Sanford Farmers Market

Sanford FL is a great place to enjoy a relaxed Saturday morning, away from all the hustle and bustle. Since I also wanted to check out the new covered shade I had written about during the week, I decided to visit the weekly Sanford Farmers Market on Magnolia Square and then walk a bit through downtown Sanford to see what was new in town.

It was quite hot but nevertheless there was a good amount of people out here enjoying Sanford, listening to live music at Magnolia Square and visiting the surrounding stores, cafes and restaurants. The shade on Magnolia Square by the way turned out great and I was happy to spend some minutes under it ;o) After buying some fruits we walked along First Street and just took some pictures (see below).

Maya's Book Store

Maya Books and Music is a wonderful place to browse and find some used books. It’s located right on Mangolia Square. I had previously written about this unique book store on Day 6 when it was still located next to the Willow Tree Cafe (German restaurant).

When we walked by the German restaurant (who wouldn’t know this one by now?) I saw the weekend issue of the Sanford Herald displayed in front of the restaurant and found out that the Willow Tree Cafe is competing to be named the top German restaurant in the US! As a big fan of the Willow Tree Cafe, they definitely have my vote. In case you want to cast your vote, visit GermanDeli.com where you can vote once a day until September 1st. Support “Gemuetlichkeit” – there is no better place to live this very “Gemuetlichkeit” than Sanford ;o)

Willow Tree soon #1 German Restaurant in the US? You decide!

I am always amazed by the detail in the beautiful “art wall” (that’s how I call it) on First Street so today I took some more pictures of it… You can really get inspired here and I think I must have spent 20 minutes just looking at it. Very inspiring!

First Street Art Wall

After this quick stop on First Street and Magnolia Square it’s always nice to walk a bit around the Riverwalk or sit on one of the swings overlooking Lake Monroe.

Click the link below to see some more pictures taken on a Saturday in Sanford FL

First Street Art Wall

First Street Art Wall

Sanford Farmers Market

Sanford Farmers Market

Willow Tree Cafe on First Street

At the Sanford Farmers Market

The Art Wall

If you love Sanford, consider joining the Sanford 365 Group – it’s free and you can share your own beautiful pictures of Sanford FL with the world. Click here for more information.

Installation of Covered Shade on Magnolia Square Sanford FL

When walking through downtown Sanford this afternoon I noticed some action on Magnlia Square. Sure enough something is happening here: the installation of a covered shade! So of course I had to ask how long we will get to enjoy “shelter” of rain and sun on Mangolia Square. Apparently this shade is here to stay! I can see this working really well, especially during Farmers Market or simply when walking through Sanford on an extremely sunny day. It’s a great spot to sit down and rest for a bit, not sure how it will fit into the cityscape of Sanford but we will see very soon… The project was going to be completed that very same day – unless, of course, the rain would interfere…

Taste of Thyme Sanford FL

Taste of Thyme is a quaint little cafe on Magnolia Square. Walking through Sanford I suddenly felt the urge for some chocolate ice cream – with these temperatures I am not surprised I felt that way – and so Taste of Thyme was the place to go

Lupe enjoying some ice cream

The ice cream was delicious (Blue Bell), and I stayed for a while chatting with my friend. This place is very cozy and a great spot to hang out for a while in the afternoon. I love the fact that they have tables and chairs outside as well because you get a beautiful view of Magnolia Square, the fountain and the clock. Time stands still for a while here, no matter how hectic your day…

Besides delicious ice cream Taste of Thyme offers a lot more: deli, flatbread and panini sandwiches, soups and salads and of course coffees and frozen coffees.Their food is prepared fresh daily and prices are quite reasonable (around $6-7 for sandwiches).

Here is their info:

Taste of Thyme Cafe
108 S Magnolia Ave
Sanford, Florida, 32771
407-865-0798

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00-6:00
Saturday 8:00 – 6:00
Sunday 11:00-6:00

Ice Cream in Sanford FL

Stones Throw Bistro Sanford FL

Right off Magnolia Square in downtown Sanford you will find Stone’s Throw Bistro. This restaurant’s motto is to pair up great food with exceptional wine and beer – at an affordable price. Some of the delicious menu items include Pistachio Crusted Grouper, Balsamic Dill Lacquered Salmon and Mojo Chicken Breast. Stone’s Throw Bistro also serves lunch (burgers and sandwiches). There is live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday so it promises to be a great place for a weekend dinner in Sanford downtown.

I have yet to try Stone’s Throw Bistro but have heard good things about this restaurant that opened its doors in 2008. Once I have tried their food and experienced the atmosphere I will report back

Here is their complete info for those of you who would like to try it as well:

Stone’s Throw Bistro
107 Magnolia Ave.
Sanford, FL 32771
Phone: (407) 688-2508

Hours:
Closed on Sundays and Mondays
Tues-Thurs 11am-9:30pm
Fri-Sat 11am-10:30pm

Magnolia Square

When you are in Sanford next time, just stand (or sit) still for a couple of minutes on Magnolia Square. There is so much more to see than you would think at first. And this cute square is also a great place to just reflect. Maybe a good spot to sit down with a piece of paper and write down your new year’s resolutions … Don’t do that on Saturdays though, the Farmer’s Market may be too distracting

Ma and Pa in Sanford

Christmas time has finally started for me! My family flew in from Germany and will spend the holidays with me. Also on board, my little sister Gabi. So during the next few weeks I will not be posting as much info as usual and posts will be much more personal.The picture here shows my parents and me sitting on beautiful Magnolia Square in Downtown Sanford. Every time my family and friends visit I take them to downtown Sanford to show them around. And guess what, everyone really likes out cute little town!

In addition to that I will be out of the country from December 29th to January 9th. For obvious (security) reasons I will be/am posting this info after my return I hope you can forgive me for that!

Anyway, if you’d like to skip from today (Day 90) to Day 115 I won’t take offense. After all, the posts will not really be related to Sanford all that much. My trip will lead me to Colombia (Bogota and Villavicencio) so only stay tuned if you have interest in Latin America and life over there

Filming on Magnolia Square

Tomatoes at the Farmer

Now if that’s not delicious, I don’t know what is. Sights like this one are common at the weekly Farmer’s Market in Sanford.

Every Saturday in the AM on Magnolia Square right off of First Street in Sanford you can shop for the freshest food and vegetables out there and get ready to prepare a healthy weekend meal for your family, friends or just for yourself. The atmosphere is friendly and comfortable, quiet and just the right thing for a relaxing Saturday morning.  love to start my Saturdays like that (whenever I can…).

So check it out and come down here next Saturday! You will love the selection and might become a regular visitor ;o) !