Oviedo Traveling Tuesdays via PickingWildFlowersBlog.blogspot.com

This is a post I just did on a friend of mines blog for her Traveling Tuesday Posts. She asked me to give the 411 on Oviedo/Orlando, so here is my post. Check out her blog as well: pickingwildflowersblog.blogspot.com

Name: Justin Core (and his wife, Megan Bevis Core)

Occupation: Realtor

Blog: CoreRealEstateGroup.blogspot.com 

Location: Oviedo, FL (Orlando)

What major cities or landmarks are your city close to? Anytime I'm asked this question, Disney is the obvious answer and out-of-towners assume I venture there on a weekly basis. Truthfully, I could not recall the last time I made it to the "happiest place on earth" until we decided to go last weekend for my wife's birthday. After a morning full of the classic rides at the Magic Kingdom with surprisingly reasonable wait times, we hopped on the monorail for a quick trip over to Epcot to drink around the world. We began in the UK with a beer sampler, stopped in Germany for a Flight of Wines, and ended gracefully with Margaritas in Mexico. Disney is a good 45 minute drive from Oviedo and well worth the drive but expect it to be an all day adventure.

The University of Central Florida is also minutes from downtown Oviedo but somehow the 50,000 students who flock to the campus every fall and their brand new stadium do not spoil the quaint feel of small town Oviedo.

downtown Orlando from across the beautiful Lake Eola

How long have you lived there? I've lived in Oviedo since 1994, with the exception of my 4 year stint for college in Tallahassee (FSU).

If you moved here after living in a different city, where did you move from? I was born in Huntsville, Alabama and moved to Florida when my dad was transferred for work. All of our family is still in Huntsville so we have always visited regularly. Although Huntsville is not a small town, it has many small town tendencies and aspects. We found the same thing in Oviedo when we came here and it is really what has kept us here for so long. Although Oviedo doesn't have a lot to offer, in the way that a town like Orlando does, it does have a very quaint atmosphere. 


For instance, Oviedo is known for chickens that roam freely throughout the downtown. There are bumper stickers all throughout Central Florida that say "I brake for Oviedo Chickens," and that's how our town is known. Growing up in a town like Oviedo, you do everything you can to find your way out. I did find my way out for four years and at some point during that time began to fall back in love with the town for all new reasons. I did move back and began to see it in an all new light. It has something for everybody because it is a small town that is so close to a major city and all of the tourist attractions that go along with that. 

What's the climate like? Hot, humid, and muggy. Winter is cool and dry but short, and fall is nice but hurricanes are frequent. Spring is the time of year to come if you are going to the parks and summer is the time of year if you are coming for the beach. 


Personally, I find cold weather miserable unless I'm in the Rockies skiing and to me. There are a few weeks in late January and February that are bitter cold, but it is not uncommon to venture over to the beach New Year's Day to enjoy the occasional warm sunshine. When it is cold however, I dream of the days of the scorching summer heat, but I seem to remember once again how HOT it can really get once summer rolls back around. Late summer, around July and August, we have temperatures over 100 degrees with 100% humidity. That's hot!

What are some of your favorite weekend things to do in your town? The best thing about this area is that there truly is something for everyone. For a relaxing Saturday morning, the Winter Park Farmers Market is a must. Just off Park Avenue there is a farmers market that draws vendors from all over Central Florida on a weekly basis. The streets get crowded so make sure to get there bright and early to beat the crowds and the heat. 

Winter Park Farmer's Market

New Smyrna Beach is a local favorite and still remains a hidden treasure, unspoiled by the heavy tourist population that invades the Florida coastline every summer. New Smyrna's Flagler Avenue is just two short blocks from the beach and is truly a relaxed beach town. You can drive on the beach and stop on your way out of town to visit a long-time local favorite Frozen Gold for a sweet ice cream treat. You're guaranteed to enjoy yourself at the beach, the food, and the atmosphere.

For the sports fans (or those just looking for a good time), an Orlando Magic game (during season) is a must. The Magic have always had a great fan base, atmosphere, and venue, but all of that has increased as of late. The Magic have played in two straight Eastern Conference Championships and are putting their final touches on their new state-of-the-art Amway Center. The intensity is higher than it has ever been and the entire City of Orlando is ecstatic about the outlook of the team. 

What is your town known for?

Free Roaming Chickens! And we love it.

What are some of your favorite restaurants in your city?

Oviedo:

Breakfast - Big John's Country Cookin' & Townhouse Restaurant (in a close second)
Lunch - Tijuana Flats 
Dinner - Gino's Pizzeria, Froggers

Winter Park/Orlando:
Breakfast - Uncle Henry's Country Grill, First Watch
Lunch - Four Rivers Smokehouse
Dinner - Dexter's, Boston Fish House, & anything on Park Avenue in Winter Park

Tell us why you love your city? Oviedo is everything you could want from a small town within minutes of a larger city. It is close enough to the tourist attractions to venture often but not so close that it feels like one itself. Oviedo loves it's high school football team, sweet barbecue, quiet backroads, pick-your-own strawberries, and you'll never forget the smell of orange blossoms in bloom. On any given day you eat a $3 breakfast at Big John's and spend a bundle on dinner at one of the top tourist destinations in the world [Disney] or walk on the most famous beach in the planet [Daytona Beach]. Oviedo is a great place to live and vacation.