Winter Garden Getaway (Day 1)

Join us for the 5th annual Winter Garden Getaway!

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU SIGN UP !!
This getaway is supposed to be a social event and involves a two night stay in Winter Garden (Dec. 15th to 17th). However, if you do not want to spend two nights in a hotel or any other accommodation, you can still sign up for each or any of the three days individually.

We highly recommend staying at least for one night to be able to enjoy an evening in Winter Garden. The town's center is lined with outdoor restaurants, cafes and a picturesque beer garden at Crooked Can Brewing Company. The town will be wonderfully decorated for the Christmas season.

Accommodation:
Our favorite place to stay was the Historic Edgewater Hotel. Unfortunately, it was sold in August 2025 and has not reopened. The future remains uncertain. There are only a limited number of Airbnbs in the area.

We will now stay at the Hampton Inn by Hilton Ocoee Orlando (11405 W Colonial Dr, Ocoee, FL 34761). It is about 4 miles or a 12 minutes drive away from Winter Garden's town center.

We negotiated a special group rate of $116 plus tax (fully refundable up to 24 hours). Deadline for this rate is November 24th, 2026. You still might want to book as early as possible to secure availability.

Please use following link to book your room:
Room at Hampton Inn Ocoee

If you want to use the Hilton Honor App, you will have to enter BHI into Special rate group code box.

The hotel currently blocked 20 rooms for us for both nights (15 King Bed Rooms and 5 Double Queen Bed Rooms).
If you receive a message that rooms are no longer available, contact us at (917)774-0941. We will then get in touch with the hotel to up the total number.

DAY 1: BIKE GREEN SWAMP WILDERNESS PRESERVE, LAKE LOUISA STATE PARK AND ENJOY AN EVENING IN WINTER GARDEN

If you don't feel comfortable with the first ride, you can join us for the second one in Lake Louisa State Park (LLSP). Please answer the question at the end with LLSP if that's the case, so we know whom to expect.

08:20 AM:

Let's meet at the parking lot of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve - East Track - Rock Ridge
(18038 Rockridge Road, Polk City, FL 33868)

08:30 AM:

We will bike for 5.4 miles (10.8 miles roundtrip) on Main Grade and Logging Road to the historic Stewart Homestead and Cemetery. It belonged to an elderly couple, Isham "Isom" and Sarah "Sallie" Browning Stewart, and stands today as the site of one of Central Florida's most notorious historical true-crime stories.

The ride is a remote, back-to-nature wilderness trek through the heart of the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve - East Tract. It feels entirely removed from modern Florida, trading asphalt for open sky, wetlands, and historic pine flatwoods.

The forest roads will consist of a mix of hard-packed dirt, compressed limestone, and clay and might be a little bumpy in spots.

Because it is a quiet preserve, you are highly likely to spot local wildlife, including alligators, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, and native birds.

Our ride will occur during active hunting season. We will be legally required to wear a blaze orange vest or hat for visibility.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS RIDE WILL NOT BE SUITABLE FOR ROAD BIKES WITH SKINNY TIRES!!

10:45 AM:

Drive 25 miles or about 30 minutes to Lake Louisa State Park
(7305 US-27, Clermont, FL 34714)

Admission to the State Park will be $5 per vehicle (two to eight people) or $4 for a single-occupant vehicle

We will park our cars on the parking lot to the right of the ranger station where you will pay your entrance fee. Please park close to each other so everyone gets a spot.

11:30 AM:

Lake Louisa State Park is known for its beautiful lakes, rolling hills and scenic landscapes.

We will ride about 9.5 miles of paved but hilly roads within the state park. This will be a great warm up for next day's bike ride.

During our ride we will check out the campground nestled between Hammond & Dixie Lake and stop at Lake Louisa with its wonderful beach and a memorial of a fallen pilot. The lake is the largest in a chain of thirteen lakes connected by the Palatlakaha River.

There we just might enjoy the scenery for a while, have a picnic (bring your own food and drinks) and stroll around to explore a little.

02:00 PM:

Drive 17 miles or about 30 minutes to the hotel or wherever you are staying

02:30 PM:

Check in, refresh and get ready for an evening in Winter Garden
Early check in is not guaranteed and depends on availability.

04:30 PM:

Let's regroup at the fountain (with the big Christmas Tree) in the median across the Historic Edgewater Hotel (99 W Plant St, Winter Garden, FL 34787). There is plenty of parking in the back of the hotel on N Boyd Street.

We will then stroll along Plant Street and soak in all the beautiful Christmas decoration around us. After a fairly short walk, we will stop at Crooked Can Brewing Company with its picturesque beer garden.

Once we are finished with drinks, we will head back to the restaurant for dinner.

06:00 PM:

We will make a reservation at Thai Blossom Restaurant next to the Historic Edgewater Hotel. Food and service were excellent.

07:30 PM:

At night the town will be even more enjoyable when all the Christmas decoration is lit up. That's why we will go for another stroll through town after dinner.

08:30 PM:

Head back to the hotel or your respective accommodation and get some rest. The next day will start with a good workout at 09:00 AM!

If you have questions or need directions, you can always reach us at
(917) 774-0941.