Arriving in Mount Dora is like walking onto a movie set: sparkling Lake Dora provides the backdrop. Panning out from the lake, front-porched homes, American flags flying, line shady streets, an easy walk from main street shops, parks and even a candy cane-colored lighthouse.
In the daytime, visitors – like movie extras – fan out to the lake on scenic boat tours, hikes on lakeside boardwalks, then strolls to downtown shops and cafes. They can even take seaplane rides over the lake or rent their own pontoon boat to watch for gators, turtles, otters, herons, egrets and other wildlife.
In the evening, they’re back at the lake to witness salmon-colored sunsets over the water and maybe later to stroll to historic Lakeside Inn for a nightcap.
Mount Dora, a town of 12,534 residents in Lake County, 40 minutes northwest of Orlando, looks like small-town USA, with its moss-draped oaks, flowering magnolias, hilly terrain and higher-than-normal – for Florida anyway – elevation of 184 feet above sea level.
“It’s an extra friendly town. Everyone is really welcoming,” says Henry Ollendick, who co-owns one of downtown’s most charming shops, Papilio, which is Latin for butterfly.
When he and his partner, Joel Maas, opened their shop in 2013, other shop owners welcomed them and asked if they needed anything, which made them feel at home, Ollendick says.
That friendliness, as well as “the hills, the big oaks, the Spanish moss hanging from the trees – so different from the rest of Florida,” convinced them to leave Key West and move to Mount Dora. Now, they walk to work.
“You get to know your neighbors that way,” Ollendick says. “It’s very homey.”
The two were also drawn by the town’s many festivals, which earned it the nickname “Festival City.” Its 33rd annual Craft Fair, coming up on Oct. 28 and Oct. 29, features the work of 400 crafters and artists. Its antique extravaganzas at Renninger’s Antique Center, — the next one is Nov. 17 to Nov. 19 — draws treasure hunters from around the world.
Years ago, the antique center and sister flea market next door helped make Mount Dora a darling of travel guide book authors. The flea market is open weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the antique center Fridays, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Vendor Stan Lawson, who owns Triple LLL Treasures in the antique center, says he meets people from all over the U.S., and from around the world in his shop. Not long ago, he sold his Native American jewelry to visitors from Iceland, and he often sells to Germans and Brits, he says.
His shop sells jewelry made by Native Americans in the Southwest who he’s known for years. In another area in the center, Steve and Barbara Gretchko sell hard-to-find barrister’s bookcases, wood filing cabinets and other early 20th century office furniture.
Dozens of other booths sell everything from antique glassware and furniture to books, toys, linens, sports
memorabilia and paintings. Outside, vendors sell old birdbaths, yard statuary, vintage signs, plants and more, while the flea market next door sells plants and produce, garage-sale-type items, T-shirts and other new clothes.
Downtown shops vary from home decor to paintings and other art, clothing and even dog bakery items. At Papilio, Joel Maas sells his artwork made with real butterflies, as well as stationery, jewelry, garden and home decor, plants and other items.
Like their visitors, downtown restaurants span the globe, with cuisine representing Cuba, Peru, Great Britain, Mexico, India, Italy, China and the Caribbean, along with the usual pizza and pub grub. Florida celebrity chef and cookbook author Norman Van Aken owns a restaurant in a house built in 1921, called, appropriately enough, 1921 by Norman Van Aken.
We chose Magical Meat Boutique for lunch, partly because of its kooky name and partly because it got raves on the online travel site Trip Advisor. Housed in a British pub-style space, it specializes in British fare – think bangers and mash, and shepherd’s pie. It also attracts British tourists. On our visit, two parties at nearby tables had British accents and talked nostalgically about how happy they were to find a little home so far away from their homeland.
Next time, we thought we’d try The Goblin Market Restaurant & Lounge, a fancier place with a book-lined dining room and delicious sounding rack of lamb, duck, quail, Idaho trout, and jumbo lump crab cakes with peach and chive chutney on its menu.
Visitors need at least two days — or three, four or five — to take a boat ride, go out fishing, hike along the lake or just drive around and look at some of the neighborhoods and some of the old Victorian houses, such as the Donnelly House, built in 1893 and now owned by the Masonic Lodge, and open to the public for special occasions.
The old railroad depot, built in 1915, now houses the Mount Dora Chamber of Commerce offices and visitor center at the corner of Third Avenue and Alexander Street. The picturesque Lakeside Inn, opened in 1883, is an elegant place to stay and dine, get married or take a boat ride off its shores.
Some 36 years ago, Mount Dora was the setting for the movie “Honky Tonk Freeway,” starring Jessica Tandy, Beau Bridges, Teri Garr and Beverly D’Angelo. Townspeople were extras. The plot: The town – named Ticlaw – already has a wildlife safari park and a waterskiing elephant named Bubbles, so when residents hear a freeway is about to be built, they hope an off-ramp will lead to more riches. But, when the new freeway bypasses them without an off-ramp, they paint their downtown buildings pink to get people to come.
Today, Mount Dora doesn’t have to paint itself pink. It has charm enough to attract visitors – even without a waterskiing elephant.
Tips for the Trip
How to get there: The easiest way to get to Mount Dora from Pasco County is to go north on Interstate 75. That way, MapQuest says it’s an hour and a half, and 80 miles, from Wesley Chapel. Another route is Interstate 4 toward Orlando, then north to Mount Dora. For details, see MapQuest or another directions site.
Where to eat: We liked Magical Meat Boutique, at 112 W. Third Ave., where we had bangers and mash, a stilton, pear and walnut salad, and two Scottish beers for $37. For menu, visit MagicalMeatBoutique.com.
Where to stay: We’ve stayed at Lakeside Inn before and enjoyed its quiet elegance. The town also has a variety of bed and breakfast inns, and other hotels. See the chamber of commerce’s MountDora.com for options.
Festivals: This city of festivals has all sorts of offerings, including Renninger’s Antique Extravaganzas Nov. 17 through Nov. 19; Jan. 19 through Jan. 21 and Feb. 16 through Feb.18 at its antique center, 20651 U.S. 441. For details, visit Renningers.net.
Other events include:
- 33rd Annual Craft Fair, with 400 vendors, Oct. 28 and Oct. 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 510 N. Baker St.
- Christmas Lighted Boat Parade, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m., begins on Lake Dora at the lighthouse across from Gilbert Park on Tremain Street and Liberty Avenue, downtown.
- Christmas Tour of Homes, Dec. 2 and Dec. 3, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., $20; for details, visit WCFAMountDora.com.
- 43rd annual Arts Festival, Feb. 3 and Feb. 4 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., downtown, with park and ride options; for more, visit MountDoraArtsFestival.org.
For a more extensive list of festivals and events, go to MountDora.com, and click on annual events.
For a more extensive list of festivals and events, go to MountDora.com, and click on annual events.
By Karen Haymon Long
Published Oct. 18, 2017
