We rented the Rogers Pavilion at Highland Park for our family reunion in August. We booked it about…read morea year in advance since we have our family reunion every August, and we wanted to make sure we could get the date we needed. The pavilion was around $250 for pretty much the entire day, which I thought was a great price for the amount of time and space you get. We really like this park because there's plenty of space and lots of parking. There's also a playground directly across the street that's suitable for kids of different ages, along with a basketball court. The pavilion itself has plenty of tables and chairs, you just have to set them up yourself. There's also a small kitchen, which is very convenient, along with two gender neutral restrooms on each side of the kitchen. The only downside is that the grill provided with the pavilion is a little bit of a walk from the indoor area. There's also another covered pavilion with seating between the grill and the Rogers Pavilion. There happened to be another event going on there during our reunion. It didn't interfere with our event, but of course, having the entire area private would have been even better. I really like this pavilion and think it's a great place to host an event. There's plenty of space, lots of parking, and activities for all ages. I'd definitely consider renting it again for future family events!

Highland Park is a huge community park in Kokomo with lots of green space, recreational spaces and…read morea historic covered bridge. What I like best about the park are the mature trees that provide lots of shade. Some of the trees are over 400 years old. There is a huge colorful playground with climbing structures, swings and slides. The base is a mix of mulch and soft matting. Benches line the area for parents to sit and watch kids . (The equipment could use a good cleaning from the trees.) There are two ball diamonds with bleachers within the park. A beautiful stream that meanders through the park attracts fisherman. Tree-covered picnic areas are scattered along the creek. The Vermont Covered Bridge spans the creek and is open to pedestrian traffic. There are restroom facilities near the playground. There are several parking areas throughout the park and you can drive along the creek. Highland Park is a great place to bring the family.

I do not recommend this campgrounds to first time camping or inexperienced drivers…read more Adequate campsites, some are just ridiculously tiny even for an experienced driver and a small camper. Very clean and well maintained. Our site is on a slight slope but driving around this morning before all the Friday guests checked in I would say that most of the sites here have some grade but nothing a little bit of blocking won't fix if you can get into the spot. Cell signal I use the one that starts with a "V" is adequate for calls and some data, not sure that streaming a movie during the daytime would be great but music last night streamed just fine. The trails here are nice, well maintained mostly easy, clearly marked and less than a couple miles although the Bloodroot trail is about 12 miles and moderate. We hiked a couple short trails today without any complaints. If you are camping in the back of the modern (electric only) it's a good hike to the trail heads but there are ample places to park if you have the ability to drive to the trail head. The marina "store" sign said is closed this late in the season but about a mile or so down the road is a bait shop with most of what you might have forgot, grocery about 12 miles, American Legion about 20. It appears that DNR goes home at dark and there is no quiet time. 3AM dogs barking loud music and screaming drunks. This park is known for this sort of thing so I was surprised when speaking with a representative of the parks department earlier in the week and they boasted about all the changes that have been made in the recent year. I can say is take your chances. Use special care when booking your campsite especially if you are over 25'. Camp here during the week and pull out before the circus arrives. Otherwise this camp grounds is an epic fail and an embarrassment to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources due to the lack of adequate law enforcement in the evening and night hours.

Adding this spot to the "best sunsets" list! This is for the Salamonie Lake State Park. It was a…read morebit tricky to find with all the construction going on. We actually went way out of our way before figuring out we just needed to be the "thru traffic" and drive through the construction barriers (okay to do to access park). To get to the lake, enter on the west side. It's a great beach area. I very much appreciated that they had the picnic area directly behind the beach (only steps away). This is great for families. You can set up a picnic area & watch the kids swim. They had outhouses available. No lifeguards on duty. Swim at your own risk. We stayed until dusk to watch the sunset. It's worth it! I enjoyed watching all the boats go by too. They have field areas for soccer, etc. and a volleyball nets, piers for swimming. And even a handicap accessible pier! The entire beach is accessible and easy to navigate. A few grills are available to use in the picnic area. There is also a skateboard park in the park but we didn't locate it. There's a marina and camping too. It's really a beautiful park! If you are looking for swimming, boating, or fishing - this is your place! Pack everything you need, because the park is very rural & the nearest store is a Dollar General about 20 mins away. With that being said, an cell signal was also hard to come by.

The Historic Sunken Gardens in Huntington, Indiana started out as a stone quarry before being…read moreabandoned and becoming an eyesore. Acquired by the city in 1924, it was acquired by the Chamber of Commerce and beautification began with a dedication back to the city in 1929. The Sunken Gardens are located at Memorial Park - it's a short drive from downtown Huntington. While the most scenic route involves stairs, you can access the park if you're like me and have mobility issues. There's parking across the street and a short tunnel that allows access. The Sunken Gardens are often rented for weddings. It's incredibly beautiful and you can even arrange, for a small fee, to enter from the nearby Lions Club. This is a public park and you can picnic here with additional features including a fairly new Veteran's Memorial, a children's playground, frisbee golf, basketball, tennis courts, a picnic pavilion, and walking trails around a large pond (the pond used to be a fish hatchery). There's a ton of greenery. Because this used to be a quarry, it should be expected that there are inclines and declines. While there are plenty of pathways and concrete, for those with limited strength or mobility issues you should probably take note and possibly have someone with you. There's also a great pagoda that is actually accessible. This is a wonderful feature for Huntington, though it's not one I'd call a destination park or spot. It's something to visit if you're in the Huntington area either over at the Quayle Center or visiting the nearby Nick's Kitchen (or even visiting Huntington University). You can also visit the nearby Historic Forks of the Wabash, another spot that is fun to visit but not necessarily worthy of day trip status. All these things together, however, make for a decent day in Huntington, Indiana.

Not taken care of, bees hives and ground bees everywhere we went. Tried to take some ute pictures…read morebut kept getting attacked by bees. So we left.

Located on the outside of the bend in the river near downtown is a small park that is connected to…read morethe Riverwalk. The park has a mini parking lot for easy access. There is a small playground, a shelter and with the shelter are restrooms. The park is wooded with mature trees. There is an overlook deck built along the water's edge, but it was closed awaiting repair work. It looks like it would be a great place to relax and enjoy the view of the water. Review #2252

Great spot for family fun! Reasonably priced and clean, slides for the kids, lazy river for the…read moreadults along with plenty of lounge chairs for reading and relaxing. In addition, just outside are picnic tables so that you can bring your own food to save money.

A great and inexpensive place to take the family (or by yourself) and cool off and relax. The two…read morewater slides are awesome; one is with an inner tube and the other one is without a tube (and it's fast). If you go down on the one in an inner tube, you can take a float into the lazy river. Plus they have lap pools, deep pool area, shallow area for the kids with water works style toys, and a splash pad. They have a decent snack bar with nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, ice cream, soda, etc. Plus the prices are reasonable. You can spend all day here....don't forget the sun block!

In downtown Upland, there is a well kept park that is filled with historical information and…read moreobjects from the days when the railroads made and broke towns. Upland was believed to be the highest point between Chicago and Columbus so a depot was erected here. The park has a curved wall that has plaques with information about Upland. There is also a gazebo on the west end, a caboose in the middle, and a wooden play train large enough for smaller kids to play in. Unfortunately, the depot and caboose don't allow visitors to go inside. That would be cool if they could be restored and allow tours at certain times. Review #2550

When I arrived at the park, I didn't know about the annual Christmas lights display, so I was a bit…read moresurprised to see the mature trees still wrapped in lights. I also was surprised at the foot worn paths between the numerous statues, gazebos, the shelter, and other flower beds and trees. At first, I thought it looked like a fun place (especially when you take in the view of the railroad path to the west that includes a bright mural). But upon closer look, I could see the park could use a tasteful eye to edit what was included, maybe bring a bit of uniformity. There are lots of statues, mostly small and white, but some are bronze and some are concrete deer. It is clearly not a playground park, but I suspect it's meant to appeal to kids to create focal points throughout the park for holiday decorations. It's kind of whimsical, but not especially peaceful and relaxing. There was no sign posted for parking though I read another review that says you can park in a lot on Gano. Since there is a shelter and the gazebos, it makes me wonder if the park gets any use throughout the year or only during the holidays when decorated. During my visit on a warm spring day, there wasn't anyone else around. Review #2480

I saw on the news in Indy's suburb about Kokomo's gigantic display of holiday lights. I used to…read morelive in Kokomo but never know about We Care Park; I visited We Care's home of decorated Christmas trees. So, I went while in town visiting and not knowing it has been around for many years. This event takes up about a block. There is free park in a lot on Gano road. Hooped walking paths are constructed. You can drive/ride through to see some of the displays. However, I recommend you get out (maybe without infants) during a dry and not muddy evening to see all the wonderful lights and take in the fresh air. I have a few favorite displays, but really liked the moving carousel with stuffed bears.

Decent little park that hasn't ever been crowded when I've visited. Nice playground with a barrier…read morenot easily climbed by little ones that might head toward the creek in close proximity. Shaded pavilion with picnic tables over a little walking bridge. While not pristine concerning the muddy floor or sink full of grass and dirt, the ladies' room had a clean flushing toilet and not an outhouse type hole. It was stocked with tp, soap, and paper towels. The faucet is one you have to hold down with one hand to use. While understandable so that running water isn't left on, it doesn't give me a sanitary feeling touching it. The door locks but has a good one or two inch open gap that would make me uneasy if alone. I don't care for hand dryers, but it had one of those if you're so inclined to use it and coat your hands with bacteria. I can usually see kids playing football or basketball on the grounds as well as people walking in the wooded areas, some of which is hilly. At least one hill has a cement stairway. I would avoid the small driving bridge that goes over the creek to the pavilion as it doesn't give sturdy vibes. Some trimming is needed near the entrance to better see oncoming traffic while exiting. While it isn't the nicest or most exciting park I've seen, it's not bad. There is a quieter side as well where you can drive, park, and observe the squirrels for entertainment. It seems like a lot of picnic tables in that area have been removed, but it has places to pull off and park as well as convenient garbage cans. The parks in Peru are sometimes the only thing to do around here.

On the south side of Peru, there is a small nature park for a relaxing day of activities. Whether…read moreyou use one of the shelters or picnic areas or bring your kids to the playground, there is a mature woods surrounding the area with lots of shade and an escape from the routine. There is a basketball court, a next door disc golf course (at the top of the hill), and in winter, I can imagine one sensational sled ride down the open side of the hill. There is plenty of parking and a permanent restroom facility. There is a creek bed that is bridged to allow passage during the rainy months. It appeared that there was some maintenance work being done on the grounds (drainage?) while there, so it seems that the park is being taken care of. There was little trash, so that was a good indication too. A nice place to visit to relax while in Peru. Review #3068