Day 337 – Trivia Night at the Sanford Wine Company

Trivia Night at the Sanford Wine Company

I had previously mentioned that The Trivia Tart was going to host a Trivia Night on August 20 at the Sanford Wine Company. Of course we had to check out the new location for this always fun event – and were quite happy with it ;o) I hadn’t been to Trivia in a while and noticed how much I actually missed it. The bar was packed and lots of teams participated.

I did shoot a little video as well (including an interview with Ken from the Wine Company) but that is still in the works (just so you can check out the location from the inside and learn more about the wine company etc.). Stay tuned, will post it here soon!

Needless to say we had lots of fun – and even ended up winning a bottle of wine in the last round.

To learn more about Trivia and the Trivia Tart check out her blog here. From now on the Trivia Tart will be hosting Trivia Night every first and third Thursday of the month at the Sanford Wine Company (starting at 8pm)

Trivia Night every 1st and 3rd Thursday

Day 336 – The Barn Sanford FL

The Barn Sanford FL

One of the most unique buildings on 17/92 in Sanford is without a doubt “The Barn” building (love the red color against the blue sky!). And if you like country music, this is the place to be in Sanford. Admittedly I have only been here once and since just never made the time to come back. Looking at their weekly schedule though it seems quite tempting to go and maybe take a little dance lesson. If you’d like to learn country line dancing etc. you should check out FREE FRIDAYS when The Barn offers all kinds of activities for free, including free Karaoke, free mechanical bull riding, free pool and darts, free admission and more!

The Barn in 2007

This picture was taken in July 2007. I thought it might add something to the post giving you a better idea of the inside look ;o)

Here is their info:

The Barn
1200 S French Ave
Sanford, FL 32771
(407) 302-4259

Day 335 – Criminal Justice Center Sanford FL

Criminal Justice Center Sanford FL

For the longest time I was wondering what exactly this huge building off highway 17-92 in Sanford was (it’s located across from Flea and Fun World in Sanford). Obviously, I knew it must be something important because of its official and classic look. So I asked around and did some research and it turns out, this is the Criminal Justice Center.

The five story building contains/is work place for:

• 5 circuit courtrooms
• Arraignment court
• Circuit ceremonial room
• Offices for the court administration
• Judges
• Clerk of Court
• County Sheriff
• State Attorney
• Public Defender

Here is their complete information:

Criminal Justice Center
101 Bush Boulevard
Sanford, FL 32773
(407) 665-4450

Day 334 – Naval Air Station Memorial Sanford

Naval Air Station Memorial

Located by the airport in Sanford, the Naval Air Station Memorial reminds of Sanford’s history as home to additional naval aviation traning facilities during World War II. It was soon converted to fighter plane training for many fighter pilots that served on aircraft carriers in the Pacific.

Day 333 – Kidtropolis in Sanford FL

Kidtropolis Sanford FL

Not that there isn’t enough to do in Sanford and Orlando as it is, but in case your kids, or you, ever feel bored, you should check out Kidtropolis in Sanford, located right off highway 46 on the West side of I-4. Kidtropolis offers over 2,000 square feet of arcade games. There will certainly be something for everyone to enjoy.

I think I might soon check out the free Guitar Hero Tournament that takes place every Thursday at 5pm. Sounds like a lot of fun!

Kidtropolis also hosts birthday parties with prices per child starting at $12.99. Their dining area is quite large (food includes chicken wings, pizza, hot dogs, desserts and more) and there is also free WiFi available.

Here is their info:

Kidropolis
4932 West SR 46 #1090(Westwood Village)
Sanford, FL 32771
Phone: 407.936.3900
Opening Hours: Monday -Thursday: 11:00AM – 9:00PM – Friday: 11:00AM – 10:00PM – Saturday: 9:30AM – 10:00PM – Sunday: 10:00AM – 9:00PM

Day 332 – Building Up a Tent

It took 3 to build it up

This month we are the hosts for the monthly wine club meeting (had previously hosted it in April). So because we expected rain we thought ahead and built up a cabana tent on our patio. And we were right, it did rain! But thanks to the tent we all stayed dry and had a great party! Thanks to the 3 guys at our house ;o)

Day 331 – McCormick and Schmicks Orlando

Mccormick & Schmick's Orlando

Basti is back in Orlando to celebrate his b-day with Lupe and us, so after a day of shopping at the Prime Outlet Mall in Orlando we decided to eat at McCormick & Schmick’s by the Millenia Mall. I had never been to this elegant seafood restaurant so I was quite excited to be able to try something new. Honestly, the plan though was to go to P.F.Chang’s right next door but the waiting time for a Friday night were just too long… McCormick & Schmick’s on the other hand though was empty! We thought that was quite suspicious so were wondering if it was because of their food… But hey, how could you afford staying in business for so many years in such a hot area as the Millenia Mall if your food isn’t pretty good? So we were quite confident we would get good seafood – and luckily we  were not disappointed.

Halibut on Mushroom Couscous

It was quite a challenge to select from their more than complete seafood menu. I finally decided to have the halibut, but there was also a mahi mahi, trout, salmon and sword fish that I would have enjoyed just as much. We all ordered different dishes so we were able to try a bit of each other. Each of us was more than happy with their entree. The serving sizes were just right and flavors were paired to perfection (I rarely say that but this is how I felt about it!). The halibut came on a mushroom couscous with asparagus and fennel. Delicious!

Now, the only thing I have to mention here is that we weren’t too happy with the service and the fact that there was hardly any light outside. Sure, it brought up a bit of a “candle light” atmosphere but honestly, I think if you own a restaurant in Florida you should offer a decent dining option on the outside patio just as much as inside restaurant. Nevertheless, the excellent food made up for this shortcoming and we will gladly return whenever we feel like seafood in Orlando ;o)

Mahi Mahi

Here is their complete info:

Mccormick & Schmick’s Seafood
4200 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL 32839
Phone: (407) 226-6515

Day 330 – Step It Up Sanford FL

Step It Up in Sanford FL

I first became aware of the Step It Up Recovery Center in Sanford through a friend whose brother was injured in a car accident. He is now in a wheel chair (diagnosed as a C-5 quadriplegic) but on his path to recovery. As someone who is not directly affected by such a terrible accident and life changing event it is sometimes difficult to become even aware of great non profit organizations like Step It Up. That’s why I wanted to write this little post.

I was amazed that Sanford FL is actually one of the few locations in the South East that offers such a unique recovery facility. From what I have learned, Step It Up is about getting the patient out of the wheel chair and making them work and train their muscles, based on “Project Walk” in Carlsbad, California, a facility that uses the Dardzinski Method. The concept behind this method is to strengthen the muscles of the paralyzed parts of the body without having to actually feel them.

Training at Step It Up

Step It Up is a facility for patients who want to be active and keep a positive attitude despite their injuries. As the name already suggests, this organization is very up beat and you can sense the positive energy. I really liked their approach and I was glad to see how much everyone involved supports Step It Up.

Now, I am not an expert on the topic and don’t want to say anything that isn’t correct. If you want to learn a bit more or even better, if you want to get involved and support Step It Up please visit their web site at StepItUpRecovery.org.

Step It Up is located at 508 Central Park Drive in Sanford, just past the Seminole Town Center Mall, off highway 46. They can be reached at 407-878-3757.  I also wanted to make you aware of their upcoming fundraiser at Crane’s Roost Park in Altamonte Springs on September 12, 2009 (walk starts at 9am, registration at 8:15am).

Day 329 – The Eola Squirrel

Squirrel by Lake Eola Orlando

Those of you who know me a bit better might know that I find squirrels absolutely adorable! On top of that they make me laugh everytime they run/jum around – hillarious ) I have no clue what it is about those little rodents that I like so much… Squirrels seem to be quite common in the US and Canada, not in Germany. The only squirrel I got to see was the occasional red squirrel in our yard that came out in the Fall. I remember it used to be a big “event” and we all stormed out every year when the squirrel came back for a chance to get a glimpse of it… So when I first moved to the US you can imagine how excited I was seeing those cute little animlas on a daily basis. Well, I haven’t lost my excitement about them so here is my little tribute to my favorite animal, the squirrel…

Connecting Sanford’s Past and Future at the Student Museum on 08/24/09

Sanford Student Museum

Here is an announcement for a special event in Sanford that will take place at the Sanford Student Museum (I had previously written about it on Day 221. I received this information from a Sanford365 reader who wanted to make the public aware of the event so below is the event description, quoted:

Mark your calendar for 8/24/09 to be at the STUDENT MUSEUM, 301 W. Seventh Street for two significant events! At 9:00 am the bell in the tower of the 1902 school will ring (for the first time in decades!) to signify the opening of the 2009-2010 for the Seminole County Public Schools. Afterwards, a plaque will be unveiled at the site of the first school lunch room in Seminole County. Then, the museum will be open for tours! Light refreshments will feature the yummy hot rolls long associated with the school. For additional information contact Judy Wiant at the Student Museum 407.936.1679.

This sounds like a great opportunity to explore Sanford’s past! I will try to be there )

August 31st Update: Here are some beautiful pictures of the event that SCPS shared with me. Thank you so much!

Bell Tower - Sanford Student Museum

Lunchroom Plaque

Dr.Vogel at the event