Welcome to Fleet Feet Orlando*, a truly one-of-a-kind shopping experience. Located in the bustling Altamonte Springs shopping district (Altamonte Mall, Crane’s Roost), this tiny shop can be found nestled among many name brand stores. But don’t let it’s anonymity fool you. Fleet Feet Orlando is a jem.

I recently visited the store because I was with someone who was looking for some new running shoes. Firstly, the staff is friendly, and extremely attentive. Maybe just a tad too attentive, if you know what I mean, but I’ll leave judgement up to you after you visit. Here’s why the Fleet Feet Orlando store left an impression on me:

1. Friendly employees. Like I mentioned, the staff is friendly, and immediately greeted me and the person I was with. Always a plus in my book.
2. Extremely devoted customer service. My shopping buddy has his feet measured, and after telling the sales person what current [running] issues he’s dealing with, she brought out shoes that would accommodate his excercise regime.
3. The store has a family feel. Yes, I like my non-unique, you-can-find-on-every-street-corner-in-America store, but I also really enjoy supporting down home, family-oriented businesses. There’s just a great feeling knowing the people you are giving your money to.

I took a picture of the inside of the store while I was there. (Yes, I pretty much take my camera with me everywhere I go these days!) While it’s not the best angle of the store, you get the idea of the “family feel” I’m referring to. I chose this particular photo to feature, though, because of the treadmill in the front.

Now here’s the cool thing about Fleet Feet Orlando…and what stuck with me. After being fitted with the proper shoes, my shopping partner stepped-up on the treadmill and started running. Now while he was doing this, the sales person filmed it, and then played it back on a flat screen television behind the treadmill to show him where his “challenges” are. Very cool! I’d never seen this before. But it seemed to work. After the first attempt proved a need for different shoes, my shopping co-hort was fitted with the proper pair, and hopped on the treadmill again. IT’S A MATCH!

All that attention paid for a pair of running shoes. I was very impressed. In fact, I think I might be ready for a new pair of running shoes myself. And Fleet Feet Orlando is definitely the place I’ll go!

* Aside from shoes Fleet Feet Orlando also carries exercise clothes and literature on local health & exercise events.

If you ever find yourself complaining that there’s nothing to do in the Central Florida area (this of which I’ve been guilty many times), you shouldn’t have that excuse anymore. Sponsored by Maitland arthouse theater Enzian and the city of Winter Park, Winter Park Popcorn Flicks is a weekly series of classic films shown free to the public in Winter Park’s charming Central Park. This happens every Thursday evening at sunset. Best of all…it’s FREE! So no more “there’s nothing to do in Orlando” needed.

The first film showing:

Look, I’m even giving you the address and a map. So short of me coming to pick-you-up and drive you there myself, you already have a great night planned for a date, catching-up with a group of friends, or just heading out on your own and meeting new people.

Central Park
251 Park Avenue South
Winter Park, FL 32789

Simple, yet beautiful.

If you’ve seen Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson’s latest movie, The Bucket List, then you’ve probably already heard it. If not, check it out.

Did you know Orlando has its very own Statue of Liberty? That’s right! Just near the heart of downtown, by the Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce, is a miniature Lady Liberty. I did a little bit of research but couldn’t really find anything substantial about why this statue is located at the end of Magnolia Blvd. by the entrance of I-4, but it’s fun to look at nonetheless.

Do you have your own photos of this Orlando statue? Or any knowledge about why this statue was placed here? If so let us know via the comments section here in this post.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user wbeem.

Seems like lately the majority of my posts have centered around food. If you follow us here on our blog, that should come as no surprise! Logan’s Bistro in Orlando is, for me, an interesting dining experience. I’ve been there twice and each time I’ve had mixed emotions after leaving. It’s not that I don’t like the little neighborhood joint, I just feel their offerings are a tad bit overpriced for what you get and the location they’re in. (Mind you, I have no problem for paying for good food and a memorable dining experience.) Anyway, I dined there a couple of nights ago, and I’ll share my experience with you — you can make up your own mind for yourself.

With any good meal one needs a good drink. I decided to whet my palette with a pint of Shock Top beer; I’d never had this before and I’m a big beer fan so it seemed like a good choice. And…it…was! Definitely the perfect start to my evening.

Next I moved on to a glass of red wine. Something the server recommended, and I can’t recall the name of it. Not too bad. I prefer dry, oakey wines, and this seemed to fit-the-bill as they say.

So my dining partner and I both ordered salads prior to dinner. Mine, a simple side caesar salad. I typically enjoy caesar salads and this one was quite good, with the exception of two things:

1. It took about half-an-hour for the salad to come out (WAY too long, in my opinion, for a pre-dinner salad) and
2. There were two BIG anchovies on top of the salad, and I’m not a fan of those.

As I mentioned before I’m a big fan of dining experiences, and I pretty much take my time while eating, so I was willing to overlook these two things.

Salad in belly and moving on to the main course! I ordered the pot roast with a side of yucca mashed potatoes. YUM! I was all over it. Despite the picture I’ve provided here, the dish looked very appetizing. The dish was garnished with cooked spinach, which I’m not really keen on, so I just tossed those aside. The roast was tender, juicy, and tasty. I was quite pleased!

The beer, wine, salad and main dish had stomach filled-up, so dessert would’ve been…well, an indulgence. Not one I normally take part in. Although the desserts being passed around at other tables looked amazing! So my dinner co-hort and I were ready to go.

Here’re a couple of noteworthy things about Logan’s Bistro, and why I’ve left somewhat undecided both times I’ve eaten there:

- Price. As I stated, I have no problem paying for a nice dinner. All-in-all the total cost of my dinner was $50 (not including tip). Not unreasonable by any means but a dinner I consider a “treat.” Of course, skipping on the alcohol and having water, tea, or a soda certainly cuts down on cost.
- Menu. The menu is very limited. Right now the restaurant is “trying out a new concept” (so I can’t provide you with a copy here) and is changing quite frequently. I love “concept” dining but do like having many options.
- Location. The location of the venue is a bit odd. There are no other restaurants in the vicinity; it’s a mostly residential and business neighborhood, and one might feel like it’s a bit questionable.

Logan’s Bistro is located at:

802 Virginia Drive
Orlando, FL 32803-2530

If you’ve been to Logan’s Bistro and you have an experience you’d like to share, please feel free to let us know by leaving a comment.

I love community. And when I say community I mean a feeling of belonging. Well, I wouldn’t necessarily say what I saw today embodied a feeling of “belonging,” per say, but it’s a pretty good representation of folks interacting with each other. In Winter Park where the annual sidewalk art festival is happening, I drove past a really cool art display. Just outside of the Urban Flats (see klynn75′s previous post) was a fantastic collection of original paintings and artwork — some artists were actually painting there by the side of the road.

I wasn’t able to stop and take a photo so here’s the best I could do from inside the car:

Earlier today while driving near Park Avenue in Winter Park, I saw a car with a very odd license plate. I still can’t figure out what the heck it means (of course I had to snap a picture). Any ideas?

Air travel and airport security these days is mostly not fun. Particularly here in the Orlando area, where we have one darn busy airport. I should know — I just returned from a visit to Austin. It doesn’t have to all be bad though.

During my recent excursion I took note of some tips that might just help you during your next travel out of Orlando International Airport.

Firstly, early-to-mid-morning travelers typically experience long wait times at the security check. If you’ve ever taken one of the first flights out, or a flight around 10am, then you know you can expect wait times anywhere from half-an-hour to an hour. And that’s during non-peak travel season; it’s worse during holidays or Spring Break. I think we can all agree this is not fun. That’s why late morning or early afternoon flights are advisable — if you can fit that into your travel schedule.

While waiting in the security line this past week I really started thinking about the advantages of the Clear pass. If you’re not familiar with this program, for a fee you can purchase a “bypass” card, which gets you through security much more quickly. There’s rarely a line; according to the security guard I asked, this program costs $100 (not including any additional taxes or fees). I usually only travel by air once a year–sometimes twice–so I don’t really think this would be the best investment for me. However, I’ll be flying a minimum of four times this year, so perhaps I might look into getting the Clear pass. If you travel for business you’re really doing yourself a disservice by not using this program, which is only currently in a few select US cities…Orlando, obviously, included.

Getting to the airport:

This is always a tad tricky. Of course, if you have someone — a relative or a friend — who can drive you to the airport and drop you off, that’s the most advisable scenario. However, I know that’s not always how things work out. If you must drive yourself to the airport there are a few cost-effective options, one of which is off-site parking like The Parking Spot. Sites like this offer-up affordable, secure parking, along with free shuttles to the airport. Do your own research about which off-site parking vendor you’d like to use. I prefer The Parking Spot because they’re friendly, located closest to the airport, and they have the option of covered parking. (Keep in mind that if utilizing one of these off-site parking services, you need to bake-in approximately 20 minutes for travel to the airport.)

While flying back from Austin I was reading a copy of Wired magazine on the plane. They actually had a really great feature, on tips to help make flying–specifically security check–a more efficient experience. Take a look at it here:

** Useful tip: before making any flight arrangements out of Orlando International Airport, check flight availability at Sanford International Airport. It might be a little further to drive but the difference in flight expense and parking arrangements might be worth the effort! **

So I hope you find these tips useful during your next flight in-and-out of Orlando International Airport. If you have any tips of your own please feel free to share them with me by e-mailing me.

Each year around this time my mood lifts, my spirit brightens and if I’m lucky … my jeans start fitting a little better.

I consider Daylight Saving Time to be Mother Nature’s (or rather the government’s) little gift each afternoon. Yesterday I took advantage of the sunlight by riding about 22 miles on my bike through the streets of Orlando and on to Cady Way Trail.

Today, I drove over to my favorite new park, Blue Jacket Park for a mix of walking and rollerblading.

If you live in Downtown, College Park, Winter Park or Baldwin Park you MUST visit one of the City’s best-kept secrets. Formally the site of the Orlando Naval Training Center, Blue Jacket Park is simply one of the best parks around. It boasts 55 acres of greenspace where you can walk, run, rollerblade, play tennis, basketball, baseball or soccer.

Blue Jacket Park is located just off Corrine Drive on General Rees Avenue. Open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Now, get out there!!!

Places to eat are popping up all over downtown Orlando and one worth checking out is Urban Flats.

Urban Flats is a great casual dining restaurant with a variety of menu options, but it’s best known for its variety of Flatbreads. Another claim to fame is Urban’s 24 wines by the glass … that’ll give even the local wine bar a run for its money!

The loft-style feel of Urban Flats lends itself to an open, trendy vibe, but probably isn’t the best place for a meal out with the family. The music is loud, but it works for the restaurant’s young professional crowd.

I’d recommend sitting at the bar for the fastest service; check out the Fire Roasted Chicken Flatbread or the Honey Smoked Salmon Salad or pick your own favorites from their menu.

Check out the downtown location’s MySpace page for info on Urban’s live entertainment offerings.

Urban Flats Downtown
183 S. Orange Avenue
Orlando, FL 32801
(321) 332-6889

Other Central Florida locations include Winter Park, Waterford Lakes and the newly opened Winter Garden location.