After landing in Orlando on a Friday night (with the ultimate destination of St. Augustine), I wanted to get out of the hustle and bustle and find an interesting town to spend the night. I liked the looks of Sanford, Florida. While I would only have a couple waking hours, this small town situated on Lake Monroe looked to offer an interesting collection of shops, bars, restaurants, and most importantly, local live music.
I trekked the 30 minutes north from MCO airport and am happy I did.
A couple notable spots I checked out included The Sullivan (an Irish “Public House” with live Irish music) and Celery City Craft (a really cool spot with a TON of local craft beer on tap).
Another super cool spot I almost missed is Tuffy’s Music Box — a big spot with a legitimate live music space and numerous cool sections. Tuffy’s was a highlight and I even bought a shirt.
There were a bunch of other cool spots I would have liked to check out including The Imperial at Washburn Imports (furniture store by day, cocktail bar by night!?), The West End Trading Company, The Alley, Wild Wild West End Honky-Tonk Saloon (all for live music) and Hollerbach’s German Restaurant.
Don’t be fooled by the books! This was a watering hole!
With its variety of interesting spots, Sanford was great spot for a night. Next stops on this trip were Lake Apopka Wildlife Refuge and Blue Spring State Park — both on the way to St. Augustine, Florida.