On Saturday, we made the hour drive north to The Villages to visit the beautiful home of friends moving down from the Panhandle.
When driving into the community, there is an obvious old-school charm. Roundabouts lead through the landscaped drive with side roads (for golf carts) flanking the way.
It was raining when we arrived so we stayed inside and caught up. Shortly after, they showed us the pool area and lake within their neighborhood.
Then we headed over to the Eisenhower Recreation Center, which has a museum quality with military memorabilia from the era. The center also houses rooms for residents' clubs, including various art mediums and special interests.
The restaurant we were going to for dinner (City Fire) is located in the Brownwood Square, which has an old-time, country feel. All of the squares in The Villages have different themes and provide live music/entertainment seven days a week. We had a delicious dinner, saw part of the show, and continued on to Lake Sumter Square. This one had different shopping and restaurant options, as well as entertainment. The theme is seaside, complete with a long boardwalk. By this time, it was dark, but still a lovely walk along the water. We completed our evening with coffee.
Good company and good times.
All in all, The Villages was definitely designed well with a lot of thought for its residents. I can see the appeal in retiring here (or visiting in the meantime).
