Lake Eola in downtown Orlando has a lot of wonderful public art surrounding it. One such…read moreinstallation is the sculpture, Fantasy Swan sculpted by Thai artist S. Hardthalae and donated to the City of Orlando on October 18, 2008 by local resident and author Angi Perretti. You can find it where you cross over the foot bridge just before the Chinese Ting. it is usually surrounded by a gang of bossy geese giving people the shake down. Inspired by the City of Orlando's establishment of Lake Eola as a Swans of the World Habitat, Peretti authored the book "The Identity of AngiArts: A Muse for Artistic Inspiration." which is an original fantasy story about magical princess Angilika who along with her pet swan travels through time and galaxies to fulfill her divine prophecy "to instill artistic inspiration into the hearts of all peoples of all cultures in the third millennium and beyond." The sculpture in the water area depicts a girl and a swan and is a moment in the story where a magical spell on the pet swan ends and it is transformed into a black necked swan. On the bridge there is a bronze book telling the story in 175 words. In addition to the sculpture Peretti also donated a pair of black necked swans to live in Lake Eola. I love how the statue reflects the beautiful real swans living on Lake Eola. I could sit and watch their elegance for hours. Like the story, it is truly a magical experience to see them in person.

Thos piece of art is by sculpture S. Hardthalae and was donated to Orlando, Florida by Angi…read morePerretti. The work pays tribute to a princess who was "granted superpowers from the art gods and travel through time warps and galaxies with their magical pet swan" and the story ends with the words "Let the magical aura of this sculpture evoke a moment for your soulful inspiration that shall move your hearts to joy. The end to this story now begins inside your own soul." A a beautiful sentiment and a perfect a perfect addition to this wonderful place in Orlando known as Lake Eola Park. Lake Eola Park truly a great oasis of art, birds, and green space on the edge of downtown Orlando. This sculpture and the foot bridges are just a perfect enhancement to an already wonderful place. I have to give the sculpture and the sculpture's sentiment five stars.

As a fan of beautiful, Florida centric art, I was instantly drawn to this mural located at the…read moreCasselberry City Hall. It turns out it has quite a story to tell too. The Andres Mural is an over 20 foot long, tiled mural that was on the South Seminole Bank building which later became a Wachovia Bank. The bank building opened in the late 1950's and was notable for being the only Seminole County Bank outside of Sanford and for being the first all electric building in the county. It became a designated fall out shelter during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The bank was demolished in 2013 to make way for the US 17-92 Flyover. Spanish Artist Antonio Martinez Andres (1917 - 1966) was born in Madrid. He traveled and lived in Cuba from 1947 to 1961 where he was known for painting church murals and portraits of famous Spanish and Cuban people. He left at the beginning of Castro's regime for St. Petersburg, Florida and was commissioned to create a large-scale tiled mural on the wall behind the tellers at the bank. The mural features a panoramic landscape scene from Florida that includes rolling hills and citrus groves. During remodeling of the bank in 1994, the mural was hidden behind a wall where it remained forgotten except by one person. In 2013, former bank President David Powers learned that the old bank building was about to be torn down. He contacted former Seminole County Commissioner Larry Furlong to let him know that there was mural behind the wall with historical significance and artistic beauty. Furlong contacted the City of Casselberry and a few weeks later, a group of officials from FDOT, City staff, and David Powers entered the dark building with flashlights and made holes in the wall until they found it. An outside contractor was hired to remove the mural with the aid of a group of mosaic artists. Each tile was numbered, photographed, and recorded before being removed and placed in a storage facility near Casselberry City Hall. Artist Ulysses Mora worked for two years to restore the tiles. The mural was reinstalled for all to enjoy at its new location in the breezeway at Casselberry City Hall. It is truly stunning and a testament to teamwork.

I came across this little bit of history on a recent trip to Mead Botanical Garden. It seems that…read morenaturalist William Bartram, known as "Puc Puggy" to the Native Americans in the area, brought renown to Florida when he discovered native species of plants here sometime around 1774. The sign was erected by the Winter Park Garden Club in cooperation with the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. I love finding these signs that give I said glimpse of the past. It is interesting to me to find these footsteps from yesteryear that let us to where we stand today. All in all, if you find yourself here and Mead Botanical Garden, take a moment to remember this man and think about what he accomplished. Florida was certainly a wildlands and very uncharted. His quest made the world a better place.

The Alligator Wrestler statue in Heritage Square Park is a beloved spot for visitors to take a…read morephoto. It's whimsical subject matter and depiction of history makes it is one of my favorite public artworks in downtown Orlando. You can find it at the entrance to the Orange County Regional History Center. In 1857, Orlando's city limits were platted in Heritage Square Park. Alligator Wrestler pays homage to Orlando's lawless, cow town past rooted in cattle ranching, agriculture, and citrus. Originally known for cattle, Orlando evolved from a small trading post in the 1830's into a bustling cattle and citrus center by the 1890's. In the early 2000's, Alligator Wrestler was sculpted by artist Scott Shaffer, a Colorado-based sculptor known for detailed, realistic wildlife and nature-themed bronze work. This sculpture was inspired by a famous 1884 photograph depicting legendary local figure Bunk Baxter wrestling an alligator. According to legend, Bunk would come to Orlando on Saturdays in the mid 1880's and wrestle an alligator in the middle of a dirt road, which would become Orange Avenue. A picture of Bunk and his alligator companion became an iconic image of Orlando's colorful, wild past. Now Bunk and the alligator are a part of many people's treasured memories of visiting modern day Orlando.

I have driven by this statue literally fir decades and this is the first time that I saw it up…read moreclose and personal. This statue reminds us all that there was a Florida before the theme parks and it was a wild and often dangerous place. It is not a huge statue by any means, pretty much life-sized, but it does make a statement and show us what Florida was like before we built it up. Our history is important to us and we must remember it.

This small plaque is to honor Colonel Corbin Marquand Sarchet, III, who is the founder of "Fiesta…read morein the Park" in Lake Eola. Fiesta in the Park has been recognized as one of the top 100 arts and crafts shows here in the United States of America and it is by the selfless work of this man and others that make it a reality. This plaque is a bit hard to find, though it is located by the Walt Disney Amphitheater in Lake Eola. I'm in Lake Eola pretty much weekly and it is surprising that I have never noticed this before. However, I saw today and I learned something new today about an extraordinary man who has given of himself so selflessly of for his community. If you were in Lake Eola Park seek this little plaque out. Lake Eola Park is definitely my favorite Park in Orlando and it is because of these little things that make this park so epic. Come check out the park as a whole and definitely seek out this little plaque.

The Linton E. Allen Memorial Fountain, also known as the Centennial Fountain with its nightly…read morewater and light shows in the middle of Lake Eola is probably the better known Lake Eola fountain but that doesn't mean the lovely, more classic Sperry Fountain should be overlooked. It has been a part of Orlando for more than a century and is a reminder of an influential Orlando pioneer. E.F. Sperry (b. 1843) was from Connecticut but moved to this area in 1885 after visiting for a vacation. Less than a year after the move he co-founded the South Florida Foundry and Machine Works which became one Orlando's earliest businesses by providing metal works for iron stairs, balconies, trains, and fencing.The business made him very prosperous and he owned a house and property on the southwest shore of Lake Eola. After selling his business he became civically active by serving on the park commission, as President of the Orlando Citrus Exchange and he was a founding member of the 1912 First Unitarian Church of Orlando. My favorite thing about him was he was the first president of the Men's Equal Suffrage League which helped women the right to vote. He was a man ahead of his time. Mr. Sperry was first elected to the office of mayor in 1914. At this time he donated his Lake Eola property to the city. Along with property donated by Jake Summerlin and J. P. Mussellwhite, it allowed for the completion of Lake Eola Park which is so beloved today. In 1913 Sperry also donated the $2,000 for the fountain that bears his name. Sperry never finished his term as mayor, He passed away two years after his election in 1916. He work was continued by Mayor James L. Giles and three years after Sperry's death the City Council voted to amend the city charter allowing women to vote in Orlando. The Sperry fountain that sits here today is an exact replica of the fountain he donated in 1913.The fountain was prone to mechanical failure and in 2011 the iron fountain was replaced with a bronze one. The actual fountain Sperry donated can be found in Greenwood cemetery today. I love the swans on the fountain that mirror the ones you see swimming on Lake Eola. The real Lake Eola swans were not introduced to the lake until 1922 when they were put there by an Englishman raising them to separate two breeds who were having a territorial dispute. After a walk around the lake it is nice to sit and relax on one of the benches surrounding the fountain. March 2024 will mark the 110th anniversary of the Sperry Fountain.

The Sperry Fountain is located on the edge of Lake Eola Park and is named for E.F. Sperry, who was…read moreelected mayor of Orlando, Florida in 1913 and served until he passed away in 1916. Sperry was also a businessman who founded the South Foundry and Machine Works. This fountain is an exact replica of the fountain that Sperry himself donated to the City of Orlando (as well as land for a public park) back in 1913. The fountain itself is a nice place to chill and I have a few stone benches around if you would like to sit and take the view in. All in all, this is a nice addition to both Lake Eola Park and the city of Orlando, Florida. Lake Eola Park is definitely my favorite park in Orlando. It is because of things like this that make it my favorite park. All in all, I will give Sperry Fountain five stars

I am very familiar with the blue markers of the state wide Florida Historical Marker Program…read more Occasionally I will come across a county or city historic marker. I discovered this Orange County marker about the Barber/Mizell Feud while walking through Barber Park. Historical markers are a great way to learn about the formative people, buildings, and events in Florida's history. I was somewhat familiar with the Barber/Mizell feud from having visited Harry P. Leu Gardens. The Mizell family were the first people to own the land of what is now the popular tourist attraction botanical gardens. David Mizell Jr. arrived in 1858 with his wife Angeline from Alachua County during the years of Reconstruction after the Civil War. It was a time when there were only a few pioneers in the area. They purchased 8 acres where they built a cabin, raised cattle, and farmed. Mizell called his property Lake View and a small community of the same name grew up around it. When Lake View got a post office, the name was changed to Osceola after a Seminole warrior who had died 30 years earlier. In the late 1860's Mizell was elected to the Orange County Commission and the State Legislation. His son John was a judge in the Orange County Court while oldest son David was appointed sheriff of Orange County. David was killed in the line of duty in 1870 while trying to settle a dispute over taxes and cows. David Mizell's death was part of a feud with the Barber cattle ranching family. Moses Barber moved to Florida from Georgia in 1833. They went on to develop one of the largest cattle empires in the state but during the Civil War their cattle was seized and they lost their wealth. The Barbers relocated to Central Florida to rebuild but it put them into competition for grazing land with the Mizell's who had the benefit of having a sheriff in the family. Both families accused each other of cattle rustling. Moses Barber refused to pay taxes enacted by the government which forced David Mizell to seize cattle in lieu of payment. During this attempt he was killed. His son John and a newly elected sheriff went after the Barber family. They located and killed the ranch hand they believed shot David Mizell. The Barbers left for northern family where Moses Barber was captured but never tried. Eventually anywhere from 8 to 13 people would be killed before the feud was finally ended in the 1940's when members from the two families were married. David is buried in the small Mizell Family Cemetery in Harry P. Leu Gardens. Barber Park was created on the cattle grazing land once owned by the Barber family.

This historical sign is located in Barber Park and marks the Barber/Mizell Fued that occurred here…read moreback in the 1800's. At least eight people were killed in this three month fued. It was in essence a battle between two cattle barons. It is amazing to imagine the Florida that was back in the 1800's versus what it is today. That's why these markers are so important. They give us a glimpse of the past.

Orlando was nicknamed "The City Beautiful" after Jesse Branch entered and won a slogan contest in…read more1908. It is sometimes called the theme park capital of the world for its cllose associationwith Disney World, Universal Resorts, and Seaworld which make up the backbone of the Orlando's tourism industry. It is one of the most visited American cities and one of the most popular choices for conferences and conventions. It is also home to the University of Central Florida which is the second largest college in the country. All of Orlando's shining attributes make it an attractive partner to have as a sister city. Sister Cities are a concept that started after WWII as a way to solidify links between cities in allied countries that went through similar devastating events. Today it is seen as a long-term partnership between two communities in two countries. A relationship is officially recognized after the highest elected or appointed official from both communities sign off on an agreement to become sister cities. The cities can then engage in municipal, business, trade, educational, and cultural exchanges between them. Orlando has a large number of sister cities which include Anaheim, California, Bethlehem, Curitiba in Brazil, Guilin in China, Monterrey in Mexico, Orenburg in Russia , Seine-et-Marne in France, Tainan in Taiwan, Urayasu in Japan, Keflavik in Iceland, and Valladolid in Spain. Located in Lake Eola Park next to the boardwalk is a sign listing some of Orlando's sister cities and how far away they are from Orlando. I loved discovering this very cool sign. It reminds us that although we are all living on what feels like a big planet we are all interconnected.

I have always liked these little signs that put in relation how far certain other major cities are…read morein the world. This particular sign is located on the edge of Lake Eola Park and is by the World of Beer. It is an interesting little gem and a great park here in Orlando, Florida. If you find yourself in Lake Eola Park, go check this out. First off, it is interesting to see what other cities Orlando claims to have an affiliation with and the other one is to see exactly how many miles away from Orlando they are. It kind of shows how big the world is and yet how small It ultimately is.