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Itching to get out of town, Lakelanders? It’s National Travel and Tourism Week — AKA the excuse you’ve been looking for to hit the road or take to the skies.
If you need some inspiration, look no further — check out four nearby destinations.
For the outdoorsy type
- Eat: Try fine dining at Nouvelle Cuisine, known for French and Belgian food like escargot + seafood-stuffed crepes.
- Experience: Rent a kayak or paddleboard to take a 5.5-mile ride down the Weeki Wachee River.
- Stay: Five-bedroom paradise with a private pool and lazy river (~$725/night)
- Pack: Powder sunscreen
For the foodie
📍 Tampa
- Eat: Luv Child offers tasty Cuban + Latino cuisines.
- Experience: Take the Florida Man pub crawl or party like Gatsby on The Roaring 1920s tour with Tampa Treks and Tonic.
- Stay: Key West-style home with a pool (~$299/night)
- Pack: Polarized sunglasses
For the explorer
Mount Dora is a small town full of color — plus, you can walk to most of our recommendations.
Photo by @amberdawnmc
- Eat: “Unique” doesn’t even begin to describe the culinary creations found at WAVE Asian Bistro — order your sushi as a burger, pizza, donut, and more.
- Experience: Head downtown for Plaid in the Park, a monthly celebration of Scottish culture.
- Stay: Dewberry cottage in downtown Mount Dora (~$224/night)
- Pack: Mesh tote
For the historian
- Eat: Did you know Ybor City is the birthplace of the Cuban sandwich? Stop by Columbia Restaurant — the world’s largest Spanish restaurant and Florida’s oldest restaurant — for a taste of this historic Floridian meal.
- Experience: Head to Improv Comedy Theater for a night of laughs in the historic Centro Español building.
- Stay: Bohemian apartment near historic 7th Street (~$94/night)
- Pack: Espadrille sandals
Know where we should go for our next Hit the Road series? Let us know.
It wouldn’t be National Travel and Tourism Week if we didn’t mention taking flight. Use our guides to Orlando International Airport and Tampa International Airport before switching your phone to airplane mode. We covered everything from parking to security, dining, and rideshares.
