Safe to drive Semoran to Highway 50 to Clermont from MCO? (Orlando: to buy, live in)

[Joey Falcon]

YOLO. Go for it!

[tinytrump]

Colonial is simply Old Orlando. need sprucing up but it is fine.

[Joey Falcon]

Whoever said Colonial is ugly is wrong. We think Mills 50 is great. And the area around 436 and Colonial is da bomb too.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine

Colonial Drive has got to be one of the ugliest drives in all of Orlando. Please don't let that be your introductory trip in the area. I'd recommend taking the 528 to I-4 and then get off at Sand Lake Rd. or Lake Buena Vista and take back roads through Dr. Phillips and Windermere up to Colonial, or something.

I agree with this... Here's a drive that should be more bearable:
528 to I-4
Take I-4 west
Get off at Exit 68 (Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista)
Make a right on SR 535
1st light make a left on 535 (Winter Garden/Vineland Rd)

Take 535 all the way down to SR 50. You'll be in Winter Garden, a short drive from Clermont, and you'll have driven through some pretty nice scenery.

[Joey Falcon]

Originally Posted by Arcenal352

I agree with this... Here's a drive that should be more bearable:
528 to I-4
Take I-4 west
Get off at Exit 68 (Kissimmee/Lake Buena Vista)
Make a right on SR 535
1st light make a left on 535 (Winter Garden/Vineland Rd)

Take 535 all the way down to SR 50. You'll be in Winter Garden, a short drive from Clermont, and you'll have driven through some pretty nice scenery.

Well, this makes sense if the advice was for a normal person, but this poster said she gets disoriented on major highways. So I think this route is too complicated for her. I would not want to see her get off on the wrong exit trying to do it your way, end up lost in some hood, and then on Wesh 2 after the car gets jacked.

[brinkofsunshine]

OP never said she gets disoriented, just didn't want to be worrying about exits. That's only two exits and the 528 ends at I-4 anyway.

And yes, I love Mills 50 too, but that doesn't make it pretty. And most of W. Colonial is pretty rough.

[Joey Falcon]

Originally Posted by brinkofsunshine

And most of W. Colonial is pretty rough.

At least she is not going to get lost if she stays on Colonial the whole time.

[Crane's Rooster]

If you have time and really want to see alot of CFL instead of taking a left at Colonial take Semoran all the way up to US27 in Tavares. Than take 27 south to Clermont. It will take at least 2 hrs to complete this route but you will see parts of Orlando, parts of Seminole County, NW Orange County, Lake County all types of areas.

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by Crane's Rooster

If you have time and really want to see alot of CFL instead of taking a left at Colonial take Semoran all the way up to US27 in Tavares. Than take 27 south to Clermont. It will take at least 2 hrs to complete this route but you will see parts of Orlando, parts of Seminole County, NW Orange County, Lake County all types of areas.

This is true... And will go through some areas much nicer than anything along Colonial... With significantly less stop and go.

[Miskolci]

Crane's Rooster, that does sound like a great drive to orient myself with the area!

Up to this point, (apart from our initial drive around for two days with a realtor looking at houses in the west Clermont area and surroundings), my treks on the roads have been from the Turnpike to 429 to exit 8 and Disney and occasionally Universal Studios! Did also drive up and down on 192 and 27 when my daughter interned at Disney and lived out there, but that's about it. I would like to familiarize myself with the rest of the area, so I know what people are talking about when they mention certain areas or roads.

I freely admit that expressway/tollway driving is nerve wracking for me. I don't do well between trucks and with lots of cars coming on and off. I am capable of driving it, but I hate it. It doesn't help that I am just not used to it. Plus, I am always the navigator on family trips when we go through cities, as my husband is much calmer in expressway traffic than I am. Put me on I-75 through Georgia and Northern Florida though, and I will be happy as a clam driving 90 mph, leaving everyone behind me. But just there! ;-)

I wouldn't mind driving the expressways if I had someone looking at a map or the GPS for me so I don't get lost and in a bad neighbourhood, but I refuse to look away from the road when I am driving. But city roads, heck, I can pull over into a parking lot before driving further if I miss my turn. And I will get to discover all the different shopping areas and restaurants away from the theme parks! One of the best parts of moving to a new area is discovering all the different things to do and see!

Thanks again for all the suggestions!