy, drab town with its only claim to fame being crafts and antiques. Boy was I wrong.
We decided to visit Mount Dora when a friend of mine piqued my interest about what
a charming little town it is. She had been raving about Mount Dora’s Donnelly Park being brilliantly illuminated with Christmas lights, its prime location overlooking the lake, and how romantic the town is with its horse drawn carriage rides and cozy bed and breakfasts. I figured that was just what my wife, Liz, and I needed to escape the madness of the holidays.
Another wrong assumption was that the eco tour would be no different than any of the dozens I have taken over the years in Florida from the Everglades to the Panhandle. When we showed up without reservations and managed to get the last two seats on the Captain Doolittle, we learned first-hand why it was one of the best tours available.
We glided along the lake in the pontoon cruiser with the bright sunlight dancing along the water’s surface under a cloudless blue sky. With Deer Island off the port side, Captain Dave explained that there actually was a time when deer used to be the only inhabitants. But the island changed forever once an 18-hole golf course was built. Now, houses start at $1 million and the well-to-do fly in from Miami on their
seaplanes to get in a full round of 18 holes; before zipping back to Miami in time for dinner.
Dubbed “the most beautiful mile of water in the world” by writer Grantlant Rice in the 1930s, the Dora Canal is reminiscent of the “real Florida” 1,000 years ago. Towering Cypress trees, some as old as two thousand years, line the man-made canal connecting Lake Dora and Lake Eustis. Anhingas were everywhere, majestically spreading their wings. A great blue heron was perched motionless atop a “No Wake” sign. A red shouldered hawk, which is the fiercest predator in the area, stared directly at us. On the way back we spotted a Bald Eagle in a tree high above next to its nest that is estimated to weigh 750 pounds.
Back on dry land, Mount Dora is anchored by the historic Lakeside Inn. Established in 1883 as The Alexander House, it was a popular winter retreat for hunters, fisherman, and boaters. Surrounded by natural wilderness and abundant wildlife on the shore of Lake Dora, it was also a big draw for birdwatchers. Today, just like the old days, there are few better places in town to relax than from the
comfort of a wooden rocking chair on the Inn’s spacious verandah.
Just a short stroll from the Inn, nature lovers are drawn to Palm Island Park with its 1,700 foot boardwalk meandering beneath towering Live Oak trees dripping with thick Spanish moss. There is a myriad of wildlife inhabiting the park including bald eagles, great blue herons, and of course, alligators. We didn’t see any gators, but had the nature trail virtually to ourselves as we spotted more birds than we could count.
Mount Dora is the perfect walking town with a generous variety of bistros, tea houses, pubs, shops, and tourist attractions within close proximity. As we window shopped, we were tempted by a taste of the islands with the Tortuga Caribbean Run Cake at Diane’s Tasteful Indulgences. Noni Home and Bath had an eclectic selection of home décor items imported from 25 different countries, including an authentic painting done by an elephant in Thailand. And then there was the Key Lime Pie store.
As sunset approached, it dawned on us that with everything Mount Dora has to offer, there was something distinctly missing. We had not seen a single Walmart; nor had we seen any
other type of chain store or restaurant anywhere in the historic part of town. Even the nearest convenience store was several miles away. It was refreshing to discover an authentic Florida small town not overrun by malls and chain stores.
The sign on the door of the Chamber of Commerce states “Tourists treated same as home folks.” Well, the friendly folks of Mount Dora made good on that promise when one shopkeeper talked us in to spending New Year’s Eve, enticing us with the idea of watching the ball drop among locals under the lighted trees dotting Donnelly Park. Mount Dora was kicking off festivities to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2010 and we shouldn’t miss it, he exclaimed. It’s no wonder Mount Dora has been voted “friendliest small town in Florida.”
Within a couple of weeks of our first trip, we found ourselves back in Mount Dora. That time we were acting as tour guides for my parents as we boasted about the myriad of sights to see and numerous festivals taking place throughout the year. We were eager to show off the town as though it were our own, while advocating what locals and visitors already
know - Mount Dora is truly someplace special.
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