Clermont sits on the sandy ridges west of Orlando, where Central Florida briefly forgets it is supposed to be flat. It grew on citrus groves and lakes rather than theme parks, and that older Florida identity is still the best reason to come.
The town's signature is the Florida Citrus Tower, a 1950s observation tower built when the surrounding hills were a sea of orange groves. Next door, the Presidents Hall of Fame keeps the roadside-attraction spirit alive with presidential memorabilia and a miniature White House.
Clermont is also a good outdoor break from greater Orlando. Lake Louisa State Park protects lakes, cypress edges, trails, and sandhill country just south of town, while the historic village on Lake Minneola tells the local story before subdivisions and highways took over the citrus belt.