Samantha K Schmidt

I'm excited to debut this series. I love exploring little towns in Florida, but it's hard to know what to do when it's your first time visiting. Sure you can get a lot of advice from google or tripadvisor, but they tend to be all of the run-of-the-mill sort of things. I thought I'd give you an idea of how I spend a day in some of my favorite towns in Florida. Winter Garden is a quaint town just 15 miles outside of Orlando. It's one of the few places that has maintained an old town feel while still being one of the trendiest places in Central Florida. Plant Street is the popular downtown area loaded with shops and restaurants on either side. What makes this town truly unique, though, is the gorgeous bike trail that runs directly through town. Coffee: You can't go to Winter Garden without a visit to Axum Coffee . The atmosphere feels like home, the drinks are an art form, and the story is inspiring. Axum uses its profits to support communities around the w...

I consider myself lucky enough to live in on of the most beautiful states in this country. I boast in sunshine all year long clad in flip flops and tank tops through December, but I've also had to mourn for this state. One month ago 49 people were killed during an innocent night of dancing with friends and family. Our community is still reeling from this tragedy along with many others dealing with the effects of hatred in our nation. This week I went downtown to visit my mom at work and decided to visit the memorial across the street at the Dr. Phillips Center. It was the first time I had gone to any of the memorials and with the flowers wilting away like the lives of those in the nightclub that night, I couldn't help but be touched by the love of those left behind. As some of our lives return to normal or become focused on other events let us not forget this tragedy and remember that hate conquers nothing, but love will always win.

This week I had the opportunity to take a few friends to one of my favorite travel destinations. St. Augustine is a Florida treasure filled with history and culture. The city is only a short drive from Central Florida, so we gathered our cameras and headed east. If you are planning a trip to Florida, St. Augustine should certainly be on your list. Not only does the city date back to the 1500's, but the atmosphere is the closest thing to island life outside of the Florida Keys. The city streets are lined with locally owned businesses with handmade crafts and restaurants with fresh seafood straight out of the Atlantic. Here are just a few of the must-do's when you are in the city. - Take an Old Town Trolley Tour . Not only does the tour give you an opportunity to learn the history of this amazing city, it also allows you to hop on and off at different locations without taking a taxi.  - Go inside the Castillo de San Marcos . This architectural gem was built in 169...

I spend way too much of my free time browsing Tumblr . I always love the faded rustic images. I'm no photographer, but I like recreating some of my inspirations when I get the chance. This weekend I decided to do a bit of hipster hopping around town. I picked out some well known "hipster" hangouts in Orlando and snapped a few shots while enjoying the ambiance of these great locations. You'll have to excuse my stereotyping. I considered calling them urban independent businesses, but that name was too long. If you like rustic decor set in an urban setting around people that have (or at least enjoy talking about) tattoos, these are the places for you. If you are ever in the area be sure to check them out yourself. Zacch's Barbershop Normally, going with your boyfriend to get a haircut seems mundane, but this barbershop was worth the visit. Zacch runs a one man shop in Mt. Dora. The place has great appeal, and the haircut is under $15. Now if only a lad...