| Just a few minutes north of downtown
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| | moved the house about 75 feet per hour.
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| Orlando awaits Winter Park, a charming
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| | After the house was in position at its
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| picturesque suburb steeped in history.
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| | new location, skilled craftsmen worked on
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| After my excursion on the Scenic Boat
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| | restoring it to its original 1933
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| Tour, my local expert Wanda Salerno took
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| | condition. A special landscape design was
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| me on a little walk through town past
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| | commissioned to reflect the style of the
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| beautiful historic neighbourhoods.
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| | era.
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| With is origins as a citrus growing
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| | Today, Casa Feliz is available to rent
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| region, Winter Park became a major
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| | for weddings, parties, business meetings
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| destination for wealthy northerners
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| | and events. Its unique features provide
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| during the early 1900s, who came into
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| | the perfect backdrop for a truly
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| town by train to reach their elegant
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| | memorable event.
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| winter retreats, seeking shelter from the
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| | As a centre of local culture, Winter Park
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| cold winters of the north. Elegant
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| | also features three well-known museums:
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| mansions and and stately old oak trees
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| | - the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of
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| draped with Spanish moss bear witness to
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| | American art, which holds the world's
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| this historic era.
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| | most comprehensive collection of works by
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| Wanda then took me through some of Winter
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| | Louis Comfort Tiffany, including
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| Park's hidden courtyards, which are
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| | Tiffany's 1893 Chapel. The museum also
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| filled with specialty retail stores and
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| | features paintings, furniture and other
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| galleries. Winter Park features a large
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| | works primarily from the late 19th and
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| variety of galleries and I had a chance
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| | 20th centuries.
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| to sample three of them, all of which
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| | - the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture
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| carried vastly different artwork:
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| | Garden: 3 acres of gardens, featuring
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| - Scott Laurent Collections
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| | sculptures and painters by Albin Polasek.
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| - Native Visions Gallery
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| | The museum is listed on the National
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| - Timothy's
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| | Register of Historic Places.
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| Our walk took us out on to Winter Park's
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| | - the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, which
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| main street, Park Avenue, which houses 10
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| | focuses on western world art of the 20th
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| blocks of specialty retailers, galleries
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| | century and includes paintings, drawings,
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| and ecclectic restaurants. Park Avenue is
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| | sculptures and other art from America and
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| flanked on its west side by Central Park
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| | Europe. This museum is located at Rollins
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| which offers a welcome sanctuary of
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| | College, one of the top rated liberal
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| relaxation with its graceful fountain,
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| | arts colleges in the country.
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| walking paths and shaded benches.
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| | The Winter Park Historical Museum
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| We then went on to explore Casa Feliz
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| | examines various historic time periods,
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| ("Happy House" in Spanish), the signature
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| | interchanging exhibits and rotating
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| residential work of renowned architect
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| | displays highlight some of the changes
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| James Gamble Rogers II.
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| | that have occurred in central Florida.
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| In 1932 Robert Bruce Barbour, a chemical
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| | While I explored the town my husband
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| engineer from Massachusetts, commissioned
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| | actually played a round of golf at the
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| Rogers to design a home on Lake Osceola,
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| | 9-hole Winter Park Country Club, which is
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| which turned out to be the
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| | nestled beautifully inside Winter Park's
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| Andalusian-style masonry farmhouse that
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| | historic neighbourhood. The WPCC is the
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| we see today. This home was not only
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| | second oldest golf club in the Central
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| cherished by Barbour, but by the
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| | Florida area and makes its way through
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| community as well. Throughout its
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| | the downtown Winter Park area and
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| history, it has hosted garden club tours,
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| | provides a challenge to even the most
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| symphony orchestra concerts, poetry
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| | experienced golfer. He enjoyed his
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| social meetings and a dinner for author
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| | outing, and a cost of $12, it was an
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| Sinclair Lewis.
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| | extremely affordable outing on a
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| In 2001, in order to prevent the house
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| | well-maintained golf course.
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| from demolition, Casa Feliz was moved
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| | We capped off our excursion with an
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| across Interlachen Avenue to its present
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| | enjoyable dinner at a restaurant called
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| location on Park Avenue. This move was
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| | 310 Park Avenue, right on Winter Park's
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| one of the most dramatic events in Winter
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| | main strip. While a good portion of the
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| Park's history. Casa Feliz was
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| | Orlando area is very new, Winter Park is
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| transported on 20 pneumatically levelled
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| | a welcome oasis of history and ambience
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| dollies, and an elaborate pulley system
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| | that is perfect for a day of exploring.
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