Lake Eola in Downtown Orlando; A Review and An Experience

Hi Folks!

Today’s blog is a little different in that it is a review about an experience that was a part of my Change Challenge. For those of you just joining us, let me fill you in. I recently moved to the Orlando area after living in Chicago for 25 years. There are so many things to do here, and thus I developed a bucket list. However, since we have moved, we had not done one thing on the list! There was always an excuse why… In my last blog I invited followers to join me in what I am calling, “The Change Challenge,” in which you challenge yourself to stop making excuses and start doing! And today, that is exactly what I did!

Being new to Orlando, I really wanted to visit the downtown area’s main attraction, Lake Eola. The lake is centered just in the middle of the high-rise buildings that make up the city and has a walking path, outdoor amphitheater, lots of grassy areas to use as you wish, a plethora of wildlife to interact with, farmer’s markets, restaurants with outside patios overlooking the lake, parks for children, lots of opportunity for dog interaction, and their famous swan paddle boats (see below). I have wanted to take these paddle boats for a test drive since we arrived seven months ago!

Lake Eola Swan Paddle Boats

The swan design was a nice change and at $15 for 30 minutes, it made for an affordable and enjoyable experience. At first I thought 30 minutes wasn’t going to be enough time. After about 10 minutes of paddling, 30 minutes seemed like an eternity. Being out on the middle of the lake was a great way to get a different perspective of the city and was surprisingly relaxing as well (despite the paddling). All in all, it was a fun activity that also served as a good exercise and was something a little different. I recommend anyone in the Orlando area to try it, and enjoy the day in the vicinity as well. They certainly have enough to keep you occupied.

As for me, I was able to work out my muscles a bit and finally cross paddle boating off my list of things to try! It took me 7 months, but I did it. Today will not be the last time we visit either! I fell in love with the area and am actually considering moving downtown if our Orlando journey keeps us down here when it’s time for our lease to renew. It’s amazing to see the possibilities that arise when the excuses cease!

Hope your change challenge is going well! I would love to hear your stories and see your photos. Below are more pictures for you to enjoy from our adventure today.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Enjoy!