We continue our road trip to avoid Wisconsin’s winter with a week in Orlando. The Fountains is one of our favorite resorts in the Bluegreen lineup because it offers a beautiful and relaxing oasis amidst the chaos of Orlando.

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Dodging the Deep Freeze 2020.

On this trip we have more time than money and – since we all know Disney ain’t cheap – we skipped Mickey this time. I will admit it was tough to be so close and yet so far away from the Happiest Place on Earth, but we’ve visited many times so I guess I’ll survive. Even if you’re not really into rides, princesses and star troopers, Disney World reiterates the theme of this post – Orlando is the City Beautiful.

Time to Kill

We checked out of the Orange Lake Resort in Kissimmee this morning and were moving a whopping 12.5 miles, so we had some time to kill before checkin. We came up with a plan for what to do with all that spare time, which shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Pioneer Village at Shingle Creek is open daily for a self-guided tour, but a one-hour guided tour is available on Monday and Wednesday from 10:30-1:30. This place would have been pretty underwhelming had it not been for our tour guide, so keep that in mind if you visit. Al explained a lot of Osceola County’s history and added his dry sense of humor to the mix, making it a very enjoyable hour.

“The Pioneer Village is comprised of a permanent collection of authentic structures which once stood in different areas of Osceola County. They were carefully relocated to our present location and gently preserved to demonstrate how life was once lived before our modern times.

The village includes a general store and post office, schoolhouse, church, train depot, homesteads from Osceola settlers, Seminole settlement, a cow camp and working structures such as a blacksmith shop, citrus packing plant, cane grinder, and barn.” – READ MORE

Time for Lunch

We retrieved our trusty Playmate cooler, made a sandwich and spent several hours on the northern shore of Lake Tohopekaliga at Kissimmee Lakefront Park. All the while we were eating our lunch, we were being driven a little crazy by the song from a parked ice cream truck. Unfortunately, by the time we finished our lunch and our walk (when we really had a hankering for some ice cream) it was nowhere to be found.

The marina area was quite beautiful and even though there was a stiff wind and the clouds rolled in and out, the sun was warm and the sky was a beautiful blue. The park has several pavilions with grills and picnic tables, playgrounds and plenty of sidewalks for some long walks. We saw signs to be on the lookout for alligators, but didn’t see any wildlife at all, except for a few more long-legged birds.

Lake Toho is one of the best bass-fishing lakes in Florida and several major tournaments are held here every year. Be sure to check out the guy’s t-shirt in the photo below.

Added Bonus

A Lighthouse was an added bonus and stood proudly near the end of a short peninsula. Since I wasn’t able to find any info on the lighthouse, I’m assuming it’s just ornamental. Click on the link for some beautiful photos of the lighthouse at night. We walked for quite a ways and took a break on several of the park benches just for a different perspective on the lake all around us. This was a very good find and we enjoyed our down time while we were between accommodations.

Home at Last

Once we checked into the Fountains, we could feel ourselves relax. In the past, we’ve stayed in a presidential or two-bedroom units in one of the buildings that encircle the big pool. This time ours is the tall building just left of center in the photo below.

Our one bedroom condo was beautifully updated and just the right size for the two of us. Our balcony provided a great view of the boardwalk behind our building that we had never really paid much attention to before, so we could hardly wait for a little exploration of the resort.

A Little Nature with our Condo

The serene setting of Lake Eve added another dimension to a resort that we have been to many times, by adding a little nature to our visit. What more could we ask for?

According to a sign, “Lake Eve is an Environmentally Protected Lake. All fish caught must be returned to the lake. PLEASE HELP US SAVE THE WILDLIFE.” Ducks and fish were abundant in the lake, and lily pads provide a splash of color as well as lunch and a place to rest for turtles.

Wakoola Springs Pool is Worth the Walk

Although we had a pool right below our balcony, the height our building blocked the sun during a fair amount of the day. That would be a good thing in the hot summer sun but in mid-February – not so much.

That’s when we took a short walk to the 75,000-square-foot tropical oasis of Wakoola Springs (seen in the birds-eye view above), which also offers the Wakoola Bar & Grill. This is by far our favorite pool, with a zero-entry kiddy section and two waterslides. The best thing about it is – even when the resort is in full-capacity mode – the pool doesn’t feel crowded. And it’s beautiful!

Disney Springs

Although we didn’t go to Disney World, we did spend a wonderful afternoon/evening at Disney Springs. We enjoyed live music and a few beverages at the House of Blues, as well as a stroll around part of the lake. We will definitely need a do-over there next year when we return.

“Happily Whatever You’re After. Discover an unexpected side of Disney — where shopping, dining and entertainment dreams come true!” – READ MORE

A (Little) More Nature

We had a nice outing at the Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve, but we actually saw more wildlife walking around our resort!

A very nice Visitor Center was full of information about the area and had an enclosure for this big ole snapping turtle. Good thing he was awesome, because he was our only wildlife for the day – although technically not wild. The trail was muddy and narrow (and a little creepy) with the standard “Beware of Gators” signs posted at the entrance. It was not nearly as relaxing as previous nature walks because of the brush that was very close to our legs. Chomp chomp.

But we made it through the scary part to a nice boardwalk, which ended at a small lake. Although there was not one bird, or gator, or turtle, I did enjoy the quiet and the nature that is Florida.

Goodbye Orlando!

That just about does it for Orlando. I don’t have a lot to report since we spent so much time lounging by the pool drinking those pretty red drinks! After a couple days with family in Fort Lauderdale, we make another move. If you think this was paradise, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Next up: Drink, Dine, Relax, Repeat

Happy trails,
Barb