Let's go to Orlando

Hello and welcome to my little blog post about Orlando!  I'm really excited to share some of our adventures.  Make a note, some images are shot with an iPhone & others with a DSLR!

Accommodations:  The Grove Resort & Spa
Museum:  Orlando Museum of Art
Citrus Tour:  Showcase of Citrus

Let's start off with the absolute LOVE for The Grove Resort & Spa.  It was booked before the resort opened, and was still under some exterior construction when we stayed.  That being said, we more than a 50% discount for booking a new hotel far in advance, before all of the outdoor commodities were available.  It was also at a 25% capacity the whole time we were there, so it was quiet.  Lovely.  If I was vying for a hide-cation, it would have been really easy to just hide out in the suite.

PRO TIP:  If you'd like to stay in a nice, quiet area, rent a car and don't fret about the extra 15 minute drive.  It was absolutely worth it.

PRO TIP 2:  If you want to book a resort without the extravagant resort prices, find a newer construction, or almost-finished construction and book from their website immediately.  You don't need to Expedia a brand-new resort.

The food from the restaurants was fabulous!  (I would recommend to stay away from their pizza shop though.)

I loved the Orlando Museum of Art!  It was in the downtown/business district area.  During our visit, they had a Virtual Views: Digital Art exhibit - I stayed in that area the longest.  For sure!  (Yes, that's a little John Crist written impersonation for you.)

All of the following images are from The Orlando Museum of Art.  To get more info on the artists or individual art pieces, visit the above link!

As far as avoiding the major touristy areas (whew!) I did get to see the Orlando Ballet building.  They didn't have any major performances or open classes while I visited, so that's just another excuse to go back! There was quite a bit of highway construction, that after the first day of traveling downtown, I made the plan to see the rest of the downtown food hot spots & a view other to-see places on the next visit.

The Showcase of Citrus was quiet, kitschy, and really fun!  I loved their safari tour, and appreciated how calm it was compared to so much of the touristy part of Orlando.  Maybe it's just my age or quest to be in quiet area, but I will definitely come back to visit this spot!  It's perfect for families, young kids, and those who want a break from Disney mania.

The next travel blog post will cover the east coast of Florida ... hooray for road trips!!!