Tavares is a relaxed, scenic lakeside city with a walkable historic downtown on Lake Dora, plenty of boating, fishing and parks, regular farmers markets and festivals, and a growing restaurant scene—great for multi-week assignments when you want low stress but things to do after work.
Orlando is about 40 miles away for major cultural attractions, theme parks and a big airport, and nearby Mount Dora (≈6 miles) offers charming shops, galleries and weekend festivals, so you get peaceful lake living with bigger‑city options within an hour.