Am I in the Truman Show?

My third day in Orlando, I decided to check out the town of Celebration that I had heard so much about from locals and tourists alike.  It was a short drive from Windsor Hills Resort and I arrived around 11am, just in time for lunch. 

As I drove around Celebration, a town built by Disney, looking for a parking space I began thinking that I had somehow stepped into the Truman Show.  My immediate impression was that Celebration is the quintessential American town and is pretty close to perfection, very similar to the town Jim Carey grows up in the movie the Truman Show.  Celebration taps into the American frontier spirit and all the homes are designed in neo-traditionalist style.  It is a charming American town of the past, complete with an ice cream parlor and an AMC movie theatre in the town’s center. 

I found a parking space after circling many times and decided to try out the Columbia Restaurant, which had been strongly recommended to me by several locals.  Columbia is a quaint and elegant restaurant located in the center of town — and Russ was correct when he said “the 1905 salad is the bomb.”  It was my first experience trying Cuban food, and I must say I am all for trying it again.    

After lunch, I made a quick stop at Kilwins, a confectionery chocolate and ice cream shop, for some fudge.  I am a sucker for chocolate, especially fudge, and I couldn’t resist as I walked by Kilwins and saw (and smelled) all the delightful and tempting chocolate treats in the window. 

Once I got my chocolate fix, I began walking the brick-lined streets of Celebration bouncing in and out of the boutiques and specialty shops I discovered along the way.  I found there were only a handful of clothing stores which was disappointing to me as I was ready to shop!  There are a variety of specialty shops however, that embody the small town charm that the town of Celebration prides itself on.  From a new and used booked store to a dog bakery to a custom frame shop, Celebration has an eclectic mix of boutiques and shops that you could easily spend hours exploring. 

I returned to Windsor Hills empty handed other than a half eaten box of fudge.  It was late afternoon and I was already hungry again for dinner.  I was dying to check out Pleasure Island so I decided to get ready and head out for a night on the town!

Jordan