The morning light filters through the Spanish moss draped over live oaks. Dew drips from glossy magnolia leaves. A faint sweetness rises from the dappled garden path as mellow carillon notes resonate through the Florida air. Around the bend, a new sight is revealed. The Florida sun glints off the pink marble of Bok Tower, framed against the vivid blue sky. It stands 205 feet tall atop Iron Mountain in Polk County, one of the state’s highest points.
Tens of thousands of people pass through Polk County every day along the heavily trafficked I-4 corridor. They seem unaware of hidden landscapes, such as Bok Tower and Gardens. Central Florida travel offers artistry, heritage, and ecological wonders just beyond your windshield.
Bok Tower Gardens & the Legacy of El Retiro
Located in Lake Wales, Bok Tower is one of Florida’s iconic landscapes, a 250-acre contemplative garden and bird sanctuary. It was created in the 1920s by Edward W. Bok, the editor of Ladies’ Home Journal.
Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., landscape architect for Bok Gardens, was the son of Frederick Law Olmsted, who co-designed Central Park and the U.S. Capitol Grounds. The garden is contemplative and peaceful. Curving paths wind through longleaf pines, sandhill vegetation, and native shrubs and wildflowers. The breeze softly rustles the palm leaves and carries the distant chime of the carillon.
The Singing Tower
As you walk along the rising pathway, the tower emerges, framed by trees, its image mirrored in a reflecting pool. The tower features Gothic/Art Deco styles and striking stonework by master craftsmen from the Philadelphia area. Pink and grey Georgia marble and coquina stone (a native shell limestone) adorn its colorful walls.
A carillon is a musical instrument made of tuned bronze bells, played from a keyboard-like console. To earn the title of carillon, the instrument must have at least 23 bells. The Bok Tower carillon has 60, among the finest in the world.
The Great Brass Door, located on the tower’s north side, is a masterpiece by Samuel Yellin, America’s preeminent metalworker of the era. The door panels depict scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and the serpent.
The stonework depicts the theme of unity between nature, art, and spirituality. It features a menagerie of Florida wildlife, including storks, herons, swans, foxes, and even baboons.
El Retiro, A Mediterranean Retreat
El Retiro, meaning “the retreat” in Spanish, is a 20-room mansion that sits on 7.5 acres within Bok Gardens. It was built in the 1930s for steel executive Charles Austin Buck, and he engaged Olmsted’s firm to design the gardens for his winter home. Architect Charles Wait was hired to design the house.
There is cool tile underfoot and polished wood inside the Mediterranean Revival home. It features a barrel-tile roof, thick walls, substantial carved doors and woodwork, and intricately detailed wrought iron.
Winter Haven’s Maker Spirit & Local Flavor
Step through the door at Haven Coffee Roasters in Winter Haven. The smells of fresh roasted coffee, caramel, and toasted almonds greet you. The whir of grinders, the soft clink of mugs, and the sound of friend meeting friend let you know that owner Jon Lane has accomplished his goal. The coffee shop is a true haven where people can be coffee nerds, relax, and feel safe.
Jon and his roaster, Ryan Garns, won the prestigious Golden Bean award in 2024 on both the North American and world levels. The Golden Bean is recognized as the world’s largest coffee roasting competition.
Sensing a lack of really great coffee in Central Florida, Jon and his wife stepped in to fill the void. Using different techniques such as co-fermenting with fruit, Havens Coffee Roasters offers some admittedly “crazy” coffees. Consider Yaba Daba Brew, which tastes like Fruity Pebbles, or Love Potion Latte, which has lavender and blackberry topped with lavender sugar. The juicy flavored rosemary latte is a seasonal favorite.
Jon has strong culinary training, and accordingly, the shop offers their own baked goods, syrups, and coffees you won’t find anywhere else. “We have fun and enjoy what we’re doing,” said Lane. “We’re bringing in coffee they’ve never seen.”
Visit Old Florida at Cherry Pocket Steak n Seafood
Craving the taste of fried catfish and the crunch of hushpuppies? Cherry Pocket Steak n Seafood is the Old Florida hangout for you. It’s a rustic fish camp with a warm, lively restaurant in a colorful lakefront setting.
It is one of the few places you can sip a cocktail while an alligator paddles by. The menu is simple and solid, with fresh seafood and homemade desserts. For those who wish to linger, Cherry Pocket features cabins, an RV park, and boat rentals.
Circle B Bar Reserve: Wildlife, Wetlands & Wild Florida
The ATV ride at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland is a journey to wild Florida, raw and alive. On the left, an armadillo moves with a cautious but confident gait through the grit of the trail. In the sun-dried grass, a gopher tortoise soaks up the warmth.
The 1,267 acres of Circle B, a former cattle ranch, sit on the northwest shore of Lake Hancock. It boasts a wide variety of plants and animals. If you want to see an alligator, you are in luck. “Alligator Alley” traces the wild edge of Lake Hancock, a narrow shoreline trail where wetlands press in on both sides. Alligators glide just feet from the path.
Alligator Alley
Habitats include oak hammocks, where moss-shrouded live oaks provide cooler, shaded corridors, just perfect for armadillos, songbirds, and other wildlife. Restored wetlands and freshwater marsh make up the heart of the reserve. These areas are home to wading birds, alligators, turtles, and migrating waterfowl.
Inhaling the earthy marsh air, you are liable to hear the slap of a heron’s wing or the croak of an alligator. Wood cranes stalk through the reeds, and a flash of pink over the marsh grass is the plumage of the roseate spoonbill.
Polk County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District acquired Circle B Bar Reserve in December 2000 to protect the valuable water and wildlife resources and to restore the Banana Creek marsh system.
Lakeland’s Blend of Architecture, Art & Urban Nature
Lakeland is a surprising blend of design, culture, and nature. On the campus of Florida Southern College, you can find the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright’s work at a single site.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s Campus of the Sun
The campus features a Usonian home designed in 1939 and then later built according to Wright’s plans in 2011. Wright coined the term Usonian to describe architecture modest in size, harmonized with its surroundings, and affordable for the average American.
It features all the Wright hallmarks; it is low-slung with built-in furniture to reduce clutter. It features a carport, clerestory windows, recessed lighting, and strong horizontal lines. Inside, honey-colored light bounces off Wright’s interlocking custom concrete blocks and filters through small blocks of colored glass.
Envisioned by Wright as the Campus of the Sun, FSC features 13 Wright-designed buildings. They are linked by a series of covered walkways. As footsteps echo on the warm concrete, the geometric patterns of the esplanade and placement of the columns recall the orange grove upon which the campus was built.
Wright’s Largest Water Feature
Central to the campus is the Water Dome, the largest water feature ever designed by Wright. It measures 168 feet in diameter. The full circular spray pattern creates a 30-foot wide hemisphere that appears almost solid, sparkling in the sunlight. Technology lagged behind Wright’s vision in the 1940s, and the fountain remained incomplete for decades. Today, the fountain reflects the geometry and scale originally intended by Wright.
The Annie Pfeiffer Chapel, the first Wright building on campus, is the physical and spiritual center of the campus. Most of Wright’s mid-career experimentation with light, geometry, and hand-made materials is captured in the building.
Much of the work was done by students in exchange for tuition and board. Textile blocks are used extensively in construction, and many of the blocks have perforations with colored glass inserts. Wright instructed students to randomly insert different colors, resulting in an abstract, stained-glass effect.
Bonnet Springs Park: An Urban Oasis
Echos of children laughing and playing are part of the soundscape at Bonnet Springs Park, a 168-acre urban oasis just minutes from downtown Lakeland. The park, on the site of an abandoned railway, opened in 2022.
It blends botanical gardens, museums, boardwalks, playgrounds, and artful architecture into a single, walkable landscape. Pine trees, magnolia blooms, and river water make this an ideal location for birdwatching, exercising, or relaxing with family and friends. The Crenshaw Canopy Walk, which wends through the treetops, is one of the most photographed sites. The park is free and open 365 days a year.
The architecture in the park blends harmoniously with its sculpted hills. Global architecture and landscape firm Sasaki designed the welcome center, nature center, event center, and the Florida Children’s Museum. The museum is located on the park site and requires admission. The curving lines of the welcome center echo the park’s winding paths.
Chosen as the best city park in the country by USA Today, there are a variety of eating options and a rooftop bar.
Evolving Hospitality: New Ways to Stay & Play
You hear the soft thump of cornhole bags and laughter around the pool deck. The smell of grilled burgers and sunscreen wafts through the air. It’s all part of the vibe at Camp Margaritaville RV Resort in Auburndale, located an hour southwest of Orlando. The RV resort is an ideal spot to enjoy theme parks, attractions, and all that Central Florida has to offer.
The Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Cabana Club is built on the site of a former blueberry farm. The packing building burned. After four years wrestling with insurance paperwork, Managing Partner Randy Knapp decided it was time to do something different. He developed the resort from the ground up. It originally opened as Cabana Club RV Resort in 2021 before partnering with Margaritaville for a 2022 rebrand.
RV Resort Offers Options Aplenty
It offers 326 RV sites, including 11 Super Premium RV Sites, along with 75 Cabana Cabins. The resort was named USA Today #1 Luxury RV Resort for 2024 and 2025. More than 1,200 guests attend Margaritaville on a busy weekend. They have plenty of choices for food, pools, and entertainment options, like the Six String Stage.
In addition to more conventional RV sites, Camp Margaritaville offers motorhome suites that include a private Tiki Hut with a Kamado Joe Grill, outdoor TV, two Adirondack chairs, a hammock, and more. For those who wish to make camping memories without an RV, the Cabana Cabins are your home away from home. They feature a full kitchen or kitchenette, a spacious living room, a bedroom with a king mattress, and a queen-size pullout.
Camp Margaritaville is 67 acres of Florida fun and frolic.
Downtown Lakeland’s Creative Pulse
Lakeland is a city bursting with creative energy. More than 30 murals are spread across downtown, Massachusetts Avenue, and the Dixieland neighborhood. Clinking glasses, street musicians, and the hum of a walkable downtown add to the charm.
Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits and Revival
The smell of smoked pork signals one of the favorite casual restaurants, Mojo Federal Swine & Spirits. The restaurant is located in one of the city’s most distinctive historic structures, the former Lakeland Federal Building. The 1920s-era government facility that once housed the city’s post office and federal offices.
When Mojo Federal opened, it marked the major revitalization of a long-dormant landmark. It features solid masonry construction and high-arched windows. The reborn federal building is the perfect social hub and ideal for enjoying bourbon and barbecue.
Revival is a craft cocktail bar emphasizing creative drinks and quality service. Warm amber accents, soft golden light, and polished wood create a moody and intimate setting for this modern speakeasy. Try a duckfat-washed Old Fashioned with Elijah Craig bourbon, honey, and ginger plum bitters. Perhaps a Lover’s Lane cocktail with Ford’s Gin, hibiscus, lemon, rosewater, and egg white is more your style.
Elevated Cuisine at Nineteen61
Steps away is the benchmark in Lakeland fine dining: Nineteen61. Brought to life by owner and lead Chef Marcos Fernandez, the restaurant is named after 1961. The pivotal year is when the Fernandez family fled the Castro regime in Cuba. The fashionable decor includes Cuban art and personal touches crafted by Fernandez himself.
The menu combines Cuban, Peruvian, and Spanish influences. The seafood paella is both rustic and luxurious. The aroma of saffron and sweet onions mingle with the briny perfume of the shellfish. Visually, it is a celebration of texture and color. The bay scallops are tender and almost buttery, and the shrimp are plump and snappy. The showstopper is the U6 Nigerian saltwater prawn, huge and coral colored.
Rediscover Florida’s Quiet Beauty
The charm and magic of Florida are in Polk County, whether it is carillon notes at dusk, silently viewing a gator sunning on the banks, or sipping an artistically crafted cocktail. The authenticity is enveloping and welcome. From the scent of citrus on the breeze to lake water turning gold at sunset, Polk County is a place you feel as much as you see.
It’s the kind of place that rewards curiosity and invites you to slow down. If you’re ready to rediscover Florida’s quieter beauty, Central Florida travel is waiting.
If You Go
To travel to Polk County by car, I-95 to I-4 is a smooth and direct route.
There are two good choices for air travel. Both Orlando International and Tampa International are less than an hour’s drive from Lakeland or Winter Haven.
Winterhaven and Lakeland make exceptional home bases for Central Florida travel. These cities are located in the heart of Polk County, sitting at the crossroads of everything the region does well.
There are short, easy drives to most attractions – an important consideration in a 2,000 square mile county. You’ll also have quick access to the I-4 corridor connecting you to Tampa and Orlando. Courtyard by Marriott Winter Haven and Springhill Suites Lakeland are attractive hotel choices for your Polk County adventure.
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