Popped by Big Tree Park this past weekend, and what a nice little park. It is located within the…read moreSpring Hamock Preserve. The park is home to The Senator, a large cypress tree that was 3,500 years old (sadly, it was mostly burned down in a fire), and Lady Liberty, aged 2,000 years (to name a few). While the trees themselves are the lure, the park does have some amenities like a playground, public restrooms, and areas to sit down, eat, and relax. The park has raised walkways, and the canopy of overhead tree coverage creates a cool escape from the Florida sun. Just come prepared with some bug spray - the mosquitoes are at play with all the humidity. Also, they have a handful of plaques throughout the park that provide a brief history of the trees and the park itself. All in all, it was a quick little side quest with a nice little history lesson infused. There is a good amount of parking, and it is truly a quiet and peaceful little park. If you are in the area, it's worth the detour.

Big Tree Park is located in a corner of Spring Hamock Preserve. The park is famous for having the…read moreThe Senator, a champion bald cypress that was 3,500 years old. The tree was named for State Senator Moses Overstreet, who owned the land around the tree and donated it to the county in 1927 for use as a park. In 1929, President Calvin Coolidge visited the Senator for the park's dedication. The Senator was a popular tourist stop for many years. The Seminole Tribe of Florida used the tall cypress as a landmark, and in the 1800's sightseers paid for buggy rides through the swamp, then hopped a series of logs to make it to the tree. A boardwalk was added to make it easier to access The Senator. Sadly it burned down in 2012 in an arson fire caused by a drug addict. Visitors to the park can see the remains of The Senator along with some informational signage. Big Tree Park is also home to Lady Liberty, a 2,000 year old historic Bald Cypress, and the Phoenix, a genetic clone of The Senator. While the trees are the real draw to the park it also has a cute playground in the center island, which lets kids play inside a replica of a cypress trunk. There is a picnic pavilion and restrooms if you want to bring a lunch. Big Tree Park is a stop on the Cross Seminole Trail used by cyclists and runners.

Lake Ivanhoe Park offers a great view of downtown Orlando. It is a pleasant park and obviously very…read morepopular with the residents of the surrounding neighborhood. Orlando has a lot of great parks. Probably the one with the highest profile is Lake Eola Park, and while Lake Eola Park is stunning, Lake Ivanhoe Park itself is definitely a great addition to Orlando. I would definitely recommend this particular park.

Lake Ivanhoe in Orlando has a history in the late 19th-century as a home to large scale pineapple…read moreplantations. Entrepreneur George I. Russell established a 20-acre farm here. By 1927, it had become a large water amusement park built by Russell called Joyland, which featured a dance hall, water slides, and a fishing dock. After the park closed, the surrounding land was developed into a residential neighborhood that became the Lake Ivanhoe Residential Historic District made up of homes built between the 1920's and the 1950's in various architectural styles. Lake Ivanhoe Park is located on the shore of the 125 acre Lake Ivanhoe. It is a passive green space with benches and lake views. This park is a nice place to bike ride or just sit on a bench and enjoy nature. The lake is used by water skiers and fishermen. In the park there is a historic marker explaining the significance of the Lake Ivanhoe Residential Historic District.

This is a great park. Lots of activity and plenty of pickle ball. Here Is the current schedule…read more uesday Mornings (3.5+) 8:30AM-11:30AM Friday Mornings (3.5+) 8:30AM-11:30AM Saturday Mornings (4.0+) 8:30AM-11:30AM Sunday Mornings (4.0+) 8:30AM-11:30AM

This is a small park.It's pet friendly so we brought our dog.We walked around the fitness trail a…read morecouple of times for exercise.We passed a playground, tennis courts, basketball courts,covered pavilions and numerous grills.There's gym equipment throughout the park for exercise and they have restroom facilities.Great for kids too.

This is probably Apopka' best park - there's a large, modern, shaded, fenced playv area with things…read morefor younger and older kids. There's a lake with a dock, and plenty of green space and covered pavilion areas. There is also another park space across the street with another kid's play area. That one is an oldet style, but still nice and well-kept. There are tons of pavilions and grilling areas with nearby parking. You can really have your own space here. Overall, very nice park with all the bells and whistles.

My son and I came across this beautiful little gem of a park while looking through the map on the…read morelake Apopka wildlife Drive pamphlet. We decided to check it out. We were not disappointed! Boy, did we not expect to see what we saw! Peacocks! Just living their lives amongst this beautiful serene park. Just make sure to respect the wildlife here, as well as anywhere else. I did not approach the peacocks, I waited for the peacocks to approach me at a safe distance. This park is quiet, beautiful, relaxing, and fully equipped with playground equipment for all ages. It also has a volleyball court and nice pavilions that you can rent out and barbecue at. There are even campgrounds out here on the property. There are so many things that you can do here in this beautiful little oasis of a place. Come take advantage of all that you can see and do! Take my word for it. You will not be disappointed.

Kit Land Nelson Park neighbors the West Orange Trail and Edwards Field and features a playground…read moreand a splash pad. The park is open from sunrise to sunset. A monument honoring those who served our country stands tall. Above the monument, our US Flag waved freely on a windy and overcast Monday afternoon. A "Little Free Library" wooden box can be found near the playground. The sign encourages visitors to take a book and to share a book with others.

I was introduced to Zumba class at community center and I am having a wonderful time at the…read moreclasses. The center is nice and clean very well kept. Retirement is great!

Shortly after Sanford was incorporated on September 29, 1877, a plat of the new city was drawn by…read moreE.R. Trafford. The city was laid out on a grid with east-west streets having numbers and north-south streets given the names of local trees. Land was set aside for churches, schools, and six square parks. Five of the original parks still exist today. They are Centennial Park, Park on Park, Red Barber Park, Paw Park, and George W. Touhy Park which is located in the historic downtown district. George W. Touhy was a Sanford businessman and community leader who was active in many local organizations including the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, the Salvation Army, and the Boy Scouts of America. In October of 1995, the Sanford City Commission voted to honor Touhy's memory by renaming Elm Avenue Park. In June 1996, the park was rededicated as George W. Touhy Park. In 1992, the Parks Division of the City of Sanford began planting seedlings from the American Forests' Famous and Historic Trees project. The parents of these seedlings were trees with a connection to important people and places in American history. The trees were initially planted in Fort Mellon Park on Sanford's historic waterfront. The first tree was planted on February 10, 1992, as part of an Arbor Day observance. The Mount Vernon Red Maple was planted in honor of the founders of Sanford. In 1998, a plan was proposed to build a convention center in Fort Mellon Park. While the project was in the planning phase, the decision was made to relocate the Famous and Historic Tree project seedlings from Fort Mellon Park to George W. Touhy Park. In anticipation of receiving the trees, the park was renovated with new sidewalks and benches. The Famous and Historic Tree Grove in George W. Touhy Park was dedicated on Sanford's 122nd birthday, September 29, 1999. At that time the grove had 88 trees and was the largest historic tree grove in Florida. The idea for the Historic Tree Grove at Touhy Park came from Howard Jeffries, who was the Landscape Architect for the city. The historic tree groves include Mount Vernon along West 7th Street, Ponce DeLeon along South Myrtle Avenue, Helen Keller along South Elm Avenue, and Martin Luther King Jr along West 6th Street. In addition to the trees the park has a brick walkways, benches, a decorative fountain, and a drinking fountain. The signs identifying each grove were missing during my visit and it would be nice if they put them back for those who wish more information about the trees and their locations. Although George W. Touhy is a small, passive park, I really enjoyed my visit. This park is awash in shade and serenity. It is a quiet outdoor space where you can indulge in the bubbling sounds of a soothing water fountain, enjoy a book or picnic, or stroll around the brick walkways and explore the Historic Tree Grove.

George W Toughy Park has a brick paved path that leads you around the park. All along the way there…read moreare interactive educational signs that are enjoyable to read. I appreciated the big shade trees and benches along the way. The park is well maintained and peaceful. It's a great place to relax and enjoy nature.

This park is very nice. This is the first time we came here…read morewe walked around. They have two outside theaters one is large one is small. They also had an event space. You can rent the Little swan boats for $5. I have a park and splash pad for the kids. Some restaurants and shops across the street. Beautiful area

Wow, this is a really cool park right in the 'New Downtown' of Oviedo!…read more It sits on a 108-acre mixed use development surrounding Center Lake Park which has two amphitheaters, a dog park, splash pad, swan and paddle boat rentals ($5), a lakeside promenade, playground, and large indoor event center that can be rented for wedding reception, party's and other events. In the surrounding area there a several other eateries, restaurants, an ice cream shop, The Food Factory (Food Hall) which has live music, a gorgeous indoor pub (Park Pub), along with other retail shops and luxury apartments. If you are considering spending the day in Oviedo, I highly recommend checking their website here: https://www.cityofoviedo.net/328/City-Special-Events This way you can plan out the day accordingly, so you don't miss all the activities happening in both the Original Historic Downtown area and the New Downtown. Oviedo is booming and in a good way. We are looking forward to our next visit to the area, see you soon Oviedo!

Lake Carola is a lovely, passive park next to Fort Mellon Park which has restrooms and water…read morefountains and behind the Sanford Museum. It is located on the Sanford River Walk. The highlight of the park is the small Lake Carola with a fountain. Lake Carola Lake and Park was named in honor of Helene Carola Nancy Sanford Dow (4/10/1876-08/08/1962). She was the last surviving daughter of Sanford town founder, Henry Shelton Sanford. Helene was the original benefactor of the Sanford Museum. She donated her father's papers and other items to the City of Sanford on the condition they would create a memorial to her father which became the free Sanford Museum. I really enjoyed my visit to the museum where you can learn much more about the Sanford family. The lake in the park was named Lake Carola by a city resolution on December 27, 1955. On a recent visit to Sanford I spent a few minutes admiring the ducks and ibis who call Carola Park home. The park has many beautiful trees providing shade over picnic tables with grills. This is the perfect spot for a picnic or just to relax and take in the beauty of Lake Carola and the much large Lake Monroe across the street. Every December, the park is the site of Paws & Claus at Lake Carola, Seminole County Animal Services annual adoption event.