Club La Costa members and guests wanting a day out during their Florida holiday, but without the theme park razzle-dazzle, should head to downtown Orlando and visit the Harry P. Leu Gardens.
Spend a few hours wandering through the serene semi-tropical and tropical gardens, set in 50 acres of landscaped surroundings that stretch down to the shores of Lake Rowena with meandering trails shaded by 200 year-old oaks and America’s third largest collection of Camellias.
Standing in the heart of the gardens is the meticulously restored home of Harry and Mary Jane Leu, now known as the Leu House Museum. Illustrating turn of the century Florida living, the museum is open 10am – 4pm with guided tours starting every 30 minutes. The museum is closed during the month of July.
The gardens were created by Mr & Mrs Leu after purchasing the house in 1936. The couple were extensive world travellers and brought back many exotic plants and varieties of Camellias in particular. In 1961, the couple donated the house and the gardens to the city of Orlando.
Highlights of visiting this attraction include the largest formal rose garden in Florida, a two-acre tropical stream garden, vegetable and herb gardens, palm, bamboo and cycad gardens and a natural habitat for many species of butterflies.
The resort of Encantada is Club La Costa’s first Florida holiday destination and is ideally based for exploring the area including numerous world-famous theme parks and the city of Orlando. The journey to the Harry P. Leu Gardens by road takes around 40 minutes.
Picture Credits: Matt Kelland, mwhaling & ebyabe
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