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February 13, 2015 By Hailey

More Than Mouse Ears: Orlando, Florida

Orlando, Florida.

Best known for Mickey, Minnie and Cinderella’s castle, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the controversial splash of Shamu, and copious amounts of sunshine, heat, and humidity.

Right?

Hollywood Studios
Hogwarts Castle
Shamu at SeaWorld

Yes, the gang’s all here… and we really do love them! BUT unless you live in Central Florida, you may not realize that Orlando has so much more to offer its residents and visitors than large aquatic mammals, amusement parks, and oversized spaces to host Megacon conventions and high school sports tournaments.

NY Times 52 Places to Go in 2015

In fact, Orlando is on the cutting edge of cuisine, art, architecture and entrepreneurial innovations, a slice of local pride that landed The City Beautiful in the lucky #13 spot on the NY Times’ list 52 Places to Go in 2015 last month!

I have lived in Orlando for over four years now. As a local Airbnb host, I have the opportunity to share with my guests some of ‘the other’ aspects of this city, a city that is bursting with creativity, a city that is much, much more than mouse ears.

Today and for the first post in this series, I’d like to introduce DOWNTOWN ORLANDO.

Downtown Orlando

Stately business buildings, historic church steeples, and high-end apartments dominate the downtown skyline – an impressive sight, indeed, for this once tiny town. Even more remarkable than downtown Orlando’s shiny exterior are the ways in which the creative culture is breaking through the polished corporate veneer.

For example, formerly lifeless buildings, such as the Church Street Exchange, have been resurrected by the power of collaboration. Tech companies, art galleries, and a few fashion enterprises are moving in to this elegant superstructure, which is quickly becoming a haven for hipsters and a center for unconventional work spaces. If only we could all have ping pong tables and IKEA couches in our offices…

Church Street Exchange
Church Street Exchange Iron Yard
Church Street Exchange Stairs

The artistic arena in downtown Orlando has also undergone a major metamorphosis over the last five years with the addition of two colossal structures. The newest kid on the block – and directly across from City Hall – is the long-awaited, state-of-the-art venue: The Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts. This appealing architectural vision is home to two theaters, music classrooms, dance studios, and exquisite event spaces. The next phase of the project will add a symphonic hall on the north side of the building, another dramatic dimension of this palace for the performing arts.

Dr. Phillips Center of Performing Arts
The Dr. Phillips Center
Dr. Phillips Center Stairs
The Spiral Staircase

The other heavyweight player in downtown’s entertainment industry is The Amway Center, which opened in the fall of of 2010. Home of the Orlando Magic and the host for big-named concerts (T Swift, please come soon!), Amway draws large crowds from all over Florida. For more intimate productions, locals enjoy downtown Orlando’s smaller entertainment venues like The Social and the SAK Comedy Club.

Amway Center

While chain sandwich shops, pizza joints, and local cafes abound, innovative dining options, such as The Rusty Spoon, Kasa, and Artisan’s Table, have put downtown Orlando on the culinary map. Also, locals know that downtown bartenders are shaking up imaginative cocktail creations at trendy taprooms like The Woods on Orange Avenue.

The Rusty Spoon
The Rusty Spoon
Artisan's Table
Artisan’s Table

Without a doubt, the downtown heartbeat has picked up tempo in recent years thanks to considerable revitalization efforts. An assortment of clubs and bars present party-goers with a vibrant and varied nighttime scene, especially on the weekends. Disclaimer and Warning: While there’s plenty of trendy, there’s also plenty of trashy. Unless you are not terrified by scantily clad women stumbling through the streets like a zombie apocalypse, whatever you do, do not – I repeat, do NOT – go downtown on Halloween! Seriously. The lack of clothing coverage is utterly frightening.

Church Street Station

On a much lighter note, the official symbol of The City Beautiful is Lake Eola and its signature fountain. The surrounding park is a hub for families, festivals, and regular events like the Sunday Farmers’ Market. Where else can you paddle a swan boat around, nap next to a Chinese pagoda, and then sip on a cold brew from an outdoor patio in February? Is it too absurd to say that Downtown Orlando could be the place where some dreams really do come true?

Lake Eola sunset
Lake Eola Chinese Pagoda

Hey Orlando friends, what can you share about downtown Orlando?  Where are your favorite restaurants, bars, venues? Visitors to The City Beautiful, what aspects of downtown Orlando have surprised you?

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Hailey Domeck is a Southern girl with a Spanish heart and Swiss soul.

As a wife, mom, and travel addict, her love for mountains, fairy-tales, and great food keep her mind and heart always on the lookout for the next great adventure.

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💫 2020 - not about travel; all about family. 💫

#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow
For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the For me, this year was all about #motherhood - the beauty of growing a child in the womb and then nurturing a precious newborn around the clock; the wild roller coaster of shepherding a toddler, whose contagious joy and  stubborn defiance make each day a challenge and a gift; the mundane tasks that help make a home feel warm and welcoming; and a bunch of other things. 

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#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow
📷: @whitneykeilman
Merry Christmas, y’all! 🤍 No matter your circ Merry Christmas, y’all! 🤍 No matter your circumstances, may you experience JOY in this holiday season and have HOPE  for a brighter year ahead. 

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#littleAlpenRose #WaveyBow 

📷: @whitneykeilman
• T H A N K F U L • We are saying thanks for • T H A N K F U L • 

We are saying thanks for all things in life this week. It’s so easy to get stuck on either the big picture or the tiny details, but I believe it’s important to take it all in - like I did on this ridge overlooking #Manang Village last year while trekking the #AnnapurnaCircuit in #Nepal. 

Creating a culture of gratitude takes intentionality and discipline... and it’s especially not easy when babies and toddlers demand so much of you at all hours of the day and night. Yet, here we are at the start of the holiday season, and I’m choosing to be grateful for the whole lot. 

What are you thankful for this year?
Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳 I don’t have a Hooray, it’s the weekend! 🥳

I don’t have any big plans today (#newbornlife), but I’m recalling the joy of “Heidi Hailey” in the Himalayas last November. ☺️ Shout out to @thatdutchieguy for bringing his Polaroid camera on our #CreateConnectNepal journey... what a fun way to capture special moments, - like my favorite stretch of the #AnnapurnaCircuit in the #Manang District ❣️

What are you up to this weekend?
As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s j As I sit here nursing an 8-week old babe, it’s just wild to me that on this date exactly one year ago, I was walking among giants and completed the most difficult hike of my life. 

On November 11, 2019, the #CreateConnectNepal team and I went up and over the Thorong La Pass. At 17,769 feet (5416m), this is the pinnacle of the Annapurna Circuit and one of the highest mountain passes in the world. The day began in the dark with a grueling 4+ hour ascent through snow-kissed trails and then required a fierce descent down a bone dry valley. It demanded everything of me. 

Yet, that day up and over Thorong La was just one part of my epic adventure in #Nepal last November. I am eternally grateful for that experience and cherish those memories dearly. I also miss those people a lot. ❣️
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