I was out in Lake Nona this afternoon taking a look around and decided to drive the extra minutes…read moreand come out to Ralph V. Chisholm Regional Park in St. Cloud. I would come out here with friends on the weekends many years ago and take a boat out onto East Lake Tohopekaliga. My friends would bring their children out, and we would spend all day out here. Everyone had a great time, and the kids loved it! Tubing, fishing, swimming, or just lying out on the beach working on a tan. There is even a playground for the little ones. Pavilions with picnic tables and grills are available, and there are restrooms that are kept really clean. Come to think about it, the whole park is kept up nicely. A ball field and volleyball court are on the grounds as well. You can bring the dogs out. Although they are not allowed on the beach, there is plenty of green space for them to walk around. The park is open from dawn to dusk, and no motorized vehicles such as go carts or ATVs' are allowed. And dogs must be on a leash. Ralph V. Chisholm Regional Park is great to visit if you love boating or just taking a canoe out. Or if you want to bring the kids out to the playground. As for me, I can sit out here with a lunch and watch the world go by. Or all of the cranes and other birds, for that matter.

We love this park because it has a big playground and small playground more appropriate for…read moretoddlers. The playground is naturally shaded by the trees which is a huge deal in summer. There are swings, two pavilions for events, field, lots of parking and restrooms. The lake nearby is also usable for boats.

During a recent visit to St. Cloud, I spent some time exploring Lakefront Park, a beautiful…read more2.5-mile recreational park along the southern shore of East Lake Tohopekaliga, better known as East Lake Toho. This was originally home to the Disston Sugar Mill in the 1870s. After the city of St. Cloud was founded by Union Army veterans, the area gradually evolved into a scenic waterfront destination featuring walking trails and a large marina. After suffering extensive hurricane damage in 2004, the park underwent a major renovation. The improvements included 140 boat slips, new fixed and floating docks, a seawall, and a 10,000-square-foot community center. Today, Lakefront Park offers so much, with a sandy beach, splash pad, playgrounds, a concession stand, and more than two miles of paved walking and biking trails. The park also hosts a variety of community events, from monthly "Movies Under the Stars" screenings to seasonal festivals and bazaars. The full-service marina serves as a hub for boating and fishing on East Lake Toho while providing beautiful waterfront views. I enjoyed my visit and look forward to returning. Next time, I plan to take a cruise aboard The Lillie, a beautifully restored 75-foot authentic sternwheel paddleboat docked at the marina, and enjoy a meal at Crabby's on the Lake, the popular waterfront restaurant located adjacent to the park.

This is a gorgeous park right on the water with a great long walking trail that gives you beautiful…read moreviews. The park has trees for shade and lots of grass. There's a parking lot and bathrooms,

Highly recommend if you're staying here to get a cabana! It comes with a ceiling fan and light, a…read moretelevision with cable, a cabinet to keep your belongings and a safe to store your wallet and keys! There's also waitress service so I highly recommend that while you enjoy the lazy river in their heated pools! Highly recommend the lazy river! And if a cabana isn't for you they have beach chairs all over as well as a man made beach area towards the back right corner with sand and hammocks! Super cute!

We enjoyed this place but wished there was clarity in the operating hours of the arcade and food…read more We wanted to enjoy the lazy river which was nice and relaxing but had lots of plant and mulch debris - likely from the rain and not from neglect. It was unfortunate that the arcade and all the slides were closed in the early evening (when you can finally go outside to avoid the Orlando summer sun baking you alive) and everything aside from one bar was closed. We managed to get a few drinks for the kids and us. Folks were *generally* (see below) well behaved and we brought our pool noodles into the river to avoid the steep floaty fee. We were not expecting as many drunk adults trying to skirt the floaty rental requirement or entitled kids climbing all over the rocks that clearly said "do not climb" but that's how it is sometimes.

Nathan's Coney Island Playgroundis inside of the Mark E. Durbin Community Park at Lakeside. The…read moreplayground is mostly covered and has lots of fun equipment for ages from 3 to 12. It was built in 2014 as a community project with funds coming from Nathan's Famous The playground has many activities that inspires hours of outdoor play. They have slides, climbing areas, seesaw, swings, spinners and more. They have a few signs that give you suggested challenges that are fun to participate in. The ground did have some active red ants and there is a sign that warns you to lock your vehicles.

This place is so quaint and cute. Not a huge park, but it has everything you need to play with your…read moredog off leash. My only complaint is that with all the rain we keep having, the park does have some minor puddling. That's not a huge deal, but something to keep in mind. There are two giant umbrellas for shade with benches nearby. Also there is a playground and skatepark for your non four legged children too. I will definitely keep this place in mind when I need a back up park or change of scenery.

Independence Park was very quiet when my grandson and I visited. There was very little shade and…read morethe play equipment seemed limited. There is an adult workout station with "how to' instructions next to the kids portion of the park. It looked like you could get in a good workout while supervising your children on the playground. There is also a dog park and a skateboarding area. The dog seemed very popular with several owners coming and going during our visit. The skateboarding area looked like it had potential

I had a group meet up here for a fun time of food and games. This was my first time at this park…read moreand overall a good experience. Apparently, the pavilions are first come first served. A sweetheart from the group arrived at 6 am and was able to secure a nice pavilion on the lakeside, adjacent to the restrooms and across from plenty of parking. The pavilion come with a grill (we didn't use) and a large trash bin nearby. The area had a few trees around and was nicely shaded, this made the combination of good weather result in a really good experience. There is a nice trail for walking, hiking and cycling. Near the parking, there is a play area for children and a fenced dog park area. Overall, I thought I had a good experience and think that it is a fabulous area. I do hope to get back out here at some point in the future.

Lake Hiawatha Preserve Park - Frisbee Golf (Disc Golf Course)…read more Finally, a legit 18-hole disc golf course near Clermont, Florida. It's also a great place to bring your dogs! They have a nice fenced in area to let your dogs mingle and play with other dogs off the leash and there's a trail and some back country you can take them and run with. The good: - Solid mix of wooded technical holes and a few open bombers around the lake. Holes 4-8 along the water are gorgeous, especially at sunset. - Tee pads are concrete and in great shape (huge upgrade from the old rubber mats). - New Mach X baskets catch well and the bright yellow bands make them easy to spot. - Multiple pin positions on several holes keep it fresh -- they move them every few months. - Free parking, clean porta-potty near hole 1, and the course flows really well. Rarely any backups even on weekends. The "eh": - Can get soggy after rain (bring boots in spring). A couple fairways hold water like a sponge. - Hole 13's long position is a total prayer across the marsh -- fun once, frustrating the other 19 times. Highly recommend for intermediate and up. Beginners might get humbled on the back 9, but that's how we all learn! Will keep coming back. 4.5 stars rounded down only because mother nature still wins sometimes.

Play area the red and green play area is designed. It says on the sign for ages 5 to 12 Great Way…read moreto play exercise and enjoy the day outside. There is two other play structures in the same area designed for different age groups as well. Their signage just posted for those age groups Looks like with all the structures that come and goal is to get the kids, engaged and active playing and climbing and exploring.

This park is adjacent to Bob Mackinson Aquatic Center and features three different playgrounds for…read moredifferent age groups. There is also a covered pavilion and one grill. This park is mostly covered by trees and has lots of fun opponents for children of all ages. It's not new but updated enough. My son enjoys this park and he's only 1 1/2. Not handicap accessible. They are missing the classic park essentials but there are plenty of climbing obstacles.

What a beautiful venue . My and my little stopped over for a movie in the park and it was very…read morenice. The had chairs there, Porta potty ( I know .. I know ) food vendors and all . I brought chairs , blankets and treats as well but ended up buying an amazing Italian sausage and fries from a local vendor and OMG it was delicious !!!! I know follow them on Instagram lol . My little one rated this a 100 stars and wants to come back again with family and friends for another movie night. Parking was easy as they have street and garage parking . For the adults - The Monroe is located across the street as well so make sure you pop in !

Luminary Green Park is more an open space designed for events in this relatively newer developed…read morearea, but it was still an amazingly peaceful place to just chill and enjoy an early Sunday morning.