While researching book two for my proposed new mystery series, I came across the delightful town of Winter Garden, FL. This town, located west of Orlando, may be considered part of the greater metropolitan area, but its quaint historical buildings and small-town atmosphere remain intact. While W. Plant Street, the main avenue, doesn’t last for long, you can visit the historic Edgewater Hotel originally opened in 1927 (and now a viable B&B), the Garden Theater dating from 1935, the Central Florida Railroad Museum, the Winter Garden Heritage Museum, and the West Orange Trail. If dining interests you, stop in at the French bakery on W. Plant Street for crepes and croissants, or stay for dinner at Thai Blossom or the elegant The Chef’s Table in the Edgewater Hotel.
The Garden Theater itself is worth a visit. Designed inside in Mediterranean Revival style like a scene out of Romeo and Juliet, it boasts a dark ceiling full of “stars” and plush seats with cup holders like a movie theater. We saw the hilarious play, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Need I say that my second mystery takes place in an old theater? It’s a murder mystery involving the cast and crew of a community theater production and this restored theater serves as a model for my fictional creation. So if you get tired of the theme parks, take a drive to this historic small town for a taste of old Florida.
Towns with this kind of charm and character are somewhat of a rarety in Florida, at least for those of us who live in South Florida where everything is relatively new. I can tell I need to make a trip to Winter Garden. One of my favorite things about your books is how you incorporate your own experiences into the plot, and sprinkle in lots of recognizable local details!
I need to sell this mystery series so I can do a scene in the corn maze at Zellwood. That was a fun adventure. Oh wait, I already have a corn field scene in Dead Roots. Can I do it again? That wasn’t a proper maze.