“To travel is to live”.
(Hans Christian Andersen)
Happy to report the Walk into the Future adventures continue. I am excited to get back to regular excursions again with more and more people being vaccinated. COVID-19 put a halt to most outings, but I am getting comfortable being out and about again.
Decided to explore a familiar area recently and ventured back over to Winter Park, Florida to spend a day on Park Avenue. Park Avenue has an eclectic feel and provides multiple places to shop, dine and entertain yourself without having to get in and out of your car.
My day started with a trip to my favorite run shop, Track Shack. I make a point to visit Track Shack whenever I’m in the area because the staff makes me feel at home. They also update their running gear selections, and I am always looking for new training ideas and gear. I wear Track Shack gear during my races and wanted to see if they had new color schemes to add to my wardrobe. I did not buy new gear on this trip but picked up some CBD gel caps.
I added CBD to my training program last year to help with soreness and inflammation from running. My run friends recommended CBD and I finally decided to add to my program to keep me running. CBD has allowed me to continue to train hard and not miss sessions due to soreness—it also helps me relax and sleep better. Give it a try!
Made my way over to Park Avenue after leaving Track Shack. The Winter Park Farmer’s Market is a huge Saturday attraction, and I made a stop to see what the vendors had for sell. The kettle corn vendor was the most popular vendor of the day—it is amazing to see folks buy the huge bags of kettle corn. I like kettle corn but could not make myself buy the supersized bags the vendor had.
There was a vendor at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market selling jerky—this is not a revelation but was surprised with the selection available. Most people know about beef, turkey, and alligator jerky. The surprise for me was this vendor had kangaroo jerky. I had no idea people ate kangaroo and did not expect it as a jerky selection. I am not a huge jerky fan but wondered all day why anyone would eat kangaroo jerky—may have to try it next time I am at the Winter Park Farmer’s Market.
Took the short walk over to Park Avenue to explore the shops and dining options available. Track Shack hosts multiple races in this area so I am familiar with Park Avenue—the races start and end in the heart of the entertainment district here.
Found a corner breakfast spot that I had never visited before. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery has a great menu and provides the perfect spot to dine, and people watch at the same time. This spot is right off Park Avenue but gets a lot of foot traffic. Most people came in for baked goods, but several stayed for breakfast and the coffee. The Croissant Gourmet Bakery layout reminds me of a New York style bakery—the staff was friendly and got people in and out. I had a traditional breakfast (two eggs, potatoes, bacon, toast with coffee). They had a fantastic raspberry jam I would recommend if you visit the Croissant Gourmet Bakery—well worth the trip. I plan to visit this spot again when I am back in Winter Park.
One of my reasons to visit Park Avenue was to venture into the Wine Room again. The Wine Room provides a unique experience where you can purchase a wine card and then explore wines from around the world. Insert your wine card and then decide if you want a sip, half glass or full glass. This is a great way to try multiple wines and not commit too much money if you decide you are not a fan. I strategically visited the Croissant Gourmet Bakery first to ensure I ate something prior to exploring wine options. 😊
I am a novice wine drinker, so the Wine Room allows folks like me to try different wines without committing too much to the process. I favor the sweeter wines but experiment with others by purchasing by the sip. This process helps me determine if I like the wine and not waste time or money if I do not. I tried multiple wines that caught my interest, and most were very good.
I made my way back to the sweet Italian wine section and found one I really enjoyed. Decided to go all in and purchased a full glass to enjoy. The Wine Room is a great place to enjoy wine and get some people watching in. There were several folks there who really knew wine and it was interesting listening to them describe the wines to each other.
Will leverage their knowledge on my next visit to the Wine Room and explore additional wines—one sip at a time.
The most talked about wine during my visit was the Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon. It was very good, and I will try it again when I am back in the Wine Room:
https://www.abcfws.com/caymus-cabernet-sauvignon/234305
Left the Wine Room and got some window-shopping in. There were a lot of people out for the afternoon, and everyone had smiles. This was a fantastic way to spend the day and I enjoyed every minute of my time on Park Avenue. Look forward to additional adventures on Park Avenue—this may turn into a monthly getaway for me. 😊
Where have you wanted to visit? Give Park Avenue a try if you are in the Orlando area—highly recommended.
Irie!
https://orlandodatenightguide.com/2016/09/guide-perfect-afternoon-park-avenue-winter-park/
Walk Into the Future 