Celebration, Florida – December 22, 2013
Celebration, Florida was our destination of choice today. It is the town that the Disney Company began building in 1994. I can remember reading about the development of the planned community back then.
When we arrived this morning, we parked near the Post Office. That building has a unique architectural style. Very near the Post Office was a little coffee shop, the Sweet Escape Bakery. Of course, we had to stop. The weather was beautiful enough to allow us to sit outside. That way we could watch the world go by as we drank our coffee.
The Post Office in Celebration, Florida.
After coffee, we walked both sides of Market Street. Other than a couple of t-shirts, we did not buy anything.
The architectural style of the entire town is reminiscent of small-town America in the 1950s. It is laid out in a very pedestrian-friendly manner. Most of the houses have white picket fences or some such. To me, it is a very soothing environment. The business area on Market Street has a similar 50s feel.
A water fountain on Market Street.
During our stroll through town, we picked up a local newspaper. One of the sections was for real estate in that area. The prices ranged from around $350,000 to $2,800,00. I don’t think I will be moving there any time soon!
We ended up walking along the business district by Lake Rianhard. That is where we came across the iconic tower above the movie theater with the word “Celebration.”
When we had driven into town, we had seen signs for a farmers’ market. From the lake business district, we could see the market. We walked a couple of blocks to that location. It was a mix of locals selling fruit, vegetables, arts and crafts, and homemade foodstuffs. We bought some unique glass drink coasters at one booth directly from the artist.
One stand was selling homemade tortilla chips, guacamole, and salsa. We stopped for a taste test. They were amazing. The vendors were Hispanic. Hillary and Tyler took the opportunity to speak to them in Spanish. I joined in with Leslie. They seemed amazed that we could speak Spanish. From our accents, they could immediately tell we learned to speak in Spain. We had a good time with them.
The conversation of the day, while we were wandering around started when Hillary said, “This is so Audrey Hepburn!”
Leslie followed with, “I am glad I came.”
Lorraine rounded it out with “Ditto.”
It is a town that is worth the visit if one is in the Orlando area.
A classic MG on Celebration Avenue.
