The very first Sweepstakes Winners & their Mount Dora experience.

I finally caught up with Joanne Stevens from Venice, FL who was our very first Mount Dora Play, Shop, Dine & Stay Sweepstakes winner.  She gave me some details of her July visit to Mount Dora when she came with a best friend and her daughter for a girlfriend's get-a-way weekend.

Joanne has been to Mount Dora before and was delighted when she was randomly selected from thousands of entries as the very first winner of the Sweepstakes.  She immediately booked her accommodations at her favorite "home away from home," the Mount Dora Cottages owned and operated by Jim & Ana Tuttle.  Though her lodging portion of the winnings was just enough to cover a one night stay she decided to book another night in addition.

Joanne told me that she started her visit to Mount Dora with cocktails on the deck at Pisces Rising overlooking beautiful Lake Dora.  She had dinner there and then went into town for some shopping before retiring for the evening.

Joanne dined at Chew Chew Express Sandwich Depot three times during her stay.  She says it is always very good and she really appreciates the family style atmosphere provided by Mark & Tracey who own and operate this local favorite.

Day two of her trip was highlighted by a visit to Pure Aveda Salonspa where her group went for the "full treatment."  Joanne indicated they would be returning for many more visits to Pure Aveda Salonspa!

They rounded out the day with some serious shopping at our many fabulous shops, cupcakes at Mount Dora Cupcakes on 5th Ave. and finally cocktails in the Viking Lounge located above the Frosty Mug Icelandic Restaurant.

Joanne wanted to do even more shopping but because she was the very first to visit Mount Dora with the contest winning "Dora Dollars," many of the merchants unfamiliar with the program turned her away.  We have hopefully solved any of those problems for the future as the Sweepstakes expands into 2010.

Joanne ended by saying, "We had a wonderful time in Mount Dora.  My best friend Charlene and I spent a girls weekend together. We met up with my daughter who just moved to Mount Dora from Texas. We shopped all the stores,and ate and ate and ate!  I love staying at the Mt Dora Cottages, it's just like home.  Jim and Ana are the best.
We had a blast, a lot of fun and laughs."
Joanne Stevens

Register now for your chance to win the Mount Dora Play, Shop, Dine & Stay Sweepstakes.

Brian

Green Certified Tremain Street Cottages in historic, downtown Mount Dora.

• Tremain Street Cottages rated "excellent" by 22 travelers
  

Trip Advisor has given the Tremain Street Cottages a nice "seal of approval" recently by providing them a "badge of excellence" to be placed on their marketing materials and website. This badge links directly to the reviews for the Tremain Street Cottages which average 5 stars.

The cottages are conveniently located in the historic district within easy walking distance of every point of interest in town. The two ground floor cottages are pet & child friendly so bring the entire family along. If a quiet getaway is more your style then the upstairs cottages offer solitude and quaintness.

Consider Tremain Street Cottages for your next Mount Dora getaway!

• 24 reviews of Tremain Street Cottages in Mount Dora

Mount Dora Village Merchant's & Business Association Play, Shop, Dine & Stay Sweepstakes!

The Mount Dora Village Merchant's & Business Association, Inc. and it's 80 members is sponsoring a Mount Dora Getaway sweepstakes this summer. Register to win at www.WhatToDoInMountDora.com. No purchase necessary to enter or win the sweepstakes!

Winner will receive accommodations for 2 at their choice of any member lodging establishment, dinner and brunch at any member restaurant, a shopping spree at any member shop or store and an activity at any member spa or tour operation.

Register to win and stay tuned for more details.

Super Summer Savings at Tremain Street Cottages in Downtown Mount Dora!

Summer Savings!

We've got a great way for you to spend your lazy summer days.

From now through August ...

Book any 2 nights and get your 3rd night FREE!

877-268-3672
(877- 2 - MT DORA)

Book online and save an additional $10.

www.TremainStreetCottages.com

There are plenty of ways for you to save and still get away!

Lake County Tourism Day on May 15th.

Many Mount Dora businesses will be on hand at Lake County Tourism Day on May 15th.
Take a ride on an all-terrain Segway courtesy of Segway of Central Florida or take a free carriage ride from Hitch 'N Time, both are Mount Dora based businesses.

The free event, which is sponsored by the Lake County Department of Tourism and Business Relations, will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lake County Welcome Center, 20763 U.S. Highway 27, north of Groveland.

Mother's Day Savings at Tremain Street Cottages

Save 25% on two nights at the Tremain Street Cottages for Mother's Day. Book online and save even more.

Discover Mount Dora's fabulous Inns, B&B's & Cottages

From sprawling estates filled with 100 year old oak trees to Victorian Style Manors, Mount Dora has lodging that will fit every taste. Visit www.MountDoraLodging.com for upcoming summer specials that will put you in the heart of the action in Mount Dora at an affordable price.

Check out the Innkeepers Blog at www.InnSideStory.com where you can find stories, fabulous Innkeeper recipes and guest comments to give you the Inn-Side track.

Airport Transportation to Mount Dora.

A question I am quite frequently asked by visitors planning a trip to Mount Dora is about Airport transportation. Lake Limo has been serving in this capacity for some time and is currently running "door to door" specials for as low as $29.00 each way. Contact them here:

Lake Limo 321 Southridge Industrial Dr. Tavares, Florida 32778
Checked Monday thru Friday at 10AM	Lake County - 352.742.2808 Marion County - 352.622.2292 Toll Free - 800.448.2808

Introducing "WhatToDoInVenice.com".

When you are in the mood for some time at the beach check out our newest venture in Venice, FL.

www.WhatToDoInVenice.com

Kayaking with the Manatees...

Have you ever wanted to get "up close and personal" with one of the most endangered species in the world? Just an hour's drive from Mount Dora is Homosassa Springs, winter home of hundreds of these gentle giants. This is one of the few places you may actually swim with and interact with these fabulous creatures.

Rachelle and I recently had the opportunity to visit the springs with some of our Mount Dora friends. Check out the lastest video posted on Innside Story.

"Click Here"
Video Blog

Brian

New Spa at the Historic Lakeside Inn...

New spa services at the Lakeside Inn. Check out the Orlando Sentinel Article.

This Historic Landmark is celebrating it's 125th year in operation.

Mount Dora Snow and Ski Report.

Hey folks, the freezing temps and moisture from the past few days have left feet of fresh powder all over the slopes of Mount Dora. All lifts are open with fresh powder trails to blaze on every run!

Just kidding of course. Our mountain is only 183 feet above sea level at best and the sun is shining with temps in the upper 70's. The little bit of ice on my garage melted in seconds when the sun came up this morning.

I am skiing in Whistler/Blackcomb, Canada by the time you read this though! Somebody has to support the Canadian ski industry so I volunteered myself for this week.

Try a Segway today.

How about a Segway tour of the Historic Downtown? Stop by Segway of Lake County on 5th Ave. and take your WhatToDoInMountDora.com VIP Card for a 10% Discount off of your tour.

Brian

Renninger's Antique Extravaganza!!

January 16th is the next scheduled Renninger's Antique Extravaganza. Over 1400 dealers and 40,000 shoppers are expected to attend this event in Mount Dora. Here is the itinerary:

The action starts at 8:00 AM Friday morning with two hours of shopping
our inside dealers. Many have saved special merchandise just for the
Extravaganza, so there are fresh treasures to be found.

At precisely 10:00 AM, our outside dealers open up. Some of our shoppers
make a mad dash to find their favorite dealers. Others set a more leisurely
pace, saving themselves for the long haul. Still others continue shopping
inside, choosing to do the 1,000+ outside dealers later.

If the number of packages being carried is any indication, all three groups
seem to be successful!

There is plenty of parking! But, our regular visitors know to arrive fairly
early to get the best spot. Many have arranged to stay in a local motel or
Bed & Breakfast, knowing they'll want to spend more than just one day here.

Most folks alternate between the outside and inside dealers -- enjoying the
fresh air and sunshine, and trekking back and forth to their cars with
packages; then popping into our air-conditioned buildings to cool off and
discover still more treasures.

Make your plans to attend now, there are still a few rooms left in the local inns.

Average 5 Star Reviews for Tremain Street Cottages!

“Tremain street cottages a great place to stay”

CAM47FLORIDA

florida

Nov 20, 2008

We have stayed at The Tremain Street Cottages several times and had a great experience each time. We have found each room to be very charming, along with being neat, clean and very relaxing and within walking distance to all out needs. Thank you Brian and Rachelle for being such great hosts from the time we check in until the time we leave. We will definitely be back again.

• This TripAdvisor Member:
  • Liked — Location Was Great
  • 
    

“Great Place and VERY helpful owner.”
ColoradoGalleryOwner

Georgetown, Colorado

Nov 19, 2008

0/1 found this review helpful

My mom and I stayed in The Nantucket in November and Loved it! Just a few blocks from all the restaurants and shops of quaint downtown Mt. Dora, the cottage was so comfortable and cute and well located that my mom decided she wanted to go back for several months in the winter. (We live in Colorado at 8600 ft. and mom has decided she's done with winters here :) ). We called the owner, Brian, right after our return and unfortunately he was already booked for part of the time she wanted to be there. So..., Brian spent 2 days looking for a Different place for her! How completely amazing that he would spend so much of his personal time looking for a place for us, when he knew he wouldn't be getting a booking from us. Far above the call of duty, if you ask me. While we were there, Brian recommended restaurants and gave directions whenever we needed. The cottages are located on a quiet residential street, and Brian lives just down the block. He's close enough if we needed anything, yet far enough that we really felt like we had our own little cottage. We asked for a tour of the other cottages (two buildings with an upstairs and downstairs cottage in each) and we could have been comfortable in any of them. Definitely a positive experience!

• This TripAdvisor Member:
  • Liked — Just loved the total experience.
  • Disliked — Nothing I can think of to complain about.

This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.

Things To Do In Mount Dora!

Check out the ACTIVITIES section of our website on WhatToDoInMountDora.com for all of the possibilities.

Innside Story: The Grandview Bed & Breakfast

In continuing my quest to be a backyard tourist, I packed my overnight bag and makeup case and rode down to a meandering driveway only four blocks away from my home ... but a world away. With a large wrap around porch enveloping the main house, swaying palm trees and a windmill cottage the Grandview Bed & Breakfast is a classic small Southern estate.

After settling in, we sat by the fireplace, sipping red wine and nibbling on crackers and cheese while listening to their many fascinating stories of growing up in the Carolina's on a tobacco farm, renovating historic homes and the experience of opening their first B&B on Ocracoke Island.

To read more about our experience at The Grandview and other guest comments, click here: Innside Story.

--Rachelle

Fresh Perspective

I've had the wonderful opportunity to be a tourist in my own backyard this week in a much different way then the day trips I've been taking and blogging about this year. I was invited along with the rest of the WhatToDoInMountDora.com team to spend the night at two of our town's distinguished b&b's; The Grandview and the Mount Dora Historic Inn.

At first I thought it might be strange sleeping only three blocks away from my home, but what a fresh perspective it gave me. I think we sometimes get stuck in similar routines and schedules and we loose that first pure outlook that we have when we first visit a place that we've never explored before.

To make the experience well-rounded, we walked around town doing what visitors usually do, all the while I was trying to avoid being lured like a magnet back to my home and office where a ton of work waited for me on my desk. After all, I'm supposed to be "vacationing" in my hometown, right?

We had lunch, went shopping, got caught in a rainstorm and popped in for a spontaneous waiting-out-the rain pedicure. It was nice being welcomed in without an appointment.

The pedicure we had a Synergy Salon & Spa was the experience that finally tipped me over the edge into vacation-mode. Their pampering and waiting on us hand and foot (no pun intended) finally allowed me to relax.

After doing some new things in town and spending extended time with fellow innkeepers Mel & Andy and Jim & Ana, I fell in love with Mount Dora all over again.

Stay tuned for our in-depth stories about The Grandview and Mount Dora Historic Inn featured on the Innkeepers Blog: InnSide Story. To be posted soon!

--Rachelle

Mount Dora, a dog friendly town.

Mount Dora may well be the pet friendliest town that I known of. I will give you some wonderful examples of why that conclusion is easy to reach in this post. Your pets will love it here so load them up and bring them to town.

Mount Dora has it's very own dedicated monthly pet-friendly event for the entire family.  Every second Sunday you can discover pet-friendly Mount Dora and WIN fabulous prizes!  PAWS for Mount Dora.


We have our own Mount Dora Dog Park, Mount D.O.R.A. (Dog Off-leash Recreation Area). The City of Mount Dora along with private citizens built this park last year and kicked the whole thing off with the BarkFest. They raised enough money for future expansion of the Dog Park.


Dowtown on the corner of 4th and Donnelly you can find Piglet's Pantry, Mount Dora's only dog bakery. Here you will find an assortment of treats that are sure to please the canine pallet.

We also have Hobscott Pet Supplies which is a pet store specializing in natural foods. The owners are true pet lovers and have over 40 years experience to share in the trade. Be sure and take your pet for a visit.

We have a number of eateries and restaurants in town that allow pets in the outdoor seating areas. Pets are welcome in designated areas at Mt Dora Sushi & Steak, Chew Chew Express, Cecile's French Corner, One Flight Up, The Mount Dora Coffee House, A Taste of Chicago, Pisces Rising on the deck, La Cremerie, Copacobana Cuban Cafe, Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill & PizzAmore. Some of these establishments will provide fresh water and treats for the furry visitors.

Mount Dora has a number of pet friendly lodging establishments which will provide your pet with wonderful "creature" comforts. Some of the more popular pet accommodations include the Tremain Street Cottages in downtown. Tremain Street Cottages has two pet friendly cottages, the ground floor Nantucket Cottage and the two bedroom Garden Cottage.  Mount Dora Cottages also provides cozy accommodations for furry visitors in addition to the new Maison En Ville.  For a complete list of pet friendly lodging establishments please visit the Pet Friendly section of the http://www.whattodoinmtdora.com website.

Plan your next trip to Mount Dora with your pet in mind.

Chow Chow,
Brian