Thankful for much in Central Florida
With readers’ help, Scott Maxwell continues his Thanksgiving tradition, taking a cue from Elizabeth Barrett Browning and counting the ways he loves our region.
Every year at Thanksgiving, I like to give thanks for all the things that make Central Florida a special place to live.
And there are many. In fact, in this — the seventh installment of “101 Things to Love about Central Florida” — readers offered about 1,000 suggestions.
This year, we have some old favorites and new offerings. Some you may know by heart. Others, you might need to look up. Enjoy. Things to love include ... White ibises and great blue herons.
Magical Dining month and the Orlando Fringe Festival.
One of the best airports in America. Dining al fresco in January. Immerse (the Creative City Project) — where ballerinas, rappers, painters and even the Orlando Magic’s halftime acts all collide on the streets of downtown Orlando for one night.
OnePulse, Se7en Bites and Ten Thousand Villages.
Matthew’s Hope, Shepherd’s Hope, Hope and Help and Hope Helps Inc. We are very hopeful people. Beer and music at Black Hammock. Highballs and chatter at Wally’s.
Park Ave CDs. The Track Shack. The Back to Nature Wildlife Preserve.
Crazy headlines. (Other places have “News of the Weird.” Here, it’s just news.)
The Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. The trio of coasters — Kraken, Manta and Mako — at SeaWorld.
That we have two law schools (FAMU and Barry), one med school (UCF) and an improvcomedy school (SAK).
The Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. The Ponce Inlet lighthouse. Leu Gardens and Mead Garden.
The Orlando Philharmonic, Orlando Ballet and Opera Orlando.
Pizza at Anthony’s in Casselberry. Burgers at The Breakers in New Smyrna. Chicken and dumplings at Linda’s Winter Park. And the homemade chips and salsa trio at Reyes in downtown Orlando. River otters. Osceola County School for the Arts and Orange County’s soonto-open school for gifted students.
College Park, Delaney Park, Audubon Park.
Kraft Azalea park, Lake Eola Park and the Path of Life on the West Orange Trail.
Theaters like Orlando Shakespeare and Mad Cow that give professional thespians critically acclaimed venues to display their craft.
Theaters like the Breakthrough in Winter Park and the Bay Street Players in Eustis that give lay actors a place to shine, as well.
The Lake Howell High School theater department with its 20,000-plus costumes and director James Brendlinger, who shares those costumes with 350 less-endowed schools and troupes in 25 different counties.
A coast with waves you can surf in one direction and a coast with tranquility in the other. Water, water, everywhere. A plethora of cycling trails. A plethora of farmers markets. The Alfond Inn. JazzFest and Veg Fest. A growing number of breweries (such as Orlando Brewing and Crooked Can in Winter Garden) and bakeries (such as Blue Bird Bake Shop in Orlando and the Yalaha Bakery). WMFE and WUCF. The Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. The Enzian Theater. Central Florida Community Arts. The Playwrights’ Round Table. Redlight, Redlight. Yellow Dog Eats. And Constitution Green.
The Holocaust Memorial Resource and Education Center in Maitland and the Peace & Justice Institute at Valencia College.
The Bach Festival Society’s Christmas concert. PechaKucha. That the Old Spanish Sugar Mill — in danger of closing earlier this year — will keep serving up griddle-your-own pancakes in De Leon Springs.
Shingle Creek and Rock Springs Run. Santiago’s Bodega. United Way and United Arts. A newspaper that tells the stories about everything on this list.
A diverse collection of first-rate hospitals. And churches. And professional sports teams to watch and club sports to play. Diversity in general. A welcoming community. Radio personalities who know this town and give voice to stories that might otherwise be missed — like Joe Kelley, Marc Daniels, Jim Philips, Matthew Peddie and Catherine Welch.
The Ben Franklin statue hidden on the Rollins College campus.
The Battle of the Bands, the Orlando Film Festival and the Festival of Trees.
Staycations and Florida-resident discounts.
Palm trees and rocket launches.