Mount Dora is often called “the New England town of the South,” and it doesn’t take much imagination to see why. This charming, artsy little city just 110 miles from the Tampa Bay area sits amid gentle hills reminiscent of Connecticut. A popular restaurant proudly touts its Maine lobster rolls. And the Victorian mansion near the heart of town could be straight out of old Newport.
On a recent visit to Mount Dora, my husband and I browsed the shops, saw a terrific exhibit, ate too much and enjoyed watching the sunset over Lake Dora from the comfort of Adirondack chairs. It was a pleasant break from the bustle of the bay area.
Mount Dora was settled in the mid-1800s by pioneers like William and Dora Ann Drawdy, who traveled from Georgia by raft and horse and wagon to stake a claim on 164 acres in what eventually became the town. After William’s death, Dora often fed and housed surveyors; legend has it that they were so grateful they named the nearby lake after her.
