Which way should we go?

Oops. Would be easy to get confused here in Lake Sumter Landing.

Photo by Lois Anne.

Entering Lake Sumter Landing

From Morse Boulevard, you take a right. At the point this photo was taken you are about a block from Lake Sumter Landing's town square.

The Van Patten House

The Van Patten House houses Katie Belle's restaurant. Originally, one had to be a resident of The Villages or a guest of a resident to dine at Katie Belle's. I'm not sure what happened (not enough business?), but that rule was relaxed and now all are welcome.

One visitor explained the Van Patten House this way (and it also helps one understand The Villages as a "Disneyland for adults"):

"Outside [of the Van Patten House], an historical marker explains the building's colorful past. 'Katie Belle Van Patten was the wife of a Jacksonville businessman, John Decker Van Patten, who, along with a number of other investors, built the luxurious hotel in 1851 ...'

"The plaque looks so authentic that I have to remind myself that I am standing on what was pastureland a mere decade ago. ..."

And so it goes. Make-believe. But ain't it fun?

Early evening on the boardwalk at Lake Sumter Landing

Looking down the boardwalk toward the Waterfront Inn, early evening at Lake Sumter Landing.

Bird houses for sale in the furniture store

We've shown you several pictures of the huge furniture store in Lake Sumter Landing which spreads out of a couple of square blocks. In this area of the store, directly across from the town square, you can find a selection of bird houses - for your back yard!

Magnolia blossom

There are a couple of magnificent magnolia trees in front of the large furniture store in Lake Sumter Landing. This is a blossom from one of them.

Main Street across from the square, Lake Sumter Landing

Young love

Oh, to be young and in love and eating ice cream on the dock at Lake Sumter Landing!

Country Living

Another entrance to the very large furniture store in Lake Sumter Landing. Rather attractive, I thought.

Train station in Spanish Springs

No trains run here, but there are some railway artifacts at the old train station in Spanish Springs. It's quite attractive and this is the place to purchase a ticket for a van to take you to the Orlando airport. If you're flying out of Orlando, of course.

Waiting for the music to begin

At the Spanish Springs square in Town Center, a man and his dog await the nightly musical program. The dog, I believe, is a country music aficionado.

On the boardwalk

Grab an ice cream cone and set yourself down in these quite comfy chairs to watch the sun go down over Lake Sumter at Lake Sumter Landing.

La Reina - side entrance

La Reina, in Spanish Springs, now houses a variety of businesses, some of which can be reached by this side entrance. The photo was given a comic effect.

Back stairs at La Reina

What can I say? I love staircases!

Detail of La Reina

La Reina, you may recall, is located in the Spanish Springs downtown area, and housed the sales offices for The Villages. The sales offices have moved to a new location and La Reina is now home to a variety of businesses as well as a large Mexican restaurant.

This photos shows some detail of the southern side of the building.