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City in Florida, United States
Photo: AHeneen, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Lake Alfred is a small town of 4,000 people in north-central Polk County, Florida. The town lies along U.S. 17/92, which runs north/south through the center of town. Easily a drive-through community for motorists, it is worth a stop to hike through Mackay Gardens, browse the family-owned businesses along Haines St, or maybe even learn to water ski.
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Beautiful old mansion & estate with a playground and nature trails. The estate was built by Scottish entrepreneur Alexander Mackay, who named it "La Rochelle". The 7,000 square foot mansion is a great example of Craftsman style architecture. The interior is only open for tours (need to be scheduled) and for private events. There are a few miles of nature trails around the estate. The trails are marked by paint on posts & trees, but some sections aren't well marked and/or aren't cleared very wide (less than 2 ft wide in spots). Near the estate is a playground, restrooms, and small, Florida-friendly garden (showcases the local vegetation to minimize watering and fertilizer). The city purchased the estate in 2004 and has invested in many improvements to the site, but there is still more to be done.
Water ski school. Pay for individual lessons/rides, daily (3-4 lessons), or weekly (5 days, 3-4 lessons/day, & accommodation).
Private 9-hole course. Golf club rental available.
Featuring lots of country gravy and comfort food.
As the name suggests, this restaurant features a wide range of seafood eats, from shrimp & catfish to oysters and alligator.
Serving up fresh soups, salads, & entrées...but save room for dessert. A wide range of homemade pies, ice cream, shakes, and more is the highlight. Most dishes/desserts feature fresh, local citrus and strawberries.
The owners regularly travel abroad to purchase antiques and ship them back to this store. There is a good variety of finer quality English & country antiques, with lots of furniture & home decor items. They also have a good selection of stained glass windows salvaged from old homes/furniture. This isn't a high-end antique store, but most of the stuff is good quality and the place is not overflowing with inexpensive nick-knacks like most antiques stores you'll find in the region. The family also owns the adjacent "The Stable Gifts" & "The Back Porch" restaurant.
Antique store, with a focus on country antiques & oak furniture.
Gift-fruit shipper, offering citrus gift baskets and assorted candies, jams, juices and small gifts.
Various home decor gifts. Located next to The Barn antiques.
By bus
S. 17/92. Route 15 runs between the Winter Haven Terminal (north side of downtown) and downtown Haines City.50/ride with no free transfers. A day pass for adults costs $3 and is good for 24 hours.
By plane
The nearest commercial airports are Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Tampa International Airport (TPA).
By bus
Public transportation consists of WHAT Route 15 along U.S. 17/92. This will only get you a mile or two within town, so at $1.50/ride isn't a practical way to get around Lake Alfred.
By taxi
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Lakeland · Regional · LAL
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