We happened to see an advert for Mount Dora Florida’s 70th Annual Sailboat Regatta. About 90 miles West and South of St. Augustine, Mount Dora is a lakefront town of about 16,000 souls. It boasts 4385 acres of sparkling lake water as well as a tree and flower-lined downtown filled with eclectic and quirky shops and eateries. Quiet neighborhoods with older, well maintained family homes ring the downtown center. Mt. Dora is known as the “Festival City” for its a monthly calendar of numerous annual celebrations. Among them are the Blueberry Festival, The Annual Mount Dora Taste and Craft Beer Fest, Renninger’s Antique Extravaganza, the 26^th Annual Mount Dora Spring Festival of Arts and Crafts, and the Annual Florida Highwaymen Art Show, Sale & Benefit, just to name a few. It also boasts a beautiful lighthouse, which surprised by its size: we expected huge and tall, but were tickled to see it is, well, hobbit-sized.

It was an easy drive on a sunny, warm, breezy Saturday. We’d stopped in Mount Dora once before on a weekday and marveled at the quiet green surroundings and easy parking. Not so today! The city was still green, but family groups with children, doggos and grandparents in tow had descended en masse, making for a joyous eyeful and earful, and requiring a minor hunt for parking. I saw license plates from many southern states, as well as some from as far away as Michigan and Oregon. Our group generously contributed to the bustle with Tom and I and our amazing sailing/land friends, the Gereckes. Notwithstanding the age range of our group, (2 “seniors”, 2 youthful parents and five kids age ranging from 16 months to 10 years) there was something in Mount Dora to delight everyone.

We stopped for lunch at The Salted Fry, an “order in, eat at our outside tables” delicatessen. The fries were amazing, salty and crisp. The kids shared pizza fries, while the adult’s sampled tuna and chicken salad sandwiches, BLTs and Reubens. Delicious and big portions.

We all enjoyed the sailing regatta which was busy and filled the visible horizon from our perch on the dock of the yacht club. Tom fortuitously thought to bring three sets of binoculars, which the kids loved and shared. In addition to the furiously competing clusters of fast-gliding sailboats, some unusual watercraft were on display, as well as the expected jet skis and more mundane motorized watercraft.

Afterwards we visited a blessedly shady small park overlooking the lake, alongside ibis, grackles, a large hawk and great climbable trees. Signage warned us not to feed the alligators and to watch out for snakes, but we didn’t see any of those creatures, to the disappointment of the older children and relief of the younger.

We rounded out the afternoon browsing some costume jewelry and scent shops while enjoying fresh-squeezed carbonated orange juice purchased from a sidewalk stand.

As the afternoon waned we were surprised to find that we’d all walked over 2 miles exploring the compact downtown. Even the three-year-old! (with the aid of an occasional piggyback ride from Tom)

This was a great daytrip. We are reminded of how many unique and enchanting whistlestops exist in our state. We’ll definitely return to Mount Dora for one or more of the festivals.