5 Weekend Getaways in Greater Florida

One of the best things about living here at the Villages of Citrus Hills is that all of the amazing tourist destinations throughout the state of Florida are just a stone’s throw away. That means that our residents have the luxury of being able to head out on a weekend getaway to all of those famous Florida destinations pretty much any time they like.  

Of course, there are so many fantastic destinations across the state that it can actually be hard to choose which one to visit first. For that reason, we put together this list of five weekend getaways that should definitely be on your list!

Key West 

If you chose the Gulf Coast because you prefer the calmer pace of life compared to the Atlantic Coast, then you will like the laid-back feel of beautiful Key West. This amazing little town is one of the fun spots in Florida, and you can get there by flying into their airport, taking a jet boat from the mainland, or driving down US Highway 1.  

Once you’re in Key West, everything revolves around Duval Street. This is where you will find plenty of shopping, dining, and more bars than you could possibly visit. There are also some really great local tours like the Hemingway Estate, as well as the beautiful Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and the ultimate photo op spot at the Southernmost Point!

 For more information on this location please click on the link below.

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/key-west.html

Miami - South Beach 

If exciting nightlife is your cup of tea, then a weekend in South Beach is just what the doctor ordered! Pick any of the fabulous hotels along the famous A1A and you will be set to enjoy all that this vibrant town has to offer. 

While you are in Miami, make sure to visit the iconic Joe’s Stone Crab for some of the best stone crab claws you’ll find anywhere. You can dress up and eat in their restaurant, or go super casual and enjoy the same food over on their take-out side.

For more information on this location please click on the link below.

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/miami-beach.html

Naples 

Keeping our focus in the southern part of the state, if relaxing on the water is more your speed, then Naples will appeal to you. This is the ultimate destination for visitors who enjoy a calm and upscale atmosphere that is also accompanied by some spectacular high-end shopping.

 For more information on this location please click on the link below.

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/naples.html

Panama City Beach 

Moving up north into the panhandle area, Panama City Beach has a reputation as a spring break destination, but it is also a fabulous spot for residents of the Villages of Citrus Hills who are looking to get away for a weekend.  

This little gem features 27 miles of gorgeous white sand beaches, along with world-class golf facilities, two excellent state parks, and enough delicious restaurants to ensure that you never run out of options.

 For more information on this location please click on the link below.

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/panama-city-beach.html

Daytona Beach 

Another popular destination that certainly ranks at the top of the list of any NASCAR fan is the home of the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach. Here you will find the amazing Daytona International Motor Speedway and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. There are also many other great attractions that make a weekend in Daytona Beach fun for everyone even when it isn’t race week.

For more information on this location please click on the link below.

http://www.visitflorida.com/en-us/cities/daytona-beach.html

Whether you are looking for exciting nightlife or beachfront relaxation, there is something for everyone to be found on a weekend getaway somewhere in the state of Florida. So, next time you start feeling the urge to get away, take out your Florida map and book the next trip!

January Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Out with the old and in with the new as we have officially made our way into 2017! The new year is sure to be nothing but excitement over the course of the next 12 months, and our friends over at the Activity Center are doing everything in their power to make sure that you start out the year with a bang in January! 

With two different performances from the Big Show Series, multiple other social events and speakers, golf tournaments and clinics, and lots of great dinner specials, there is almost no end of all the activities you can participate in around the Villages of Citrus Hills this month. Let’s take a quick look at some of them. 

Social Events 

After we ring in the new year, we are going to get it started on the right foot with a performance from the legendary Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone in the Activity Center Auditorium on Thursday, January 5. Tickets for this show are going to be $44 for members and $49 for guests, and show times are set for 6 pm and 8:15 pm.  

Trivia experts will be getting together in the Hampton Room on Tuesday, January 17 for another edition of the Trivia Challenge Dinner & Game Show. Dinner this month will include Chicken Piccata and Sliced London Broil with Mushroom Sauce.  

The biggest party of the month will be the Classic Rock Dance Party happening on Tuesday, January 24 in the Hampton Room. Saratoga the Band will be rocking out all of your favorite classic rock tunes with doors opening at 6:30 pm and the music starting around 7 pm.

There will be a second performance from the Big Show Series when Paul Revere’s Raiders come to the Activity Show Auditorium on Thursday, January 26. Tickets for this show are $39 for members and $44 for guests, and they can be purchased at the Activity Center.  

Arts & Education 

Boules Wahba from Dynamic Computer Solutions will be at the Activity Center on Friday, January 13 to host another installment of Tech 101 from 10:30 and to 12:30 pm. This month, the topics will include many of the most common activities you will find yourself doing in some of the latest editions of Microsoft Windows.

There will also be another edition of the Speaker Series on Friday, January 13 with Richard K. Hurley discussing “How to Successfully Deal with the VA.” This event will take place in the Garden Room from 12 pm to 3 pm.  

A second Speaker Series event will be taking place with representatives from Michaels Floor Covering in the Activity Center Auditorium on Friday, January 27 at 4 pm. They will be discussing just about everything you ever wanted to know about different flooring options for your home.  

Golf & Tennis 

The first big golf event of 2017 will be the New Year’s Cross Country Open on Wednesday, January 7 starting at 8:30 am. If you’ve never played a cross country event before, this is a great opportunity to try out a really exciting and unique format.

The other big tournament in January will be the Men’s Ringer Tournament Major Event at Skyview on Friday, January 9 and Saturday, January 10. This will be a partner event where each team plays the best ball on each hole.  

If you are looking to improve your game in 2017, you can start by attending the Cleveland Golf Scoring Clinic on Monday, January 9 from 2 pm to 4 pm. The class is $149 per person, and everyone who attends will receive an RTX-3 Wedge.

There will also be opportunities to improve your skills at our regular Free Golf Clinics with Golf Pro Wayne Larsen. This month, the beginner clinics will take place on January 2, 3, and 4 while the intermediate clinics are scheduled for January 10, 17, and 24.  

Over at the Skyview Tennis Center, there will be a Free Beginner Tennis Clinic on Tuesday, January 10 at 11 am.

Dinner Specials 

One of the best ways to ring in the new year will be with the Taste of France dinner special on Tuesday, January 10 at The Grille. Diners will have their choice of entrees like Rosemary Lamb Chops, Veal Saltimbocca, and Cognac Shrimp. There will also be a special Carmel Flan dessert on the menu.

Out at the Tiki Bar, there is going to be a Winter Wonderland Buffet on Thursday, January 12. This buffet will include two different kinds of soup, as well as Beef Stroganoff and Green Bean Casserole. There will also be Warm Apple Crisp, Hot Chocolate, and a Coffee Bar. 

Over at Skyview Restaurant, you won’t want to miss their Season Celebration Buffet that is scheduled for Tuesday, January 17. This delicious meal will include all kinds of high-end hors d’oeuvres, as well as a salad bar, carving station, and pasta station.

Then on Tuesday, January 31, Skyview Restaurant will be hosting a four course Italian Wine Dinner where each of the delicious Italian foods is paired with a complementary wine that is straight from Italy. Tickets for this dinner are $65 per person and it will also include entertainment by Italian singer Humberto Zambrano.

In the event that you happen to find some time to pamper yourself in the first month of the new year, Bella Vita Spa is offering specials.  They will be doing Vitamin A Micro Peel Facials and a Vanilla Wild Plum Ultimate Spa Pedicure throughout the entire month, so make sure to put that on your to-do list as well and have a great month!

This is just a taste of what is happening in the month of January.  For a complete overview please visit our website and click on the Connections page.

December Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Just as we were starting to get used to 2016, the entire year has flown by and it’s time to start thinking about 2017. But even though the new year is right around the corner, there is still plenty of time to have some fun with all of the great events that our friends at the Activity Center have planned for the month of December.  

You might be looking for your favorite regular events like the Shabbat Dinner Club, Coffee and Canvas, the Free Beginners Tennis Clinic, or you might be more interested in once-a-year festivities like our annual New Year’s Eve party. Either way, we’ve got you covered with a packed calendar this month! 

Social Events 

We will kick off the holiday season with a festive holiday party at Skyview Restaurant from 6 pm to 9 pm on Tuesday, December 13. The party will feature a fabulous menu that starts with an Artisan Cheese and Fruit Display and ends with some amazing seasonal desserts. There will also be live music provided by our good friend Charlie De.

The Shabbat Dinner Club will be getting together on Friday, December 23 in the Garden Room at The Grille where the doors will be opening at 5:30 pm and dinner will be served at 6:15 pm. This month, diners will have the option of choosing from Chicken Piccata or Stuffed Tilapia Bercy.

The biggest party of the year will be the New Year’s Eve Celebration in the Hampton Room on December 31. This is a formal affair where black ties are optional, but the fun is mandatory! The evening will feature a fabulous dinner of Prime Rib and Napa Chicken, as well as professional DJs, a live band, and a live feed of “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in Times Square. 

Arts & Education Activities 

The speaker series will be back on Monday, December 5 at 1 pm in the Activity Center. This month, our guests will be B.J. Darvis from the UF/Citrus Cooperative Extension and Steven Davis who is the Citrus County Florida Yards and Neighbors Coordinator. Our guests will be discussing how to maintain your yards using Florida-friendly landscaping techniques.

Local artist Vanessa Fuller-Brown is at the Activity Center on Tuesday, December 6 for another installment of Coffee & Canvas. This month, the class will be working on replicating Georgia O’Keeffe’s “White Calla Lilies on Red.” If you have never been to a Coffee & Canvas event before, this is a great time of year to start. For just $60, members will be provided will all the supplies they need to recreate this classic painting.  

Golf & Tennis 

Vendors representing Ping, Callaway, Wilson, Cleveland, Mizuno, Cobra, and Taylor Made will all be on hand for Demo Day at the Skyview Driving Range on Saturday, December 3 from 9:30 am to 3 pm. This is a great opportunity for golfers of all skill levels to try out some of the latest and greatest equipment, and even preorder some items that haven’t hit the market yet!

You can learn how to really put those new clubs to use by attending any of the Free Golf Clinics that are planned for the month of December. Golf Pro Wayne Larson will be instructing beginner golfers on December 5, 6, and 7. Then intermediate golfers will be invited to attend on December 13, 20, and 27. All clinics start at 11 am.  

Ready to put those new golf skills to work? Skyview will be hosting their Husband & Wife Championship on Monday, December 5. Then they will be having their annual Cross Country Golf Tournament, which is an absolute blast to participate in, on Friday, December 16.

The Oaks Course will be hosting the St. Nick Open on Saturday, December 10. This shotgun start tournament benefits Toys for Tots, and everyone attending is invited to bring an unwrapped toy to donate.

Dinner Specials 

As if you weren’t already going to have too much food to eat over the holiday season, there are also some amazing dinner specials lined up at each of our restaurants this month. Sunday Brunch will be back at Skyview Restaurant on December 18, and then you won’t want to miss out on their Brazilian Steakhouse Night on December 27.

The Tiki Bar will be hosting a Caribbean Christmas Buffet on Thursday, December 15 from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The island-style menu will feature Coconut Garlic Shrimp, West Indian-Style Chicken with Sauce Cien, Curried Goat, and lots of Caribbean sides. There will be live music from Steel of the Night.  

The Grille is having “A Taste of Asia” on December 6 that will give you the opportunity to try a wide range of Asian cuisine. They will also be hosting a fabulous New Year’s Eve dinner with entree selections of Blackened Scallops, Prime Rib, Surf & Turf, Stuffed Chicken, Ahi Tuna, and more!

Should you happen to find some time for yourself this month, you might want to make an appointment at BellaVita Spa, where the specials this month include a Cinnamon Enzyme Exfoliation Treatment, a Cranberry Spa Pedicure, and a Holiday Escape Massage. Any of those three choices would be an excellent way to finish out a wonderful year here at the Villages of Citrus Hills!

Weekend Golf Getaways: 5 Destinations to Put on Your List

Golf is one of the reasons that people choose to live here at the Villages of Citrus Hills. We have four pristine courses located right in the community, and our members also have access to a fifth course at Ocala National as well.  

Despite the vast amount of golfing that is available right here in the community, we are also surrounded by other fabulous golf destinations across the state of Florida. You could probably be perfectly happy playing our courses almost every day, but you might also want to plan a few weekend trips each year to see some of the other amazing golf destinations located within a few hours of the Villages of Citrus Hills.  

If you are thinking about putting together a golf-themed bucket list for your time here in Florida, these are five of the destinations we think everyone should start with.  

Jacksonville 

The city of Jacksonville might not exactly bring to mind visions of a fabulous golf vacation, but there are plenty of unbelievable courses surrounding this underrated Florida golf destination.

Just down the road from Jacksonville in Ponte Vedra Beach is where you will find the iconic TPC Sawgrass. This is THE course that every golfer dreams about, and they offer lots of great vacation getaway packages that include the opportunity to try your hand at sticking a tee shot onto their famous island green on the 17th hole.  

Daytona Beach 

Working our way down the Atlantic Coast a bit, you will find that in addition to being a favorite destination for many NASCAR fans, Daytona Beach is also filled with several stunning golf courses designed by some of the best in the business.  

The LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach, and the two golf courses at LPGA International Golf Club should not be missed.  

The Jones Course, designed by Rees Jones, is a traditional links-style 7,088-yard design where you'll enjoy strategic mounding, numerous expanses of sand bunkers, natural marsh areas, beautiful lakes and undulating greens. 

The Hills course, designed by Arthur Hills, is a classic at 6,984 yards. Hills used the area’s natural setting to create a masterpiece in playability and variety featuring natural wetlands, narrow pine corridors, small greens and strategically placed water hazards. 

Orlando 

Just a bit southwest of Daytona Beach, and only a little over an hour from the Village of Citrus Hills, is the city of Orlando. Everyone knows Orlando as the theme park capital of the world, but not as many people realize that those theme parks are surrounded by some of the best golf courses in the entire world.

Some of the most popular public courses here include Celebration Golf Club, Highlands Reserve Golf Club, Mystic Dunes Golf Club, Stoneybrook West Golf Club, and Windermere Country Club. But those are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the seemingly endless amount of courses in Orlando.  

West Palm Beach 

Heading a further south along Florida’s Atlantic Coast, the PGA National Resort and Spa located in Palm Beach Gardens is a first-class luxury golf experience. If you are looking for the type of golf getaway that has you feeling like a tour pro, this is the place to start.

If the first-class prices at the PGA National Resort and Spa are a little steep for your game, you can find similar views for a fraction of the cost over at the Palm Beach Par 3 Course. This unique course sits right between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intercostal Waterway, and it can be played for about $50.  

Naples 

If you prefer to stay on the Gulf Coast of Florida, heading down to Naples is the weekend golf getaway that should be at the top of your list.  

This is another place where you will find more golf courses than you could possibly play in one trip, but The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club and LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort are two that make for an excellent place to start.

You could spend weeks in any of these five destinations and not even come close to playing all of the golf courses available to the public, and we haven’t even gotten into some of the more obscure destinations.  

So, while we are proud to stack the courses here at the Villages of Citrus Hills up against any in the world, there are also plenty of fun getaways you can plan across the state of Florida. 

November Activities and Events at the Villages of Citrus Hills

Just like that, the summer months have faded into our memories and the holidays are right around the corner. In addition to all of the regular monthly events and activities that are usually on the calendar, we also have quite a few seasonal things to get excited about here in the month of November.  

Whether you are interested in getting together with friends to enjoy a show, learning something new, taking down one of the big golf tournaments, or just grabbing a great bite to eat, the Villages of Citrus Hills has got you covered this month! 

Social Events 

The first big social event of November will be “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”, sponsored by The Vacationers Club. This hysterical murder mystery will have you at the edge of your seat throughout the entire evening on Saturday, November 12 at The Straz Center for the Performing Arts.  

This month’s Trivia Challenge will be held on Tuesday, November 15 in the Hampton Room. As always, the doors will open at 5:30 pm with dinner being served at 5:45 pm and the contest starting at 6:30 pm.

The Shabbat Dinner Club will be back on Friday, November 18. This month, dinner will include your choice of Beef Brisket or Bourbon Salmon, and each choice will be paired with soup, vegetables, potatoes, and Carrot Cake.

Members who are looking for a great day trip will want to reserve their tickets to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, November 27. Tickets are available at the Activity Center and they include round trip transportation, a pregame tailgate party, and a ticket to the game.

Arts & Education 

DocTalk will be back on Monday, November 7 at 1pm in the Activity Center Auditorium. Dr. Nishit Choksi will be discussing “Physicians Insights on Heart Conditions,” which should be very helpful for anyone struggling with a heart condition.  

There will also be a new Wednesday lecture series with Dr. Joe Coffey discussing the “Challenges Facing the New President.” No matter who is elected, we can all agree that they have a mammoth task ahead of them!

Local artist Vanessa Fuller-Brown will be instructing members on replicating Vincent Van Gogh’s “Mulberry Tree” at this month’s Coffee & Canvas event on Wednesday, November 9 starting at 10:30 am.

In order to help our members get a better grasp on new technology, there will be a Tech 101 seminar and workshop on Thursday, November 10 and Friday, November 11 in the Activity Center Card Room. This entire event will be focused on “The Do’s & Don’ts of Windows 10.” 

The Activity Center will also be hosting a Vacationers Club meeting on November 14 and a meet and greet event with The Greener Side Haven Animal Shelter on November 30. 

Golf & Tennis 

As the weather is cooling down, the golf is definitely heating up at all of the courses across the community. The first big event this month will be a 2-Day Major Men’s Better Ball Tournament on Monday, November 7 and Tuesday, November 8.

You should also mark your calendars for the Giving Thanks Pro Shop Scramble on November 12, the Ladies’ Citrus Cup Championship on November 18, and a VIP Championship Event on November 28.  

In addition to all of those big tournaments, you are also going to want to make a note that December 3 will be the next Demo Day at the Skyview Driving Range.

At the Skyview Tennis Center, there will be a Free Beginners Tennis Clinic on Tuesday, November 8. Then the Skyview Mixed Doubles Championship Tournament and Burger Bash is scheduled for the weekend of Friday, November 18 through Sunday, November 20.

Dinner Specials 

Two dinner specials that you definitely don’t want to miss at Skyview Restaurant this month will be the Fall Harvest Wine Dinner on Tuesday, November 15, and the New England Clambake on Tuesday, November 29.

Then there will be Thanksgiving specials at both Skyview Restaurant and The Grille on Thursday, November 24. Skyview Restaurant will be serving a sit-down Thanksgiving Dinner, while The Grille will be offering a buffet-style meal.  

The Grille will also be serving a Comfort Food Buffet on Thursday, November 3 and a Taste of Italy meal on Tuesday, November 22, so you will want to mark those on your calendar as well!  

Spa Specials

In between prepping for the holidays and attending all of these fantastic events and activities, you might also want to take advantage of the Hot Stone Swedish Massages and Peppermint Patty Spa Pedicures that are going to be on special at BellaVita Spa all month long.

It looks like you have an exciting, fun-filled month ahead of you!