Anna Bret & John David
Things to Do
Winter Park Boat Tour
An all-time favorite of ours and the very tour that preceded our engagement. Hop on a pontoon boat and travel through the Winter Park chain of lakes, hearing stories of the architecture and history of old Winter Park. If you're lucky, you'll spot Mr. Rogers' beautiful lakeside home and you might even see a couple getting engaged by the lake. Ask for Tom Smith as your captain.
Winter Park Farmers' Market / Park Avenue
Wake up on Saturday morning and explore one of our absolute favorite Winter Park traditions. Once you've filled up on freshly squeezed orange juice and warm pastries, take a stroll down Park Ave, throw the frisbee in Central Park, or cruise through the beautiful surrounding neighborhoods. Odds are you'll run into part or all of the Mitchell or Allen crew. Some of our favorite restaurants on Park Ave are Briarpatch (brunch), Barney's (brunch spot where John David told Anna Bret he'd like her for 9 years), Bosphorous, Prato, and Luma (where John David and Anna Bret ate dinner right after getting engaged).
New Smyrna Beach
The site of many a homsechool daytrip, family vacation, and spontaneous date night for us over the past 15 years, NSB is an Orlando local favorite and, in my humble opinion, the best beach around. NSB is roughly 60 minutes from Orlando.
Wekiwa Springs State Park
Cool off from the Florida heat with a trip to Wekiwa Springs State Park. A natural spring, you'll soak up the cool water and get a taste of "old Florida" as you cruise by sprawling oak trees draped with Spanish Moss. You can make it a quick trip and jump in the main springs, or make a day out of it and rent a canoe and search for some gators (and I'm not talking about UF fans).