Breaking Up With Covid - Joining the Farkles

Covid19 vaccines complete, we are ready for opening up our social activities. The Turk headed to Turkey, making it perfect time for a Farkle weekend in Orlando. I hadn't visited since 2019 so this was TIME! Joanne showed me around Maitland and Winter Park, on foot, over 9 miles. What a fun day. But so many changes from when I lived there. Older homes are being torn down and 2 story concrete modern homes being built. On some streets the combination is jarring and I can only assume that in the near future the remaining older homes will be sold for property. A few discoveries for me: The Maitland Art Center, built in 1937 in the Mayan Revival style, is stunning and surprising. This building is the only National Historic Landmark in Central Florida. In addition to art shows, there are two residency programs with various art classes offered.

Our neighborhood walks were highlighted with whimsical gardens and yard signs, including a running theme of bunnies. A 'Warning: Killer Rabbit' sign and a sneaky bunny peeping out of the hedge clued us into the abundant bunny population of one neighborhood. Here is yet another bunny sign we found.

Park Avenue in Winter Park has also evolved over the years and our game of 'what did this storefront/restaurant used to be' highlighted the changes. I discoved an interesting mural painted within an alcove connecting some shops. It shows Winter Park in 1908 as remembered by a black resident. The look of the rustic drawings and odd distances of the map make it appear that he also painted this mural. He identifies the white and colored schools, which roads are clay or sand, that there were 3 automobiles at the time (and names who owned them), that there were 95 white homes and 2 livery stables.

A trip to O Town is not complete without a walk around Lake Eola. Along with the swan boats being peddled around the lake, there were many more art installations, colorful playgrounds, and families enjoying all of these things. Side streets lined with formerly small woodframe homes, now converted to bars and restaurants, were alive with groups of friends and families.