My husband's suddenly been required to do business travel straight thru May...including mid-May, my 50th. Ouch! Considering one of his destinations is Orlando...well, I've been to Epcot, that's it. It was ok. We're lucky frequent/worldwide travelers, and I need something special: restaurants/hotels/resorts with some pampering. Beaches/resorts between Melbourne and Palm Beach are within range, too. We're unfamiliar with this area of FLA.

Who we are: assume we're 40; no kids; we like 4star but unpretentious food; fun shopping, cultural stuff, jazz bars/dancing. A massage, a nice tropical drink at a beautiful pool or beach then an elegant dinner? Ocean walk at midnight? Or, can we hang in Orlando and have a bit of all this? We'll only have 2-3 days, otherwise we'd hit Boca Raton/Ft. Laud.
Price limit? Depends on the splurge...we're not wealthy! Thanks for your time, Fodorites!

ttt

I recommend that you visit Winter Park, which is a short drive from Orlando...restaurants there that I think you may like are Cafe de France on Park Avenue (407)647-4322...it's small and intimate and you will need reservations...Brio Tuscan Grille in Winter Park Village is also good...(407)622-5611...try the antipasto for 2...another good place to eat is Chez Vincent on W. New England Ave....it's in the artsy Hannibal Square area of Winter Park...(407)599-2929...they offer a gourmet plate sampling...Park Plaza Gardens (407)645-2475) on Park Avenue is very prettily decorated in a garden setting and the food is good...I had baked brie and green apple napoleon for an appetizer that was excellent...Shafer's is a wonderful place for coffee and dessert and they have live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday...Winter Park is a wonderful little town with brick paved sidewalks and nice shops and restaurants...in Orlando, I would recommend Lee's Lakeside Restaurant on E. Central Blvd....it overlooks Lake Eola and at night the multicolored fountain looks very pretty...there's live music and very good food...these are the places I went to on those rare visits to my condo when I didn't have my children with me...I know many people often visit some of the restaurants and clubs at Universal's CityWalk such as Emeril's and Latin Quarter.

Merilee, thanks!!! Wow, Winter Park, huh? Would be convenient for us, too.
We'll try at least a day there, and take in one of those restaurants!
Is everyone still recommending Breakers and Four Seasons as far as Palm Beach area? Is there anything north of Palm Beach that any of you find interesting?

ttt

Melbourne/Palm Bay are great if you stick to the beachside. This is my hometown. There is a great B&B in Melbourne Beach that is really pretty...it's called the Windemere Inn by the Sea. check out their website at www.windemereinn.com. There's also the Crane Creek Inn (another B&B) which is located in Downtown Melbourne which is really quaint and historic. their website is www.cranecreekinn.com. Have a great time!

Thanks, KF!
Will check out the B&Bs.
Wanda