Nestled on the shores of Lake Maitland, Kraft Azalea Garden is one of the most peaceful and…read morebeautiful spots in Central Florida. From the moment you walk in, you're surrounded by towering cypress trees draped in Spanish moss, creating a calm, almost magical atmosphere. The lakefront views are absolutely stunning, especially around sunset when the light reflects off the water--it's the perfect place to relax, take photos, or just unwind. The historic Exedra monument adds a unique touch and makes for a great backdrop. What really stands out is how quiet and serene it feels, even though it's so close to everything in Winter Park. Whether you're going for a peaceful walk, a picnic, or just some time to clear your mind, this hidden gem delivers every time

Excellent park with easy parking. Take deep breaths of fresh air, and enjoy the breeze. Sit on a…read morebench. No restrooms that I found, but Park Avenue is nearby, drive over. Great place to find peace.

I was here for a wedding, and what stunning scenery this garden has to offer!…read more The venue was beautiful! From the natural beauty of the plants and flowers, to the Garden Room venue. The venue is like a clubhouse with an outdoor portion perfect for event set up. The catering and staff were very friendly and welcoming too! I definitely need to come back and view the garden more, but if this space is a sign of what to expect, then it's going to be magnificent!

It is ok, but mostly uninteresting fairly untended swamp, albeit with boardwalks…read more The rose garden was excellent and in alignment with what I expected, but was atypical of the rest of the grounds. The wedding venue looked like a nice place to get hitched. Admission was free, maybe they would be bettet off charging a few bucks so they could do more with the place. Popular with birdwatchers. I was expecting a higher percentage of manicured gardens and signage, but instead saw many toppled over swamp trees with shallow roots. We did feel safe there, not in sketchy area.

Lake Eola has truly become the people's community park…read more The farmers market on the weekend is still a great place to find unique, handmade items. Although, they can be a bit expensive. Take a stroll around the lake for a nice long walk and take in the gorgeous, lively scenery at the same time.

I went to this park for the corporate 5k event. It is a nice park to walk around with the big lake…read morein the center and the famous fountain. At night it is nicely lit with many colors and I believe every hour they have a music and fountain show. There is an amphitheatre, and there were musicians playing for the event. There are a lot of ducks and swans, which can dirty the place because of the feathers and poop. You used to be allowed to feed them food from a small stand, but due to health concerns, it's now banned. There is a playground, but it's for kids only. There are 2 bathrooms area, but it can get dirty occasionally. There are a couple restaurants to enjoy near the park too. A nice park to have a nice walk, job, and exercise. Overall: B

Highlight of my trip to Orlando. I'm not into the overstimulation that Orlando is famous for, if…read moreyou're looking for a little peaceful contemplation and relaxation come here for a leisurely stroll. There are interesting and tasteful sculptures distributed among the well planned horticulture. I love this park. There are a couple of ancient Oak trees. I'm sad to see the native green anoles are being over run by the invasive brown anoles, but they are both cute. The perfect break if you're in town for a busy convention or meeting. If you're coming to visit the art museum, plan on an hour or so to stroll through this park.

This community park is next to a short trail thats in between apartments, houses, business…read morebuilding. This a park without a playground however with unique art sculptures. Right next to the museum. The grounds are kept up nicely. I haven't seen many cyclists, however you find people walking and running near the trail

One of my favorite little "towns" in Central Florida…read more It's a nice neighborhood that's upscale, but not overly fancy shopping wise. There's a brewery, a few nice restaurants, gators dockside, Five Guys, CVS, Publix and a Truist bank. Its own little community with plenty to do! It's nice to just walk around, or to grab a bite and shop. I usually come here for Publix, then go to Frosty Fox for a boba tea. They have some pretty nice events monthly, so keep an eye out for that!

Love me some BP! From the restaurants and shops to the…read morebeautiful homes and parks, this is a perfect MR Rogers neighborhood. The Publix here is so amazing with a variety of cultural items and delicious baked goods. I love Baldwin perk for a cute friends themed brunch or quiet coffee and laptop morning after school drop off. The walks and bike ride trails are the best as I always feel safe no matter the time of day. There is a dog park as well for the pups located off lakemont and also a play ground for the kiddos. Blue jacket park is a hot area for local sport clubs and events like 5ks and wonderful for a quick hammock and book or field time. I would say picnic but there's way too many fire ants at blue jacket for that honey lol. But if you are looking to buy or rent a home in a beautiful community that you can ride golf carts or have things to do in walking or just want a nice place to go woosahhhh, this is it !

I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

Many tourists don't realize Florida is home to stunning crystal-clear spring rivers--perfect for…read moreswimming, kayaking, and tubing aka "hidden gems". My Hubby and I love kayaking, so we booked an excursion months in advance for Rock Springs through TripAdvisor. Our Tour Operator was Get Up And Go Kayaking located at Kings Landing in Apopka, FL. I LOVE saying Apopka ;) The good news: Apopka is a quick 1 hour drive from Orlando. Make sure you don't miss the turn to King's Landing, because the entrance is located on a narrow dirt road. You must drive past Kelly Park (which fills up fast). There is a Park Ranger located here who will guide you to King's Landing. As you get closer and if you see a parking spot, grab it! Check in is located in the Cabin like office where you will have to sign a waiver. If you do not want to take a clear bottom, guided Kayak tour, you can either rent or BYO Kayak versus taking a semi private, clear, guided kayak tour. NOTE: ONLY use their Sunscreen/lotion which is provided at no cost. It protects the wildlife and the Springs. We wanted the full experience as we have previously enjoyed renting clear Kayaks. Our guide for the morning was: Megan, who was fantastic! Full of energy, information and helpful tidbits about the Springs and its human and wildlife inhabitants. Our group was small and capped at 10. We paddled through both narrow and open stretches, and stopped to swim in the warm, crystal-clear water. One highlight was a banyan tree with an 8-foot natural "jump hole"--such a cool experience! It was a serene, memorable day, and fun fact: this is the very spring featured in the Visit Orlando commercials! Yeah, definitely take a day away from crowded Orlando to relax and enjoy Mother Nature! You will Thank Me ;)

My husband and I were visiting from Pennsylvania, and this was our first time on an airboat. It…read moreturned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of our trip. The captain was fun, knowledgeable, and made the entire ride unforgettable--we'll definitely be talking about it for weeks. If you're in the area, I highly recommend giving it a try!

I can honestly say that visiting this place and riding an airboat were among the most enjoyable…read morethings I have done in many years. Wow! My family, friends, and I had such a great time and wish that we could have remained on the airboat much longer. This place is located at the end of a very long road. The drive to the property is very quiet and relaxing. The property itself was well-maintained, everything was clearly marked, and the venue itself was fun. There is a gift shop, a snack shop, a food trailer offering hot food, a beverage hit, clean bathrooms, gold mining, and so much more. The employees went out of their way to make everyone feel welcome and comfortable. The real reason why you would visit this place is the airboats. Each guest boards the large boats, which can seat 12-15 people at a time. To the rear of the boat sits this huge fan, which controls the boat. Each guest is required to grab a headset or ear protection, as the boats are noisy and loud, and I mean LOUD once they get going. The purpose of the boats is to have fun, of course, but the objective is to look for alligators as you speed through the swamps. During our visit, we spotted nine alligators, and the boat operator stopped so guests could see and experience them up close. The alligators are never disturbed, and they do not seem to mind being watched. Back to the airboats, these things are FAST! The boat operator will have you going so fast on the water, then pull into a complete 360-degree turn when you least expect it. The first time the boat operator sped away from the dock at the start of the tour, you were a tad nervous, similar to riding a roller coaster. After this initial nervousness, you could not get enough of this airboat and only wanted to go fast on the water. I might add that there was a group seated in front of us with a boy between 8 and 10 years old and a young tween girl, and they appeared to enjoy the airboat ride just as much as we adults. This is definitely a fun place for all ages

What a lovely day we had at Shingles Regional Park! We started off at 4280 W Vine St Kissimmee,…read morewhich runs past the Osceola Welcome center, Historical museum to the pioneer village. It was very informational and neat to see a little piece of history. Once we were done there we got on the Bridge walkway. We did not realize how long the Park Trail was, which is 17 miles! We decided we are going to rent some bikes when it gets a little warmer and try our hand at finishing the path. However, we did walk some of it though, and it was beautiful. I can't wait to explore more of this lovely park that we ran across! So more review to come:)

Excellent park to relax and enjoy mother nature's beauty. Do…read morenot miss this beautiful park and view,

Lake Underhill Park is a beautiful neighborhood park with a nice trail for walking and jogging…read more The trail is about 1.3 miles around Lake Underhill. There is a small parking lot, bathroom amenities and small pavilions. They have a boat ramp and dock. There are benches and outdoor fitness stations paced around the trail and plenty of gorgeous views. It could be a great place for relaxing and bird watching. Overall a lovely place and I enjoy morning walks here from time to time.

Great place to go for a a nice walk or run. I often go for exercise. There's workout stations…read morearound the lake. Its so peaceful and relaxing. Sometimes I just sit and enjoy the view. Its never overcrowded. I highly recommend!!

This is a cool small (one and a half acre) park with a great view of Lake Virginia located not far…read morefrom the downtown area. The name has its origins with the railroad that was in this area. Dinky Dock is a great place to chill and get a respite when you just need a break and want to take a few deep breaths stress free. We need parks like here. A place where a community can gather in leisure and just chill for a moment. I give Dinky Dock five stars overall.

Great paddle boarding spot. There's bathrooms at the parking lot, which is super convenient…read more Unfortunately, I paddled here on a fairly windy day so paddling against the current was very difficult. Would definitely come back here on a less windy day with friends! There are a bunch of scenic boat tours that circle around the lake, as well as a few people on jet skis but other than that, it was fairly quiet on the water!