Page 64 - Dreamscapes Magazine | Spring/Summer 2025

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Explore the epicentre of fun
Dive into the Land of Lakes where unique outdoor
adventures and national treasures await.
BY GRACE TOBY
BUSY ORLANDO-BOUND ROAD TRIPPERS
don’t need to go farther than this land-locked
part of Central Florida that is now having its own
moment in the sun. It helps that there are hun-
dreds of lakes, wild untamed frontier,
architectural gems and only the catchiest indie
spots for overnights. And did we mention some
of America’s biggest visionary mavericks: Father
of modern architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright; Dick
Pope, Florida’s first tourist park maverick; and
garden legend Edward Bok?
The Sunshine State while fringed by water is
blessed by endless water bodies in the interior of
Central Florida. With a spatter of lakes at its core,
the flatland spans west from roughly Tampa to
Orlando in the east. Home to 13 counties, Lake
County teems with a thousand lakes, while adja-
cent Polk County has its own share—try 554 lakes.
There is Winter Haven, a city gem which locals dub
“Chain of Lakes City,” for its chain-linked canals.
Now, with these brag-worthy distinctions, I couldn’t
resist. I had to take a road trip there to see for myself.