Christmas was a success here at the Winter Park branch with our Christmas breakfast and white elephant gift exchange, decorating our office Christmas tree, and the annual Christmas dinner at Winter Park Farmers Market featuring office skits, music and dancing, and amazing people!
From our family to yours, REMax and the Mike Rance Team wishes you a very Merry Christmas!
Even if our temperature doesn’t dip below 50 degrees, even if we don’t have pure white snow making our front lawns a winter wonderland, even if we put our Christmas lights on palm trees and make snowmen out of coconuts, even if Santa has to make it through the open window instead of down the chimney we don’t have… Central Florida is still a pretty impressive place for the holidays, with plenty of great things to do! This weekend (12/18-12/20) hosts several amazing events that will fulfill the Floridian heart with more than its fair share of Christmas spirit. And even if you can’t make it out this weekend, don’t fret – many of these events last through the month of December!
Christmas at Bok Tower Gardens
through Jan 03, 2016
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
$20 adult, $9 children
Your ticket admits you to the most magnificent Christmas-themed events at Bok Tower, including the Holiday Home Tour at Pinewood Estate, poinsettia displays, carillon concerts, winter walking tours, holiday decor workshops, live choir, complimentary happy hour toast, and plenty of holiday shopping.
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Orlando Ballet: Nutcracker at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Dec 18, 2015 8:00 pm
Dec 19, 2015 2:00 pm, 8:00 pm
Dec 20, 2015 1:00 pm, 6:30 pm
$41.50 starting
Celebrate with this traditional holiday performance of The Nutcracker that is sure to bring Christmas to life. “When Clara receives a toy nutcracker from her godfather on Christmas Eve, she is transported on a magical journey complete with the Mouse King, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Mother Ginger.” The Orlando Ballet production will be accompanied by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.
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Grinchmas at Universal’s Islands of Adventure
through Jan 02, 2016
included in regular admission
See Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure transformed into the colorful and whimsical world of Grinchmas! Enjoy special events such as a live musical performance of The Grinch, a special meet-and-greet with the Grinch in his lair, and the character breakfast with special Grinch and Seuss character appearances.
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Holidays Around the World at Epcot Disney
through Dec 30, 2015
included in regular admission
Epcot’s World Showcase comes alive with the spirit of the holidays as they are celebrated around the world. Each country shows off its special traditions, with additional park features like the celebrity Candlelight Processional, a tree-lighting ceremony, live music, and spectacular lights displays. Don’t miss Epcot’s signature IllumiNations fireworks show with a special Christmas finale featuring the song “Let There Be Peace on Earth!”
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Christmas Bricktacular at Legoland
through Dec 20, 2015
included in regular admission
See how LEGO does Christmas, “…with a 30-foot tall LEGO Christmas tree made of 270,000 LEGO bricks, life-size LEGO Santa, reindeer and sleigh, festive decorations, LEGO build activity, a LEGO Santa Scavenger Hunt and holiday entertainment.” See appearances by LEGO Santa and LEGO Toy Soldier daily at this family-friendly Christmas celebration!
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Light Up UCF: 50 Nights of Music, Lights, and Ice at the CFE Arena
through Jan 03, 2016
6:00 pm
$12 general ice skating, +individually priced attractions, or
$19.95 Unlimited Ice Skating and Rides
FREE Holiday Film Festival, Light Show, Parking
If you are looking for an affordable event for the whole family, then Light Up UCF is the place to go. Back for its eight season, Light Up UCF offers an 8,000 square-foot outdoor ice skating rink, ferris wheel, Blizzard ride, Arctic Glide Ice Slide, Santa’s Workshop, and more! Light Up UCF will also provide fluffy, falling SNOW every evening. Now that’s the true spirit of Christmas.
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Annual Johns Lake Boat Parade at Clermont/Winter Garden
Dec 20, 2015
6:00 pm
This hour-long parade will go along the northern shore of Johns Lake, showcasing the people of Central Florida’s best decorations and holiday lights. Come early to get a spot with the best view (at the public boat ramp!), and if you are a boat parade participant, come early too!
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Illuminated Holiday Boat Parade at Sanford
Dec 19, 2015
6:30 pm
Join the town of Sanford for their annual Illuminated Holiday Boat Parade! Sanford goes all out with their parades, celebrating with a street float parade downtown, a open-door stroll through Sanford’s historic homes decked in Christmas decor, and the annual holiday boat parade! This weekend, choose from a host of great boat-viewing locations, including the north side of Marina Island, the Veterans Memorial Park, from Wolfy’s Bar & Grill or St. Johns Steak & Seafood Restaurant, or anywhere along Sanford’s Riverwalk between Park Avenue and US 17-92. Official line-up time is 6:00 pm, so make sure to claim your place early to see or be the greatest boat!
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Make it out to these great local events and see all that Central Florida has to offer for the holidays! Don’t forget that the best experience of all could be you driving around luxury or small, historic neighborhoods of Celebration, Windermere, Winter Park, Mount Dora, and many others with your family, viewing all of the inspiring Christmas lights and spending quality time together.
The Mike Rance Team wishes you a very Merry Christmas from the heart of Florida!
The area around Lake Dora could be your dream come true! Lakefront living with historic small-town charm away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando, and plenty of activities, restaurants, yearly events, shoppes, and more, detailed here by the Mike Rance Team!
THE LAKE
Overview
Located between Lake Eustis to the north and Lake Apopka to the south on the Harris Chain of Lakes, Lake Dora covers 4,475 acres perfect for fishing and boating enthusiasts alike. To the southwest of Lake Dora is pristine Florida wetland full of native wildlife. The Dora Canal, connecting Lake Dora to its northern cousin Lake Eustis, is a prime area for bird-watching. Whether visiting, new to the area, or long-time resident, Lake Dora activities like the guided pontoon boat and seaplane aerial sightseeing tours are perfect ways to capture the beautiful landscape of Lake Dora.
THE CITY OF THE SAME NAME
Mount Dora
Lake Dora is the gem of the Central Florida city of the same name. Mount Dora, retaining over one hundred years of history, has the comfort and feel of a charming, small town that over 13,000 residents call home. One reviewer urges us to “experience the neighborhood … where the trees hang with Spanish Moss and gardens seem to be taken from the pages of a southern magazine from years gone by” (www.tripadvisor.com). Mount Dora sits along the northeastern shorelines of Lake Dora, hosting one of the lake’s only two boat ramps for direct access, letting the public enjoy the placid lake and relax with the beautiful Florida sunset.
THE SEAPLANE CITY
Tavares
But Mount Dora is not the only city to claim a coast of the pristine Lake Dora. Tavares lines Lake Dora along the northwestern side of the lake, hosting Lake Dora’s only other public boat ramp and featuring the famous Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina in Wooton Park. Before the strategic city investment to build the Tavares Seaplane Base, no full-service seaplane base existed from Key West to Atlanta. According to an article from the Orlando Sentinel (articles.orlandosentinel.com), “When City Council members decided on a name for their seaplane base [..], they had a long list of interesting choices … Spruce Goose Lagoon, Happy Landings, Tavares Plain to See and Zero Feet on Sea, Tavares were among the options collected during a contest in which seaplane pilots across the country and local residents alike submitted entries.” But it was the most traditional name that won out and put Tavares on the map as “America’s Seaplane City.”
Attractions
In recent years, the city-owned, public-use seaplane base on Lake Dora has created a lively seaplane culture throughout the town. Local festivals, restaurants, and even a Children’s Splash Park celebrate the seaplane theme.
The Seaplane Base itself hosts several yearly Fly-In Events such as the recent Halloween Fly-In and the upcoming Spring Fly-In, Saturday May 7, 2016 beginning at 9 am and featuring competitive events like Shortest Take Off, Bomb Drop Contest, and Spot Landing Contest! Participating pilots will receive a complimentary $10 dining voucher to Tavares Downtown restaurants.
TIS THE SEASON
Christmas Lighted Boat Parade/Cannonball Christmas Express
The City of Mount Dora loves Christmas, from its impressive light displays all over Mount Dora neighborhoods and huge Christmas trees that light up town squares. The Christmas Lighted Boat Parade is always a spectacle at the Lake Dora Lighthouse, where local boat owners compete for originality and best-in-show titles.
If you missed this year’s parade on December 5, you can still enjoy the city of Tavares’s Cannonball Christmas Express the entire month of December. Bound for the “North Pole” from the Tavares Train Station, you can “enjoy hot chocolate & cookies on the station platform” while waiting for your train. “Santa will board the train … to visit with kids of all ages and present each child with a gift,” all in a magical 50 minute trip! Bonus visits along the train from Eugene the Elf and Mrs. Claus make this family event a one-of-a-kind Christmas experience.
http://www.orangeblossomcannonball.com/theme-rides/
RESTAURANTS ON LAKE DORA
The Goblin Market
“Celebrating seventeen years in the historic downtown Mount Dora village,” the Goblin Market’s unique concept of “casual elegance” shines in this Lake Dora restaurant. This restaurant takes pride in its “intimate, book-lined dining rooms,” “alfresco” courtyard and garden patio, and “personable and attentive staff,” operating under a simple philosophy to provide a unique experience complete with high quality products. Their fresh meat, seafood, and other homemade delicacies such as the jumbo lump Crab Bisque soup will make you fall in love with this one-of-a-kind Mount Dora establishment.
http://thegoblinmarketrestaurant.com/
ALS Sand Bar/Puddle Jumpers Lakeside
The name ALS stands for Air, Land and Sea, and is your simple, American style restaurant that boasts casual waterfront dining on the northwestern corner of Lake Dora. Although ALS Landing might have closed earlier this year, ALS still stands strong with its sister dining experience – the Sand Bar Island Cantina. ALS Sand Bar sits directly on the Tavares Seaplane Base & Marina and provides live musical entertainment daily. ALS menu features fresh, hand-crafted burgers, hand-battered fish and chips, and other daily specials that are “not just good but great.”
http://www.alssandbar.com/
ALS Landing quickly re-emerged after remodeling and under a new name, “Puddle Jumpers,” a term that refers to small seaplanes. Puddle Jumpers features the same casual lakeside experience, with a few upscale menu options that highlight the “extreme care for the food and drinks” served at this spectacular restaurant.
Both locations feature a full bar and invite you to “watch the seaplanes land while enjoying life and good food” – exactly what life in America’s Seaplane City of Tavares on beautiful Lake Dora is all about.
http://puddlejumperslakeside.com/
Pisces Rising
For a smart, casual dining experience featuring a one-piece mahogany bar, comforting jazz music, and floor-to-ceiling windows letting in the picturesque Lake Dora sunset, Pisces Rising is a happy mix of Florida history and modern dining. The restaurant is “lovingly wrapped around a Florida cracker bungalow-style home built in the 1920s,” and focuses on freshness, from its meat and seafood to its seasonal vegetables and flair. Pisces Rising features live music and monthly three-course wine dinners, occurring every third weekend of the month with wine provided by family-owned Maggie’s Attic Wine and Beer Cellar.
http://www.piscesrisingdining.com/
OTHER SHOPPES/ATTRACTIONS
Lakeside Inn
The Lakeside Inn has been a landmark for history and hospitality in Mount Dora since 1883. For more than a century, this lovely Victorian Era inn has provided a unique and classic destination for tourists and pioneers, accessible before railways by lake steamer from Jacksonville and the Harris Chain of Lakes. Beautiful cypress trees and other native subtropical vegetation are complemented by the many possible sightings of bald eagles, alligators, egrets, and turtles that can still be seen today on the Dora Canal. Since Florida’s coastal railroad boom of the Roaring 20s, the Lakeside Inn has fought the quick decline of Central Florida tourism and stood the test of time, remaining as the last Victorian Era hotel of the area and the “oldest continuously-operated hotel in the State of Florida.” The inn offers 87 guest suites, weekly entertainment, their local arts, crafts, and gift item shop The Gatehouse, and indoor and outdoor function areas alike for social and business events and beautiful weddings.
http://www.lakeside-inn.com/
Malena & Magda’s Boutique
Malena and Magda’s Boutique is your small city boutique with an elegant and exclusive twist. Malena & Magda’s takes pride to offer their customers great quality and exclusive items. The boutique carries a unique variety of designer leather and vegan purses, while always featuring a wide selection of jewelry and other items made by local artists. “None of our purses or jewelry are alike,” says Magdalena, who named the store after her and her grandmother’s nicknames. “You always will find something different at very reasonable prices.” Their products include handbags by Carbotti, Nicole Lee, Sondra Roberts, Ili New York, and Dida. If you aren’t charmed by the cotton clothing made with Pima and organic cottons from Peru, right beside you can find knitted tops made in Greece by designer John P. or a pair of handmade ElizaB. flip-flops to show off lakeside.
http://malenaspurses.com/
Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides
Downtown Mount Dora stands as one of the best romantic getaways in all of Central Florida, streets lined with New England architecture highlighting the city’s century of history. With Victorian details, beautiful lakeside parks perfect for romantic walks, and horse-drawn carriage rides, Mount Dora transports you to a simpler time. The carriage rides are an exceptional activity during Christmas time in Mount Dora, passing through streets lined with Christmas lights on historic houses and trees draped with bulbs.
HOMES ON THE LAKE
20 Active Listings
9 properties with private pools
2 bed 1 bath – 6 bed 5 bath
$249,000 – 1.795mil List price
1 Active with Contract
1 property with private pool
4 bed 4 bath
$634,900 List price
2 Pending Listings
2 bed 2 bath – 4 bed 4 bath
$345,000 – 557,000 List price
10 Sold Listings (past 6 mo.)
3 properties with private pools
2 bed 1 bath – 4 bed 6 bath
$69,900 – 1.795mil List price
$54,900 – 1.725mil Sold price
Even more properties are available close to Lake Dora without direct lake frontage. Talk to the Mike Rance Team today to see what is available or schedule a showing to get your hunt started for your dream house!
Mike Rance, Realtor 