It was created by an act of Congress in 1975 and is home to more than 1,000 plant and 310 bird species. The park has 24 miles of beaches which makes it the longest stretch of undeveloped beach on the east coast of Florida.
We stopped first at Turtle Mound Archaeological Site. The Mound is 35 feet high and made up of 1.5 million bushels of oyster shells. The height of the Mound offers a panoramic view of the area and is a favorite spot for bird watching.
We chatted with a park volunteer at the visitor center and when she told us all there was to see and all the places to explore, we realized that we didn't budget enough time to do it justice. Reluctantly, we had to head back out of the park and west to Mt. Dora.
Before leaving home, I had printed out a map of downtown Mt. Dora, so we knew it was going to be a unique central Florida stop-over. With lots of fun shops, its location on Lake Dora, and the former title of "Antiques Capitol of Florida", we were excited about this destination.
We were flying by the seat of our pants without a reservation, so when we saw the beautiful 1883 Lakeside Inn, we decided to check it out and see if it was within our budget. After seeing the lobby and surrounding buildings, I was having doubts.