Mount Dora is a vibrant small town in central Florida that I had no intention of visiting. We ended up there by default when the towns we passed through earlier in the day turned out to be duds (I’m looking at you Leesburg).

Just packed with activity, Mount Dora was great, from its lawn bowling courts to its Modernism Museum. Our first stop in town was the historic Gatehouse Gift Gallery—a stroke of luck on our part, because that’s where we met Donna.

A state teacher of the year nominee, Donna is working at the Gatehouse because she recently walked away from her teaching career out of sheer frustration.

Donna is one of those teachers who glows when she talks about “her kids.” She spent most of her career with special kids and was really proud of her work—up until a few years ago. She didn’t feel that test-driven education policies were serving her students well, and didn’t feel good about her role in it, so she left. And not quietly.

She recalled the early days of integration and said that she had always regretted her silence. I think you can tell from looking at her what a strong force for good she is. I’m so glad to have met her.

Explore: If you can’t find something to like about Mount Dora, you’re not trying. A revitalized lakeside community with historic shops—it just oozes charm.

Stay: We spent the night at Oak Haven Farms in nearby Sorrento thanks to our Harvest Hosts membership, which provides overnight stays at hundreds of farms, wineries and attractions. What was a bustling u-pick and winery business during the day became our own private campground after dark. Our hosts Harry and Karen were great and so was the fresh strawberry salad we had for dinner. Yum!