Photo by Daniel Cluley via UrbanPlanet.org

It’s hard to believe that just over a month ago, Orlando was suffering from a drought. Social media posts declared that Lake Eola was at unheard of levels. A long stretch of sand even started to show on the eastern bank of the lake.

But, according to records in the Orange County Regional History Center, Lake Eola has experienced extreme dry spells in the past and during those bouts of droughts, Orlandoans would enjoy a 100 yard pop-up beach on the eastern shore. They called it “Sandy Beach.”

According to one passage we read in the History Center archives, people would gather and enjoy a cool cup of syllabub while dipping their toes in the community sink hole turned amenity.

Nowadays we don’t recommend swimming in Lake Eola for obvious reasons, it’s green, also because you can get swept up into the Fountain pump if you get too close. Early residents also didn’t have as much litter washing into the lake from Downtown storm drains.

 

Brendan O'Connor

Editor in Chief of Bungalower.com

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