The past few months have been hectic, so I am writing this retrospectively, so please forgive any muddles in the timeline or tense some things are written in. I am going to try and make it sound recent, but I was in Florida in August and it is now mid November.
Here goes...
After being made redundant at the start of the year, I have spent the past few months trying to secure a job I am interested in. There have been some interesting options, which are all discussed over on my other blog at www.snazy.co.uk. But this is about what came next. Once I had secured the job of my dreams, it was time to hit the reset button HARD before starting my new job, and what better place to do that (in my books) than Florida.
Travelling in the school summer holidays is never cheap, so if you are going to spend good money, have a damn good time. For me the main pillar of any trip to Florida is the accomodation. Having stayed on Legacy Park last year when we got married in Florida, we were 100% sure we wanted to stay there again. A lovely little gated community, just off the US27, and within a short drive of almost anything you could want to do in the Orlando or surrounding area. This is further helped by the fact that the US27 around Davenport is a 5-10 min drive to reach the 192 or I4, so the world is your oyster.
Now just to find somewhere. A quick search on AirBnB brought up a few options, however this one really ticked all the boxes for me. Here is a link to it. https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/35381840
Let me start with a summary of it..... A beautiful corner plot with fantastic views of the estate from the upstairs windows. The sunrises and sunsets are absolutely stunning from by the pool, or from the master bedroom. Fully equipped with all the creature comforts, and beautifully kept. From the kitchen having plenty of cutlery and crockery, not to mention every kind of utensil you could want (not something I have found in other properties), to the games room for those moments you just want to relax, or the weather isn't behaving itself.
One thing I will say that you don't usually find in peoples blogs or reviews about properties they have stayed in is, what it is like to be in during a tropical storm or hurricane. We were fortunate/unfortunate enough to be in Florida for Storm Debby, which made a nice pass over the house in the early hours. Being able to use the TV as a source of information, and receive up to date warnings of any tornado threats was helpful, and of course when the time came, the emergency broadcast system kicked in perfectly, on both the TV and our phones. Thankfully it was nothing more than some very heavy rain, and strong winds with some powerful gusts. My main point of writing this part is just to say, at no point did we feel at risk from what was happening outside. No leaks, no winds whistling into the house. Like the 3rd little Piggy, we were safe and sound.
Back to the fun stuff though. Starting the day having breakfast by the pool, and a nice cool dip to get ready for the day was a delight. In the time we were there I think the pool guys were there twice for pool maintenance and a little lanai repair. As I say, this place is very well looked after.
Speaking of being looked after, there were a couple of times we needed to contact the management about little trivial things, and both times we were treated with respect and courtesy. To the point of when they visited to do a little repair we ended up chatting for ages and got to know them really well. Definitely makes you feel comfortable highlighting any issues you might have, and very happy to help with any other enquiries about things to do around the area also. A great point of contact, and it just went to show how good the management and upkeep of the property is. Which as I say, showed clearly in the property.
For our stay it was just the two of us, so we only used the master bedroom, however the house is huge and perfect for a large family or a group of friends who want to stay together, but also like their own space. The lounge area has a great seating arrangement, and super for a get together to watch some TV, or just relax and unwind after a day out.
Then there is the dining room, perfect for a nice sit down, meal and chat. Strangely I don't think I have ever used a dining room in all the times I have stayed in Florida houses, but they are a welcome addition, especially for those who like to do things more formally at times, and be together as a family. Just off the dining room is another smaller lounge area, with sofas and a coffee table. Nice for just sitting down and getting some alone time in for a bit, or for different family members to do their own thing. For us, it was a good staging area to start the day in. Putting shoes on, gathering things we needed for out day out, or on the flip side, putting all the bags and bags of shopping down as we came in from trips to the malls.
The kitchen is huge and well equipped, with an island and breakfast bar which personally I loved sitting at with a coffee in the mornings before heading out to the pool and sunshine. Again the island is perfect for keeping stuff on, easy to grab for when you are heading out, or need to get something from the car etc. But obviously serves a practical purpose too, especially for larger groups, being able to have breakfast and meals in separate areas depending what suits. Side note, the stools for the breakfast bar are super heavy and well made, another indicator of the quality to expect in the property.
Speaking of the pool and the sunshine, the pool area gets sun all day round, from sunrise to sunset, there is a part of the pool area which will ensure you get the rays you went to Florida for. There is ample seating, a large table to sit around and an abundance of loungers too, all with good quality cushioning too, not a guaranteed thing at some houses as I have found. And again, the quality counts here too. After the rain a quick wipe is all they need to be usable again. Some places tend to have cheaper cushions which soak up the rain and are unusable for days after.
The community itself is well kept, and groundskeeping staff are there almost every day keeping the grass cut, bushes trimmed, and carrying out any other maintenance that is needed. This is course is all separate to the house itself, but worth mentioning. I enjoyed morning sunrise walks and runs daily, both inside the gated area of the community, and sometimes heading out into the streets and other communities in Legacy Park. Occasionally venturing even further afield to the US27 for a few extra miles.
Just outside Legacy Park there are plenty of places that you might find useful. From the Publix supermarket a mile up the road, to the Walmart a couple of miles down the road just past the 192 exit. Not to mention lots of places to eat, from the mainstream to the independents. There are of course the must haves like KFC and McDonalds for those who like to stick to what they know, as well as Chick-fil-A, Dominos, iHop, Applebee's. Shopping is plentiful too locally, with Target, the aforementioned Walmart, as well as Dickies, Best Buy and much much more just up the road. Or if you feel a little more adventurous, a 10 min drive will put you on the I4 and you will be at Mall at Millenia in no time.
In the time we were fortunate enough to be staying at this beautiful house we ventured to many places both near and far, but it was always lovely to come through the gates, drive onto the driveway, and walk into a place which instantly felt like home to us. Feeling safe and secure, in an area I was happy to go out for walks and runs in the early hours in darkness to watch the sun rising. It is hard to convey how perfect it all felt. Regardless of what you felt like doing, you had a good base to start from. And even on days where we barely did a thing, being able to lay in bed and watch TV, not on a microscopic stamp on the wall sized TV, but a decent one was lovely.
Getting ready to go out was great too, having a choice of bathrooms to use is always a bonus. Laundry room upstairs, right where you need it, right by all the bedrooms. Plenty of towels available too, so one less thing to have to waste your precious luggage allowance on too. Definitely noteworthy!
I could carry on all day but will just finish up by saying. When you are looking for a place to stay, this is a definite contender. Regardless if you are a large family or just a couple, this is massive bang for the buck, and I am pretty sure you will never look at another properly again. Why settle for a little single storey cramped place, sandwiched between others, when you can have the luxury of a beautiful corner plot, loads of space to do your own thing, and everything in a house you could want for.
High speed internet, great selection of TV channels, even showing the F1 which was a nice bonus for me. A games room in the garage, ice machine in the huge fridge freezer in the kitchen, shower room just off the pool, leading back into the house, which also doubles as your downstairs WC. No more frantic drying off to go in to use the loo, or dripping walks to the bathroom to shower after a swim.
Seriously, if you read my other blogs you will see that I complain and moan a lot, but there is none of that here, saying it as I see it, this is a stunning house which I will happily re-book to stay in again and again. As I write this I am eyeing up dates to book off work, and flights I can book to enjoy my next dose of the Sunshine State, and an amazing home from home.
Massive thanks to the owners and management for an amazing stay, here's to many more.
PS there are plenty of genuine, as it really is, pictures on the AirBnB link, so I will refrain from posting anymore.
PPS, for amazing slow mornings, may I recommend a stroll around Lake Rianhard with a breakfast pastry and coffee from the Starbucks which is at right there on the lakeside.
