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If you want to enjoy a bite to eat, Dexter’s is a great choice for any meal, but their brunch is unique and is perfect to enjoy with a date or a group of close friends….especially because of their various flavors of $2.50 Mimosas. What’s not to like about munching and drinking Mimosas?
Plus at brunch, you can eat more because it is taking the place of breakfast and lunch…a great excuse to indulge with a dish that would be called dessert at any other meal… If you prefer a salad, no worries, Dexter’s always has their full menu available.
Dexters is a local favorite, and there are three locations throughout the city, including: Thornton Park (near Downtown), Winter Park, and Lake Mary.
Check out Brunch at Dexter’s and sit back, sip on a Mimosa, and try a bite of a Ham and Swiss on French Toast… not a bad way to start the day.
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Flying orbs, phantom trucks, ghost hitchhikers – sounds like something from the Disney Haunted Mansion, but instead they are in reference to sightings on Interstate four (I-4) between Orlando and Daytona. It is easy to think that all of that talk about ghostly figures on I-4 is all fake or tricks on people’s minds…but what about the 2,000 car accident deaths on one single overpass on I-4 since the highway was built in 1963…
In 1887, a yellow fever epidemic hit the Central Florida area, specifically a Roman Catholic Colony, called the St.Joseph’s Colony, and sadly the only colony’s priest died. So when a family of four passed from the yellow fever epidemic, there was no one to bless the graves. Therefore the living members of the colony buried the family of four without any ceremony with four unmarked graves.
The land was purchased by Albert Hawkins in 1905 for farming and when he found the four graves, he built his farm around the graves out of respect for the family. Hawkins took care of the graves by mowing the grass and keeping the land clean. In time, his care for the land became well-known and nicknames the Field of the Dead by other local settlers.
When Albert Hawkins died in 1935, his wife took care of the land and the graves. However in 1960, the land was purchased to build Interstate 4. The state surveyors were told about the graves and originally marked them off to be removed and placed somewhere else…but for some reason this never happened. Instead fill dirt was placed on the graves and they started building I-4 right on top of them.
As soon as the building began over the graves, things started to happen. Hurricane Donna, known as one of the worst hurricanes in Central Florida, eerily made its way right over the site of the graves with the eye of the hurricane sitting above the new construction site of I-4. This could just be a coincidence, but what was weird was how the hurricane got there. It started out breaking land from the Atlantic Ocean in South Florida. It then moved across the state completely to the Gulf Of Mexico, but then it moved back onto land and started moving up the newly made I-4. Hurricane Donna’s eye lay over the graves at around midnight after it’s second landfall…It was several months before construction of I-4 could continue due to the extreme damage of Hurricane Donna, which made people think it was the dead fighting back from their resting place .
Ever since the highway was completed, people have reported seeing ghosts along the highway, ghost hitchikers in their cars, phantom trucks, and orbs crossing the highway. Some people say that when they are on their cell phones in this spot that weird unrecognizable voices will come on the line interrupting their conversations. Radio stations have been known to go from a perfectly clear signal to static and sometimes even eerie voices will be heard over the radio speakers…It is hard to ignore the over 2,000 deaths that have occurred due to accidents on this overpass…some of those who lived through their accident claimed they swerved to not hit the family of four crossing the street. Others say they hit a few people. However no people or bodies were ever found.
The ghost sitings and the massive amount of highways deaths in this area of I-4 where the family of four still lie is known as the “Dead Zone”.
Want to know where it is? Check out this picture of the area and this map. Most of us will have to drive over the Dead Zone at some point, but now that you know where it is, be careful of what you see and beware of the Dead Zone.
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The summer sky starts to turn pink as I walk with friends and a new puppy along the streets of Thornton Park. As we approach our dog friendly venue, we see other people meeting in front giving hugs and talking with smiles. I feel slightly under-dressed as I see girls in cute dresses and high heels lean over to pet our companion, the new puppy. I then realize there are others in jeans and that that is what Wildside is about. Feeling comfortable in your style,having fun, and eating good food.
We took a table outside and our waitress came to us right away ready to take our order. This was my first time here, so I needed some time to check out the menu. A few of us eventually decided to share a pitcher of Sangria and a couple others had glasses of wine. The puppy was laying under the table, enjoying ripping up a dropped paper napkin.
Soon after we ordered, a few more girls came up to us to see the puppy and one brought a toddler. The toddler tried to run under the table to grab the puppy and we all laughed in the comfortable and active atmosphere Wildside is known for. While waiting for our food, my friend sitting next to me informed me she celebrated her birthday here last year. After sipping on my Sangria with good friends and enjoying the warm summer evening outside, I can see why.
Wildside is now a Thornton Park favorite of mine and I know I will enjoy many more barbequed meals, pitchers of Sangria, and great times with friends in the future.
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If you are looking for a romantic date spot, a place to go with friends, a place to bring kids, or something to do on your own, and that is FREE, the Enzian Winter Park Popcorn Flicks are a fabulous option.
They either take place in the Shady or Central Park in Winter Park and it is an outdoor movie that is free! Enzian helps sponsor it and they play classic favorites on a huge projector and hundreds (maybe thousands) of people show up with their chairs and blankets and watch the movies under the stars. So much fun.
I have seen many of these Enzian Winter Park Popcorn Flicks. Most recently I went to the one on June 11th and they played the first Back to the Future movie, so much fun! I usually go with a group of friends, this time one friend of mine brought her son, and we had a blast. We sipped on wine and snacked on cheese and chocolate and caught up with each other before the movie started. Once it started, we shared laughs at some of the 80’s music and yelled out the infamous quotes (”1.21 gigawatts? 1.21 gigawatts? Great Scott!”) We weren’t the only ones loving it. At times the audience would burst into laughter, start clapping at well-known moments, hooting and hollering.
You look around and see people in all stages of life: couples cuddled up, kids nestled in their parents arms, everything. If you are looking for a wonderful warm summer night FREE outing, the Enzian Winter Park Popcorn Flicks are a lot of fun.
Upcoming Winter Park Enzian Popcorn Flicks:
Superman 2 – July 23, 2009 at 8:30pm in Central Park, Winter Park. (Not gonna lie, I will probably be there. I love Superman.)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again – August 13, 2009 at 8:30pm in Central Park, Winter Park.
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Delicious fresh ingredients, pick what you want and what you don’t want, made to order, and incredibly quick. Mmmm. Designer Greens makes getting a fabulous salad quick, delicious, and easy. You can pick from a couple of premade items on the menu or you can make your own. I have done both and have loved the results. The chicken breast is hot, the lettuce is fresh, there is a huge assortment of dressings depending on what you like. You can’t go wrong.
I love Designer Greens. It is one of my favorite lunch spots. I live 30 minutes away from it and I still drive all the way out there to meet people – it is that good. When you enter the restaurant, you see a menu upfront with all the menu 
items (they also have sandwiches. I am sure they are delish, but I love their salads so much I never venture away) and you either pick a preselected option or you build your own. I love to build my own. Some avacado, some feta cheese, sprouts, mixed greens, hot chicken on top and the greek feta dressing, yummm. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I have tried other types of dressings too, of course (Loooove the gorgonzola, the honey mustard, and the honey poppy seed… ok you get it. They are all good.)
The prices are not bad either. I usually get the half salad and that is plenty to fill me up for lunch. If I was going for dinner I would probably try a half and half (and maybe finally try one of their delicious looking paninis) or I would go for a full sized salad. The half sized build your own salads are only $4.99 (if you add meat or extra toppings, it is more) and a full is only $6.99. Not bad for a delicious and fresh salad.
As of right now, there are only two Designer Greens and one is in Gainesville… so if you live in the Orlando area, the Designer Greens in Waterford is the only one we have. I hope they build more of them. If you like Panera, Crispers, and expecially if you like a tasty and healthy salad, you will LOVE Designer Greens.
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Fourth of July is around the corner, and fireworks are a fun way to celebrate Independence day. We thought it would be a good idea to give you a list of locations of the fireworks displays in Central Florida that have FREE admission! All of these events have other things going on during the day as well like live music and food available normally at an additional price.
St. Cloud: 4th of July Lakefest Celebration – 6pm to 10pm on Lakeshore Blvd. Fireworks begin at dark.
Downtown Mt. Dora: Old Fashioned Fourth of July Parade & Celebration – Begins at 10am and goes to the evening in Downtown Mount Dora’s Donnelly Park
Sanford: Star Spangled Sanford on the Riverwalk – 5pm to 10pm on Sanford’s Riverwalk.
Kissimmee: July 4th Celebration – 5pm to 9:30pm at the Kissimmee Lakefront Park.
Daytona Beach: Daytona Beach Main Street July 4th Block Party and Barbecue – 6pm to 12am, fireworks at 9:30pm. Event takes place on 8 blocks along Main Street.
Celebration: A Flashback 4th of July – 5pm to 11pm at the Celebration Town Center
Downtown Orlando: Big Fun at the Fountain, Fireworks over Lake Eola – 4pm to 10pm Fireworks start at 9:15pm.
Altamonte Springs: Red Hot & Boom – Taking place on July 3, 2009, the celebration goes on from 4 to 11pm at the Cranes Roost Park Area. Fireworks go off at 9:30pm.
Avalon Park: 5pm to 9pm. Fireworks begin at 9pm.
Deltona: Deltona 4th of July Celebration at Dewey O. Boster Park – 4pm to 10pm. Fireworks will begin at 9:15pm. This all takes place at the Park and Sports Complex.
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Free Wifi, Deliciously strong coffee, fabulous munchies, retro paint and movies along the walls, ahhhhhh. Austin’s Coffee. Such a great place. If you just want to drop by and pick up a coffee, and people do this all day long, I highly recommend Austin’s Coffee. If you have a HUGE test and you need to study all day, I highly recommend Austin’s Coffee. If you just want to hang out with friends and talk to the fun people behind the counter, I highly recommend Austin’s Coffee. You get the picture. Austin’s Coffee is a great place.
When you have your coffee there, they give you this HUGE fun painted mug. It is great to sit at a table and sip from your massive mug of coffee…I recommend going slow though, the coffee is strong – drink it too fast and you might get the shakes. They even roast the beans in shop! It is so good and it is organic and fair trade. How about that. So basically, you have a delicious cup of coffee, you support ethical coffee harvesting conditions, and you save yourself from more pesticides. Not a bad deal.
Austin’s Coffee is a great place to read a book, study, write, whatever. However you may want to not visit Austin’s Coffee for that purpose at night because every night of the week they have open mic night and live bands playing. I need to add that Austin’s Coffee also sells beer and wine, which may be more to your liking at night…but maybe not after you have Austin’s Coffee… soo good.
Austin’s Coffee is so much more than a coffee shop. Live music, delicious coffee, tasty snacks, beer, wine, and an eclectic atmosphere. Great place to relax and have fun on your own and with friends.
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I first heard of Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly at a conference last year. Miss Holly herself was there by a massive stand of cupcakes, (I don’t think they were real) but it was definitely eye catching. I met her and she told me about her new store in Waterford Lakes. I was dying to try it. Who wouldn’t be dying to try a gourmet cupcake shop. Mmmmm.
Well, I was lucky enough to finally try it on my birthday last year and I was hooked! Decadent gourmet cupcakes of all types of flavors. My favorite was the Cookies and Cream. Yum! I haven’t had anything else like it. The atmosphere at Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly is also fun. They have red booths and chairs, free wifi, and outdoor seating!
If you aren’t into cupcakes or you are looking for a healthier option, Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly also has tart and healthy frozen yogurt. If you are like me, and you want to try them all the cupcakes go on Mondays! On Mondays they have “Mini Taster Packs” and “Mini Dozen Boxes” that you can fill with an assortment of mini cupcakes of the flavors available.
If you want to order custom cupcakes, you can do that too! Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly has a blog where they post pictures of the weddings and events they make cupcakes for, and they are beautiful. I am sure they are delicious too! Such a unique touch for an even to have a customized cupcake display.
Orlando Buzz Tip:
Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly has Orlando Magic cupcakes right now since the Magic made the NBA Finals!
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There is one Orlando hot spot that you can always count on for a delicious breakfast, brunch, and lunch. People are always waiting to come in but somehow your wait is never longer than 15 minutes. Either way they have free coffee and water in the waiting area for you to enjoy while you wait. First Watch is always worth the wait.
Located in several different areas of Central Florida, First Watch is a great place to eat in the early part of the day.It is only open from 7am to 2:30pm, so it is not a place where you can have breakfast for dinner…although I would probably eat there for dinner if it were open. The menu has a delicious assortment of options from the less healthy options like their delicious pancakes and crepes to their incredibly healthy selection from “The Healthy Side” section of the brunch menu – it would be hard to find something you won’t love.
I love their fresh fruit crepes. They are sweet but not too sweet and they are pretty healthy. Plus they come with a fresh (and often warm) homemade muffin. Yum. All the salads and sandwiches are made from fresh ingredients and they are absolutely delicious. If you go on their website, they have pictures of the entrees… those are not misleading, that is really what each meal looks like. Amazing.
I frequently dine in the Maitland First Watch location, only because it is the one that is closest to where I live. However all of the First Watch restaurants are the same. Another excellent bonus of First Watch? It is inexpensive. Normally I go there with a friend and we leave not spending more than $13 or so… total. Not bad for a delicious meal made of fresh ingredients.
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Hot homemade pancakes you make at the table. (Yep you make your own… kinda like fondue… but with pancakes…) A huge choice of toppings including chocolate chips, berries, peanut butter, and many others. A massive container of molasses and maple syrup ready to be poured. All inside a little wood cabin in the beautiful state park of Deleon Springs.
The pancakes are amazing and you get massive portions (Come hungry) and it is only $4.50 a person. If you are a bacon fan, I highly recommend ordering a side of it… it is the nice thick cut kind that you rarely find at restaurants. Yum!
Now, if you want to work off the pancakes or maybe get a workout in before… there is hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and other fun things to do in the park. It is also a lot of fun (and cold) to swim in the springs. But if it’s a hot day, it can be very refreshing.
Deleon Springs is a beautiful park and you’ll love the historical Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant (aka where you eat the pancakes). At $5.00 a car entrance fee, a day at Deleon Springs is a fun and inexpensive way to spend a day with family and friends.
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