Yes, Mount Dora is called "The New England of the South". The downtown is very qauint, full of little shops and restaurants, with hillls and lakes everywhere. Some are not so pretty, some are spring fed and very lovely. And all the property is selling for obscene amounts of $$$$!!!!
In the early 80's, there was a movie called "Honkey Tonk Freeway" filmed in Mount Dora. It starred William Devane, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Terri Garr, I think John Ritter, and the whole downtown was painted pink. The Lakeside Inn, where Calvin Cooledge used to winter, was the site of a water skiing elephant, believe it or not!!
A real silly movie, but that may be one of the town's claims to fame. That and lawn bowling.
Most charming at the Holidays, when all the shops are lit up, and the main park in downtown is covered with over 10,000 little bright lights. On Novemver 27th, there is a concert in that park, Donnelly Park, at which the mayor speaks and choirs sing, and then the trees are plugged in, and you would swear that you were in New England, save for it's not as cold, and there is no snow. But it's every bit as lovely as any small town there.
Then, onto the veranda at the Inn for a Keoke coffee, with the smell of wood smoke in the air. It's nice. Very nice.
