Florida Frolic: Lakes & Bells

WINTER EXCURSION

We enjoyed our brief trip to Winter Park last February so much that we decided to repeat the trip this week. Winter Park began as a refuge for the moneyed set, a winter playground as it were, and it’s clear that it’s still a wealthy place with a cultural life built around Rollins College.  Amtrak trains stop at the station in the center of town and there’s a commuter train as well.  

Arriving by car, we returned to the lovely Alfond Inn.  It’s owned by the college and the proceeds go to support student scholarships.  The hotel’s public spaces are particularly lovely and are enlivened by paintings from the college’s contemporary art collection.  It was fun to see which ones were new and which we remembered from the last visit.  

We lunched outside at the Parkview on Park Avenue, the main street, and then walked the few blocks to Lake Osceola for the 1:00 pm boat tour.  Located north of Orlando, Winter Park is charm itself, and this peaceful lake is one in a string of six interconnected lakes. 

 The captain and guide on our open pontoon boat navigated around the lake and through several narrow canals giving us local history and pointing out the Rollins president’s house and other noteworthy homes fronting on the water almost all with private docks.  Inching through the canals, we crept under low bridges and alongside residents’ boathouses.  Large trees and lush vegetation, Spanish moss and giant ferns edged the shore.  There was no wind and our one hour cruise most pleasant.

CARILLON PAR EXCELLENCE

On the trip home, we made a slight detour to Lake Wales in Polk County to visit Bok Tower Gardens.  This somewhat hidden attraction is a real gem and well worth a visit.  The gardens, designed by Frederick Olmsted of Central Park fame, feature a bog, wetlands, wildflowers and endangered plants.  We noted camellias and other blooms on our walk. 

But the centerpiece of this place, and the highlight for us, was the Singing Tower looming 205 feet into the air and on the highest land in all of Florida.  Initiated by Edward Bok of Curtis Publishing, and dedicated by President Coolidge in 1929, the tower is made of gorgeous pink Georgia marble and coquina stone and houses one of the world’s largest carillons.  Its 60 bells are played daily in half-hour concerts at 1:00 and 3:00 pm.  

Before the first concert, we enjoyed salads at the Blue Palmetto Cafe and chanced to see the resident carillonneur, Geert D’hollander, at the next table.  The Chief Penguin engaged him in conversation and learned that, Belgian by birth, he came here from UC Berkeley in 2012, found himself a wife, and just last week became a U.S. citizen.  

He said that playing here was a treat—the isolated location means that there is no ambient noise from sirens or traffic and no students to complain if he plays too long!  The program brochure noted that he has won first prize in more than 30 international competitions for carillon or composition.  The afternoon concert was most enjoyable and played by a visiting fellow from the University of Rochester.

There is a modest admission charge to the gardens of $15 for adults, and the visitor center offers an introductory video along with an art exhibit and a gift shop.  

Note: All photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved).