While walking across from Lake Monroe in Sanford I spotted this unique art piece in front of the…read moreSanford Civic Center. I was instantly drawn to the beautiful wood carvings of animals. After an old laurel oak became diseased and died, the City of Sanford put out a request for an artist who could make something beautiful out of the tree rather than just cut it down. In 2022 renowned chainsaw artist Mark Rice created this piece out of a tree over 13 days using 12 different chainsaws. He was one of the artists chosen to make art of the remains of The Senator, a champion bald cypress in Longwood that met its end due to an arson fire. The carvings in the tree feature the wildlife you see along the St. John's River. These include a bear, an eagle, owls, and a great blue heron. The front of the tree has a likeness of Sanford's clock in the Town Square. I love how this art piece enhances the beauty of downtown Sanford while bringing an awareness to the ecology of the St. John's River.

I discovered the public art installation, Gulls in Flight while driving back to Sanford from the…read moreCentral Florida Zoo. They were so captivating that I had to stop and take a closer look. You can find this installation where Seminole Boulevard and French Avenue meet. It is in the grassy swale next to West Kelly Quarters, an event venue across the street from Lake Monroe at the start of phase 2 of the RiverWalk. Gulls in Flight are stainless steel seagull sculptures mounted on steel poles of various lengths. Each gull has a wingspan of 6 feet. According to the artist "The polished surface of the gulls plays with the natural light and gives the illusion of motion from different angles." This installation was created for the City of Sanford by Massachusetts artist and metal fabricator, Dale Rogers. He creates all of his pieces in his Haverhill studio which he opened in 2002. Rogers creates art for municipalities, corporations, and private owners. He started out welding farm equipment for repairs on the family farm and then moved into welding sculptures. Dogs are another favorite subject matter. Former President Bill Clinton purchased one of his iconic American Dog pieces for his home. I love how this sculpture takes its inspiration from something you would see in nature. It looks lovely against the backdrop of Lake Monroe. Now that I am familiar with Dale Rogers work I spotted it in a few other spots around town. Count me a fan.

Located in historic downtown Sanford is a mural commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Sanford…read moreFire Department which is the second oldest Fire Department in Florida. Key West has the oldest fire department in the state. The mural was painted in 2023 by celebrated local artist Bruce Merrell. Merrell is a Florida native and he served in the US Army before attending art school. His art career has included graphic design, scenic art for theme parks, and faux finishes and murals. Merrell's work has a strong focus on wildlife and landscapes representing the natural beauty of Florida. You can find this 16 foot by 24 foot mural in Paulucci Park. It was funded by the Sanford Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) and commissioned by the Public Art Commission of Sanford. The mural took five months to complete. The Sanford Fire Department was founded in 1873 and the mural depicts it's history starting in an old time sepia color before progressing into color. There is a mural key in front of it that gives more information about the significance of each image. Image #11 on the mural is Dr. Hezekiah Ross who became Sanford's first Black firefighter in February 1969. He was also the departments first Chaplain. Image #13 honors the firefighters who have been killed in the line of duty. You can learn more about the history of the Sanford Fire Department at the Sanford Museum which has a nice display and artifacts. You can even dine in the old fire house that has been turned into the restaurant The Station. Both are located close to the mural. Public art and history are two of my interests and I love how this mural brings both together. It also makes a great back drop for a photo so stop by and check it out if you find yourself in downtown Sanford.

Had the absolute best meal here and the service was absolutely exceptional…read more Looks like a classic Sanford home converted into a restaurant. The parking was easy and as you enter it's very quaint and even has the old fireplace. Serving sizes were huge and everything tasted delicious. Had penne pasta with chicken, chicken Parmesan and an order of ravioli. Happy bellies all around. The dessert was incredible featuring an almond cake which was to die for. A must visit!

It's a converted old frame house. They could definitely do something more with antiques. We were…read moreseated promptly. It took a while to get water to our table. Otherwise, the food came out within a reasonable time. The service was very good. The food was delicious. As for the portions, they were quite a good size. The Chicken Parmesan was the favorite at our table. The chef really piles on the tomato sauce, which is chunky. Let them know if you want less sauce. We had the Almond Cake for dessert. It's more like a Tiramisu than cake. It was sweet creamy with a hint of Almond. We highly recommend it.

This is a great little museum tucked away on a "no name of a road in Sanford". What used to be the…read moreonce, 13th Street, It is now been renamed to show the local flavor, now calling it, Goldsboro Blvd. I met the Curator, Miss Francis, for the first time, a year ago at a Christmas Party- and she is an absolute asset to the community. The atmosphere is primitive and folksy. And although there is no charge, you are "Free" to make a donation. he he Across the street is the Welcome Center. It is welcoming but again, very primitive, in a "grandma's" house kinda way. The biggest thing is the education, you will learn about Goldsboro, before it was Sanford. Hopefully, some day they will Incorporate the old Booker Town of Sanford, located on the other side of the Sanford Rail. (Shoot, I remember those days too). The second thing is, White people are truly welcome. No one stares, no scene to be had. They are actually glad you showed, And you will be too. These are not the olden days of Circa 1990, assuredly, it is NOT. Also, they do Charity work for the Community. I missed out on the last phone drive, but to give you an example: it was for a bus pass for a week for citizens of Orlando to get a job in Orlando. This is a grea tplace for kids and teens alike. The is one off putting thing, at least to me, Is the Trayvon Martin scene. I just don't like it when any museum, funded by public, take on Political views. I think it is inappropriate. Sorry for any typo's- he he.

While there is not much to this historic district, I always enjoy going and finding these locations…read morewhere a community started. It is hard to imagine the Florida that these early settlers new. Imagine a world with no air conditioner and an environment that's certainly was not friendly. This was the community that these brave men and women came to to start a new life. With its close proximity to the lake, I am sure that these early settlers looked at that water as a major form of transportation. There is still not a lot to do when you speak of Enterprise, Florida, but people moved here with little more than a dream and created a community. We should embrace that and honor these brave souls who came to a hostile environment looking for a better life. I am glad I came across this little part of Florida and this small street. It reminded me again to always appreciate the people who carved such a great place to live out of the desolation inhospitability of a swamp land.

Had a great time and our driver was wonderful and so much fun!! Highly recommended this for a group…read moreouting!

This was a great team building experience. We had a lovely time checking out Sanford and had some…read moreamazing food and drinks. Our driver Mary was so much fun and made it a great experience for all of us. I would absolutely recommend Limo Cycle to others and look forward to doing it again!

I have been living here since I was 7 and I'm 45 I have seen a lot in my years things have caused…read moreme to move back up north and still came back down the city has its goods and bad just like any city.

I ate at 2 different McDonald's in 3 weeks time. Every mcrib sandwich had very little sauce on it…read more I threw mine away. It was two dry. I will not get it again. This year. Awful..no picture i was at the restaurant.

First time going and the food was absolutely delicious. Everything was yummy. Definitely will be…read moreback!

I really wanted to like this establishment as the name and the menu seemed very appealing. They…read morehave a great selection of Italian items on the menu and the name of the items would lead you to believe that it's truly amazing. Authentic Italian cuisine. The restaurant itself is disappointing. You feel like you're walking into a Mediterranean restaurant and it's very casual in the atmosphere and decorations. I dined with a group of individuals and we all felt the same about the food in that it had zero depth of flavor or in the case of the broccolini and the chicken marsala, they both had a distinct sour flavor. We all asked for Parmesan cheese, which is not served as a part of the meal, you do need to ask for it. And we all needed salt. The service was another disappointment. Although they were nice and friendly, they were not attentive in just a little things were left off. When we raise concerns about the soreness of the food, they said that that's the way it was supposed to be. Overall, the price would lead you to believe that this is an upscale restaurant and the experience is very downscale

Large group from Arizona. We called ahead, arrived and were seated immediately. We ordered a little…read morebit of everything (Pizza, Calzone, Alfredo, Veal, Ravioli, Chicken parm sandwich) everything was AMAZING! We finished with cannolis, which were also delicious. Everyone left full and satisfied with their meal. Highly recommend. Wait staff was very attentive. Prices were reasonable.

My partner and I walked into this restaurant after picking it out from Yelp. I left very…read moredisappointed. When we arrived, we walked into the restaurant, and noticed that the noise level inside was really overwhelming, so we asked to sit outside. It was more quiet. It was raining that day so we appreciated the canopies. We thought that was a nice touch. However, when it came time to order, I had a hard time understanding the specials because the waitress had a very heavy accent. We couldn't understand a word she said so we just ordered from the menu. I ordered the pasta with eggplant and specifically asked the waitress for the pasta to be soft and not al dente. The waitress said that they make it so soft, the pasta actually breaks, and it's not a problem. unfortunately, it didn't turn out as I expected. When my pasta dish arrived, it was pretty al dente to me and also very salty. I just couldn't enjoy my meal and was so disappointed. I was hopping that our server would come over at some point to ask how everything was but she never did. We tried to get her attention, but it took a while. By the time she was available, my partner had already finished his dinner. When I was able to speak with her about my dish, she apologized and said it was the cooks who didn't pay attention to her request. At that point, I decided to take my meal 'to go' since I didn't want to stay there any longer after my partner had finished eating. After a bit of a wait for my order to be redone, it was brought over in a plastic container instead of aluminum. As by now, when very hot food comes into contact with plastic, it releases chemicals into the food. They should really consider aluminum containers. When I got home and tried the pasta, it was still hard and not cooked to the softness I had requested. Unfortunately, I had to throw it away. I really wanted to enjoy my meal, but I was totally disappointed from this experience. I will not be returning. They can't seem to take simple instructions of soft pasta! And the atmosphere was very loud too busy and too much in a hurry.