My last post was on “The Townhouse Restaurant” in Oviedo, FL. This time I’m going to take you to one of the hidden gems right in the heart of Winter Park, FL… “Scenic Boat Tour.”
So this adventure was actually my wife’s idea. She had gone on this tour with her job, and told me that I would love it. She knows that I love to fish, so a tour of some beautiful lakes is only logical. So off we went on a nice day of enjoyment in Winter Park. We started off our adventure with lunch at “The Coupe – A Southern Affair” restaurant located on W Morse Ave; then we walked to the” Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art.” After learning about Louis Tiffany and seeing some of his magnificent works we then headed over to the boat tours.
Now that I have given you the basics, here’s my experience. We had just finished lunch, and enjoying the museum, and walking around Park Ave, when my wife drove me to a dead-end street. I was like okay, where are we going? She said, “Just come on, you will love it.” So I was like okay… After finding a spot to park, we walked down this little walkway to the dock. The day was a typical beautiful Florida day…blue skies, and just the right breeze blowing across the water. They were only running two boats that day (because we went during the middle of the week.), so we waited for them to return.
Once the 2nd boat came up and unloaded, we boarded along with the other 16 riders. Oh, and for those of you who may be hesitant…no worries. You would be taking the tour on a nice size pontoon boat, so it’s very stable.
The first noticeable thing was that the tour guides are knowledgeable and seem to love what they do, their stories are amazing! Most of them are older gentlemen who have lived in the area for many years, and they have a deep understanding and knowledge base of the Winter Park community, and its history. Our guide was awesome, and was full of jokes. He seemed to know everything about the history of the city, lakes, and houses around the lakes. He said that there are gators and even otters that you can see while on the tour; however, during ours we had no such luck.
The lakes, “and” the canals that connect them, are truly beautiful. The houses that line them are just as impressive. Speaking of houses, the homes around the lakes aren’t your normal everyday homes. These are multi-million dollars homes. Some historic, some new. Others owned or lived in by famous people…one in particular made me sing “It’s a Beautiful Day in The Neighborhood.” All of my old heads might remember where that song comes from. I loved hearing the history of the houses, the famous people who have owned and lived in them (including my song reference above…Mr. Rogers); as well as movies that have been filmed in them.
So, if you are looking for an inexpensive, relaxing, and informative outing…This tour is well worth the small fee charged (no credit cards accepted). If you have friends or family that have come to visit and they may be looking to do something other than the theme parks for a while; I would recommend this tour for them in a heartbeat. You can’t beat the beauty and history. That is why this is one of the “Hidden Gems” of the Central Florida area. You can view the pictures here.
The dock is less than 10 minutes from downtown Orlando, and less than 5 minutes from Park Avenue; Central Florida´s popular, upscale shopping district, and is conveniently located on the East end of Morse Boulevard on Lake Osceola. The boat tour offers hour-long, guided cruises through three of the seven lakes, and two narrow manmade canals on the tranquil Winter Park chain.
On any given tour, you may observe Blue Herons, Egrets, and Cranes along the waterside trying to snag a fish. You may even see one of Florida original residents (the alligator) sunning on the bank, or the crew team from Rollin’s College practicing on the lakes in their racing shells.
This is an 18 passenger boat tour on the natural chain of lakes in Winter Park.
The tours leave every hour daily beginning at 10am and the last one boarding at 4pm.
Please note that this is “Cash or Checks Only”
Costs:
Adults – $12.00 Taxes Incl.
Children (2-11) – $6.00 Taxes Incl.
Under 2 Years Old Ride Free!
Group Rates Available: Please reserve by phone for groups for 10 or more.
anthonymathisrealtor 