Orange Blossom Highway

I took a new route home from work today. It's the new 429 toll road which takes you to the far west end of Orlando.

The trip from work to home takes approximately 40 minutes which is a bit longer than the best conditions via I-4. The thing is, you rarely get the best conditions on I-4. The question is, is it worth it to go 10 minutes out of my way, pay $2.75 in tolls to avoid traffic entirely?

Under most circumstances I'd say "no way" but the thing about this route that was so great was just how beautiful the road is! It winds through the orange groves of west Orlando. Though Florida is mostly flat, the area around Clermont Florida is surprisingly hilly and fertile with orange and grape groves. I don't believe the grapes here are grown for wine but rather for fruit eating. In some spots it looks like Italy but moreover, it looks like southern Spain. In fact, it looks like Andalucia in many many ways. The road winds through these farmlands and at this time of year the air is scented with orange blossoms. It was almost overwhelming yet subtle. There are small ponds and lakes in the valleys and though it's a lonely stretch of land (hate to get a flat there), it's serene and beautiful. So while you're driving through this beautiful citrus landscape, all of a sudden on your left hand side you see Disney's Contemporary Hotel, Cinderella's castle and then Epcot's Space Ship earth - all looking like miniature replicas in the distance.

So is the traffic free drive, landscape view and the scent of orange blossoms worth $2.75 and 10 minutes time? Oh absolutely.