Mount Dora Craft Fair

Saturday, October 23, 2010

pumpkin patch

Today a friend and I traveled to Mount Dora to check out their annual fall craft fair. Mount Dora is a quaint town located about 30 miles northwest of Orlando. The historic downtown district, where the craft fair is located, is full of cute cafes and antique shops. The Mount Dora Craft Fair, happening October 23rd and 24th, is an annual event that draws over 300 crafters from all over the country.

We arrived around 11am, and it took us quite a while to find parking. Most of the parking closest to the fair was already full. After circling around a little bit, we finally managed to park a couple blocks away at the high school and walked over the fair.

There were a lot of visitors to the fair today. And a LOT of vendors. From sculptors to painters, photographers to woodworkers, and everything in between. The craft fair definitely offers a little something for everyone. There was also live entertainment, lots of delicious treats, and a bounce-house over in the kid's section.

Sunday is the last day to check out this year's event, from 9am to 5pm. Have fun!

Canstruction 2010

 
Canstruction is an event going on right now at the Fashion Square Mall in Orlando. From now until October 24th, visitors to the mall can see large structures made entirely out of canned food. This year's theme is "Zoo Can Do It!" and is co-sponsored by the Central Florida Zoo. All of the collected food items go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida to help battle hunger in the local community. 

When I visited this past weekend (Sunday Oct. 17th), representatives from the Central Florida Zoo were showing off some furry (and not-so-furry) creatures. They were answering questions and letting people pet the animals.

Remember - this year's Canstruction event ends Sunday, October 24th, so check it out soon!

Mythos

Mythos restaurant, Islands of Adventure

I've been to Universal's Islands of Adventure dozens of times, yet I never managed to eat at Mythos restaurant. Located in the Lost Continent, it boasts a large banner  that declares it the "#1 Theme Park Restaurant in the World" Six Years in a Row. With a sign like that, you gotta try it!

I was at the park with some friends, and we decided to check if we could make dinner reservations at Mythos. Turns out, they're not open for dinner! They were actually closing the restaurant at 5:30pm that day, even though the park itself didn't close until 8pm. Lucky for us, we showed up just in time to snag one of the last seatings of the day. 

The design of the restaurant is quite impressive. You really feel like you are eating in huge cavern designed by the gods. I liked the small details, like the tiled mosaics on the floor and the Medusa-head light fixtures in the restrooms. Because they were closing, the restaurant was nearly empty. The atmosphere was quiet and relaxing - definitely made us forget that we were in the middle of a bustling theme park!

The menu items were reasonably priced (especially for a theme park) and offered an interesting variety of choices. I ordered the Vietnamese chicken wrap with fries. Others at my table ordered the Roman panini, the buffalo BBQ fried chicken wrap, and the blueberry-and-pistachio-crusted grilled pork.  

I really hate to complain, but I have to mention that the service we received wasn't really great. Our server was inattentive and seemed like she didn't want to be there at all - I don't think she smiled at us once. Also, since it was closing time and the restaurant was emptying out, a table nearby had a stack of dirty dishes that did not get picked up during our entire meal. Sorry, but I don't like looking at other people's dirty plates while I'm eating.   

Despite the shoddy service, I definitely plan to return and try something new from the menu. Mythos offers a great place to rest in the park, get awesome views of the Hulk rollercoaster from across the lagoon, and enjoy a nice meal.

kitchen

dining room

Winter Park Autumn Art Festival

Sunday, October 10th 2010

I love visiting the different art festivals that are held in Winter Park each year.  It's nice to admire the hard work of the artists that have come from all over the state to showcase their creations.  And it's always fun to come across artwork that is unlike anything you've ever seen before.  AND it's FREE!

The Winter Park Autumn Art Festival features artwork exclusively by Florida artists.  The booths and displays include paintings, ceramics, crafts, drawings, sculpture, jewelry, photography, and more.  There are art festival posters, t-shirts, and other merchandise for sale, as well as lots of food, ice cream, and snacks.  They also provide live musical entertainment and activities for children.  After strolling the sidewalks admiring the art, you can walk up and down Park Avenue and enjoy all the different shops and restaurants!  Definitely a great way to spend a few hours of your weekend.  I'm already looking forward to the next Winter Park art festival in the spring!

fountain & festival

rose garden & festival

 Here are some pieces I found interesting:

Sugar Ray

Thursday, October 7th 2010

I decided to swing by Epcot to see a performance by Sugar Ray as part of Epcot's Eat to the Beat Concert Series during the International Food & Wine Festival.  The band played five of their biggest hits from the '90's and '00's during the 35-minute set.  The lead singer, Mark McGrath, interacted with the audience a lot and even brought a couple of kids onstage to be part of the show.  The concert was a lot of fun, and we had a great time!  (Check back later for a blog post on the Food & Wine Festival)

Mark McGrath

For this concert they played "Every Morning", "Fly", "Answer the Phone", "Someday", and "When It's Over".  You can watch the official musical videos on Sugar Ray's YouTube channel.  Enjoy!

Random Photos from Magic Kingdom

I spent a couple of hours at the Magic Kingdom Saturday night, and decided to snap a few random photos at some of the stops we made. Nothing special about this trip - just a Saturday evening stroll around the park. (It was actually more crowded than I had been expecting....maybe because of the Wine & Dine Half Marathon that night?). I had been hoping to ride Space Mountain, but the wait was 60 minutes long!  So instead I browsed the shops on Main Street USA, rode a couple of other rides, and did some people-watching. Casual, relaxed, and fun!

Cinderella's horse-drawn carriage, made entirely of blown glass

the ghost-bride from the Haunted Mansion

mural on Snow White's Scary Adventure

Snow White's wishing well

Cinderella's castle