However, apart from beaches, theme parks, and attractions, Florida also has other faces that will appeal to travellers who love taking their time exploring destinations. The Southwest part of Florida, for instance, has Arcadia’s historic downtown antique district, which provides a completely different experience for those visiting the place. Antique shops, vintage collectibles, local businesses, a historic location, and the monthly antique fair have made this place popular among collectors and travellers looking for a new adventure. The official website of the City of Arcadia says that the city is known for the historic downtown antique district.
When travelling to Arcadia, antique shopping will not only give people an interesting activity for their visit but also a chance of discovering something precious in an old furniture piece, jewellery, glassware, painting, book, or something smaller and more nostalgic.
The uniqueness of Arcadia comes from the presence of antique stores in the historic downtown of the place. "Visit DeSoto" describes the region as a small area comprising only three blocks where tourists are able to find a good number of antique stores in search of antique things.
It is not necessary to spend the entire day in some huge shopping mall. One can just visit independent stores and get a chance to experience the unique personalities of these shops.
There are some specific reasons why antique collectors come here, but casual travellers just enjoy wandering and looking around for anything that catches their eye.
The greatest thing about antique shopping is always the surprise factor. One may come looking for something specific but leave with something totally different.
The antique shops of Arcadia offer a wide range of things, such as:
According to Visit DeSoto, some of the things shoppers can find include: silver, military items, glassware, books, pottery, furniture, jewellery, and clothing. That variety of things makes the area attractive even to those who are not collectors. The most exciting purchase may be the one you did not even expect to make.
A large portion of Arcadia’s antique shopping can be found along West Oak Street. Because there are so many stores, visitors can leave their cars parked somewhere, stroll about, and peruse multiple shops on foot.
The area is no longer just an antique destination either. According to the City of Arcadia’s website, the area boasts various other places of interest that include cafes, home cooking, tea rooms, and other types of food.
This allows for the possibility of turning a trip to shop for antiques into a full-day outing. A morning stroll followed by a tour of the antique shops, stopping for lunch, and further searching can easily take up an entire day.
To make the most of your tour related to antiques, it might be best for you to pay a visit during the monthly antique fair. The Antique Association of Arcadia holds the antique fair on the fourth Saturday of each month, with more than 100 dealers participating, as noted by Visit DeSoto.
The City of Arcadia further reports that dealers from surrounding regions join the event in the city every fourth Saturday and sell their merchandise in the streets of downtown Arcadia.
For treasure hunters, this is where the real fun begins. In addition to the antiques available at the shops, you can find some dealers selling their unique collectables, decorations, jewellery, furniture, books and many other things.
This would be wise because arrangements of events and schedules of shops can always change.
The process of antique shopping is different from regular retail shopping in that one is not quite sure of what he or she needs at the time of coming inside the shop.
One of the pleasant things about the antique quarter of Arcadia is the pleasure of walking around and finding some items on shelves, in cabinets, in display cases, and on tables until something grabs the customer's eye.
Even without buying anything, the process of looking around may be very entertaining because of the history behind the old things, the design of the items, and the connection of the things with the previous generations.
Visit Florida explains that the Arcadia antique fair draws collectors as well as people who just walk around the display in search of something pleasant.
Another good option for feeling the historic atmosphere of Arcadia is the antique area. In fact, the downtown area itself offers a setting that fits in well with the old-fashioned charm of the shops.
While walking from one store to another, do not hesitate to observe the buildings, the shops themselves, the signs and all architectural details around you. They may give the impression of travelling back in time and discovering an earlier era of Florida's history. This is something that might interest tourists who love taking pictures.
The antique district is particularly useful in relation to an overall tour of Arcadia. After spending the morning hunting for antiques, tourists may opt to have a local lunch or stroll around the historic downtown area or even go for a leisurely drive around the countryside.
Such a form of tourism will allow one to visit the town of Arcadia at an easy pace. Rather than rushing from one attraction to another, one can discover the finer things in the town.
For those who seek out to find other oddities around the town, such a tour can easily incorporate nature and history, among others, into one journey.
The district of antiques in Arcadia presents a nice alternative way to visit Southwest Florida. In its charming downtown location, with unique antique stores, a monthly fair and a diverse choice of vintage items, it provides visitors with an option that is impossible to provide by usual tourism sites and an authentic feeling of exploration.
If you plan on visiting more locations around, check out Travellers' Guide: Offbeat Places in Arcadia and make this trip a combination of many local activities. After a day of hunting for antique treasures, head back to the Oak Tree Hotel and have a nice rest after your trip to Arcadia.
