Wal-Mart Supermarket

Locations –

1.        Corner of 192 and Bass Road Close to the villa.

2.        Corner of North Poinciana Boulevard and 535 (near The Official Ticket Center)

Target Supermarket.

 Please note Super Targets sell fresh food

Locations –

1.      Super Target between 192 Market 13 and 12 past Sam’s club

2.      Target - East on Highway 192 on left near K Mart and Home Depot.

Publix Super Market

Locations –

Corner of 192 and 535 (marker 12) in the Shopping Plaza

Between Marker 8 and Marker 9 near and on the same side as Bennigan’s

Restaurants & Fast Food Outlets

These are just a small selection of Restaurants along the Highway 192

Before Marker 15

Outbacker Steak House -Casual dining steak restaurants with an atmosphere suggestive of the rustic Australian outback

Between Markers 13 and 12

Applebee’s - Applebee’s® was founded in Atlanta, Georgia, by Bill and T.J. Palmer. The Palmers envisioned a restaurant that would provide full service, consistently good food, reasonable prices and quality service in a neighbourhood setting.

Between Markers 12 and 11

Smokey Bones - Smokey Bones has a wide variety on their menu. There is the “traditional” (usually slow-smoked) barbeque menu, including burgers, chicken and BBQ Baby Back and St. Louis Ribs, as well as a line of salads, other non-barbeque entrees, and desserts.

Cattleman’s Steak House

Taco Bell

Pizza Hut

Between Markers 11 and 10

Perkins - Family restaurants that feature in-store bakeries and serve a variety of distinctive entreés

Ramono’s Macaroni Grill - serves a wide variety of Italian food and offers a children’s menu.

Cracker Barrel Store & Restaurant

Uno Pizzeria, Restaurant – Famous for Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza but also offer a varied menu

Chili’s Grill & Bar, Restaurant - Offers both Mexican style food and typical American food. Includes fajitas, quesadillas, salads, baby back ribs, buffalo wings, grilled shrimp

Longhorn Steak House – Capture the flavour and fun of the wild west. Great steaks, burgers and fresh salads. We really enjoy the fresh bread delivered to your table.

Between Markers 9 and 8

Bennigans - Neighbourhood American tavern with an Irish twist, includes appetizers, sandwiches, steaks and lots more.

Logan’s Roadhouse – Well known for mesquite-grilled steaks, chicken, fresh burgers, baby-back ribs, seafood, and specialty salads. Enjoy the bottomless buckets of in-shell peanuts.

Shopaholics will, for some reason known to themselves, want to spend days wandering around the retail Hell that is Festival Bay Mall or The Florida Mall.

Yes, with The Florida Mall’s 1.9 million square feet of shopping including, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sears, and over 260 specialty stores you are sure to find more than what you are looking for – probably a divorce, if you (like many of us) do not consider this to be a great way to spend a holiday!

These large shopping malls are also a bit of a drive away from where we Brits tend to stay in villas in the Davenport/Kissimmee/US27 areas.

Let me suggest two smaller malls which I find I can cope with, and which are closer:

My second choice would be Orlando Premium Outlets.8200 Vineland AvenueOrlando, FL32821 407.238.7787. It has 150 shops which has to be enough for anyone, and hosts the Levi’s shop where I always buy my jeans (in leg lengths seemingly impossible to buy in the UK)

My favourite mall, however, is Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores 15657 S Apopka Vineland Rd (SR 535) Orlando, FL 32821 407.238.9301.

The stores at Lake Buena Vista offer factory direct items at savings up to 75%.  There are less than 50 stores, but these are generally the ones you need for holiday shopping – great for trainers!  It is really accessible, with the car park in the middle and store front parking. As advertised, it is a quiet and relaxed village setting and in addition to the usual forgettable food court there is an Internet Café, The World of Coffee, for specialty coffees, desserts and a selection of food items from Greece and the Middle East. 

I am deliriously happy to wait there (on an outside table when it’s not too hot) with a cup of coffee and a baklava, while my wife exhausts every inch of retail space throughout the mall.

Try Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores for your shopping. It could be a marriage saver!

Andy Brownlie

 Place to go when in Kissimmee

A good place to go when you come to Kissimmee is to visit The Farmers Market on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday and not just the tourist ones on the 192.

All you need to do is, head out to St Cloud east 192 between Kissimmee and St Cloud, go under the bridge, left onto the slip road and it’s on the left. OSCEOLA FLEA AND FARMERS MARKET with over 900 booths to choose from. It is all under cover so no need to worry when its 80’ degrees in Florida, as it’s pretty cool in there.

We like to get there early as we can as they have a large area for new, used merchandise and every time we go, we always come back with a bargain. They also have a food area where you can get coffee, tea cold drinks and good snack foods. The highlight of this area is the karaoke stage where local singers get up and sing country and Dixie songs. They are very talented as well and somehow we always end up singing along with them.

Christmas they have a very good Santa with a sleigh this is where the kids can have their photo’s done with Santa he also gives all the children a present.

There are antique and collectables booths as well as Florida souvenirs at very good discounted prices.

We bought some carving knives form there around 10 years ago, at the time I remember the stall holder, boasting that they would always remain sharp. I have to say that every one is as good as when we 1st bought them. Of course if you wanted to bring items like these home to the UK they would have to go in your hold luggage and not your hand luggage, if you are flying out from America.

Go have a singsong at the Farmers Market, even just for a stroll along to see what is on offer, we have found that things that can be bought at the Disney Parks, seem much cheaper at the Farmers Market & you will enjoy it.

 Port Charlotte Town Center Mall 1441 Tamiami Trail, Port Charlotte, FL 33980, 941-624-4447 where you will find over 100 different retailers including Beall’s, Dillard’s, JCPenney, macy*s, Sears, Old Navy, Victoria’s Secret etc The mall also contains one of Florida’s largest indoor food court and a 16 screen cinema.

Mall hours are Mon to Sat10:00am - 9:00pm,  Sun12:00pm - 6:00pm

Cross over the Tamiami Trail and you have a further selection of stores including Marshalls, Bed Bath & Beyond, Michaels, Circuit City, Pier 21 to name but a few. Further up the Tamiami Trail you will come to Walmart, Target and Home Depot.

If you like rooting for a bargain then try:

Sun Flea Market 18505 Paulson Drive, Port Charlotte, FL 33954, 941-255-3532, Here you will find an indoor, air-conditioned flea market with over 70 individually owned shops plus the additional features of live entertainment every day on the stage, an attractive food court, a play center for kids, and free gift wrapping services. Outside is a small funfare to attract & occupy the kids.

Travel up to Englewood and you will find the South McCall Rd lined with small individual stores and also the big retail stores eg Walmart, Beals, Office Depot, Dollar Store etc.

For an evening browse you could try Dearborn Street in Old Englewood. Here you will find a collection of small art galleries, craft shops, antique stores , an ice cream parlour and a selection of eateries, It’s a great place to stroll along in an evening and several times a month there are speciality evenings like The Artists Market or The Cruising Club.

I love to visit Venice where you can stroll along the Old Venice shopping area and pop into a variety of small quaint stores. There is also a large TJ Maxx in Venice which I find irresistible. Here you can always find bargains from the selection of designer clothes, and shoes or grab a bargain designer bag for a fraction of the price back home. There is also a good selection of good quality jewellery, perfumes and cosmetics. Home goods such as bedding and towels are such a good buy. I am always picking up kitchen gadgets for my Gulf Coast home.

If you do they why not try Webster Flea and Farmers Market this only happens on a Monday morning opens around 7am closing around 12.30 to 1ish and only on a Monday

Getting there could not be easier as it is only a couple of roads even though its about a good half hour drive starting on  the hwy 27 head north once you arrive in Clermont  you will then west on hyw 50 .

Going along hwy 50 about 20 miles. You come to a cross road called Tarrytown there is a petrol stations on both sides off the road. Quite often there is a man selling fresh shrimp on one of the other corners of the road

Here you turn right and the Farmers market is about 3 to 4 miles along that road. You can either park on the roadside or there are a couple of car parks (you have to pay in these).

The farmers come along each week to sell there produce, You can get all manner of  fruit, and  vegetables all very fresh,

They also sell cheeses. bread, fruit jams, honey, nut,  ect .One of the stalls is constantly shelling pecans

Over in the other section they have the usual tourist stuff tee shirts ect  but  these goods have only just started to appear in the last few years as more and more people find out about this place

You can also get a wide selection of luggage, designer hand bags (copies of course). They even sell pets and guns, knives, all mixed in together

Once you have enough of that section you can head over to the far side of the market here they have a flea market (car boot to us brits) we have always found that the best flea markets are held in the winter months

I have noticed on the last visit that some of the market stall holders will take Visa but the most only take cash so don’t be caught out

As for refreshments that is limited to snacks hotdogs ect, but as its only a morning event we have found that no problem

I have been lead to believe that once a month on a Friday they have a car show but we have never been.

Try it I  think you will enjoy the experience.

Visiting Florida is a must do for anyone and every one of all ages it is a once in a life time experience which is a must do, at some point in your life, whether you visit the Disney theme parks, Universal or no parks at all. There is still plenty to offer for all ages from shopping to relaxing and sun bathing, to visiting the nature parks such as Gatorland, there is also various places to eat out for romantic meals, celebrations or family meals out.

The Farmers Market

The Farmers market is a great place to visit it can be found at the bottom part of the 192, it’s like a bigger version of a flea market, which can be found along the 192, but its more outside and we all know we like to bag a bargain!! They have a karaoke seating area where you are able to have a lunch time drink .There are over a 300 stalls to visit from fruit and vegetable man to someone selling furniture, cloths bedding or electrical good including mobile phones. They also have a very interesting pet shop/unit. You are able to get virtually anything there. They have the out side stalls which seem to sell second hand items, along with the under cover units. It is open on weekends but is well worth checking out as it’s an enjoyable relaxing day out.

Florida mall

The Florida mall is massive and this is somewhere you will have to keep coming back too best to go maybe the start of your holiday and then towards the end of your holiday, as there is no way you are able to look around in one day/night. The Florida mall is about 100 indoor shops from the outside it looks like one or two but once inside there are loads from the food court to Sears and JC Penny’s and if you need to know any thing about JC Penny’s it’s they always have some sort of sale on, which allows you to fill your bags at a very good cost. there are also loads of other shops to enjoy.

Having been to most of the well known malls I was told about Eagle Ridge and decided to check it out. Eagle Ridge is situated on US27 N going towards the Lake Wales area. It is really easy to find basically you just stay on US 27 North and it is about 10/15 minutes past Walmart at Southern Dunes. It has most of the well known department stores found at other of Orlando’s many shopping malls but has the advantage of being a lot less busy. For those who are not so keen to shop there is a multi screen cinema with a least 12 screens,   bowling  and a variety of nice places to eat. I didn’t go inside the bowling center but was told it had 32 lanes, bumper cars and an arcade. Inside the Mall is a childrens play area and a carousel. Changing the subject for a minute …..do you know the difference between a carousel and a merry-go-round ? The answer is a carousel only has horses and merry-go-rounds have different animals, cars fire engines ect. Something I didn’t know.

Each time I have visited Orlando I have always been lucky to find the shops having sales. This was the case when I visited Eagle Ridge. Sears, J C Penney, Victoria Secret and Dillards advertised huge discounts and did not dissapoint. There is also a good range of smaller shops where you can find shoes, sunglasses, jewellery, clothing, kitchen equipment and sportswear. Just a short way from the main mall in the carpark is a large Toys R Us and a Lowes.

Finding somewhere to park is easy, the carpark is huge. Even at the busiest time I am confident parking will not be a problem. Eagle Ridge  is open from 10 am - 9pm Monday - Saturday and from 12 mid day - 6pm on Sundays. If you decide to give this a try put the zip code FL33859 into your Sat Nav or look out on the left hand side of the carriageway for the Mall just after Home Depot and Publix.

Happy shopping.

Virtually all hotel accommodation is on a ‘room-only’ basis.  This is a major difference from a European or Caribbean vacation, where many hotels include the cost of meals (and sometimes drinks) in the price.

By choosing one of the vacation homes on the Silver Creek Villas website, you have the choice of dining - eat out (check out the reviews within this Guide), or eat in.  Your home will come with a fully equipped kitchen - and there are some excellent shops to buy a wide choice of food.  Here are just a few ideas of where to shop.

Wal-Mart

Known to many visitors from Europe as the owners of the United Kingdom’s Asda supermarket, there is a 24 hour superstore along the 192 (and in several other locations in the Kissimmee area).  Wal-Mart offers plenty of food choices - from ready prepared meals through to fresh fruit, vegetables, beer and wine.  Many vacation homes provide a BBQ grill - steaks, chicken, sausages are all available at Wal-Mart (your visit here is an attraction in itself - as well as the food hall, you’ll also find just about everything else on sale as well - music, electronics, clothes, books, shoes, toys, games etc)

Publix

Another supermarket with several locations, you will find Publix at Champions Gate, and further locations along the 192 and in the Kissimmee area.  The quality at Publix is usually excellent, with much locally grown produce (the climate here is ideal for citrus fruit and many other crops).  There is always ample parking with long opening hours - although Publix tends not to be open 24 hours.  Many visitors from the United Kingdom consider Publix to be similar to their Sainsburys stores at home.

Target

Target have several stores - the Super Targets along the 192 (and also The Orange Blossom Trail) are the biggest, and many think the best.  Offering a similar range to the others, many UK visitors liken them to Waitrose.  Target also offers clothing electronics and household goods

All of these stores sell imported goods as well - so visitors from Europe will find many of their local brands alongside the American products. Just look in the ethnic isle.

Our conclusion is that staying in a vacation home gives you the choice of eating in or dining out.  And there are plenty of places to shop when self catering.  But don’t forget you are on vacation - do treat yourself to some visits to the excellent local restaurants!