This is a small park on the northwest shore Ned Lake, a 72 acre fresh water lake containing…read morelargemouth bass, bluegill, and crappie. Lake Ned is part of Winter Haven's famous Chain of Lakes, a grouping of more than 50 lakes ranging in size from tiny to large. Twenty-four of the lakes are connected by canals making them ideal for boating, fishing, picnicking. Lake Ned park has a basketball court which was being enjoyed by a large group on the day I visited. There is also a boat ramp, covered picnic pavilions with tables, paved walkways, and older style playground equipment which could use updating. Unfortunately the park is lacking in restroom facilities. My favorite feature of the park is the lake view where you can catch a glimpse of local birds. It would be a nice place to bring a picnic lunch. This park is especially enjoyed by local anglers and boaters.

Lake Hartridge Nature Park is located on the southwest shore of Lake Hartridge, a 433 acre, figure…read more8 shaped lake on the north side of Winter Haven. Lake Hartridge is part of the Northern Chain of Lakes that feeds into the Peace River. The ponds in the park act as stormwater treatment cells, Through natural processes, water is collected and contaminants are removed preventing nutrients and oxygen depleting compounds from passing into Lake Hartridge. An added benefit of the ponds is that they attract wildlife like alligators, turtles, and native birds. Other features of the park include a one third mile paved path for walking, jogging, and biking. There is a covered playground with a play fishing boat and several pavilions with picnic tables and grills. There is also a fishing pier. Dogs are welcome and there water fountains and waste clean bag stations. This charming park makes you feel far removed from busy Havendale Boulevard. I enjoyed the walking path and interpretative signs informing about the different plants and animals that live around the lake. This beautiful park is the perfect spot to bird watch, take the kids to play, exercise, and picnic. I especially love the lake view which is so peaceful and serene.

Martin Luther King Jr. Park has a long history of social activities in Winter Haven. In the 1920's…read moreand 30's is was the site of Florida Citrus Festival which attracted thousands including president Calvin Coolidge. During WWII it was a prisoner of war camp that housed 250 German prisoners. Up until the 1990's many local children learned to swim from the park beach on to Lake Silver. In May of 1988 the park was dedicated to slain civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr. a monument was erected in his honor. Every year there is a wreath laying ceremony. Improvements were added to the park that included picnic pavilions, a basketball court, a trail, and a playground on the west side of the park. There are also restrooms, a recreation center, and an outdoor theater. Events held throughout the year in the park include community concerts by the Winter Haven Symphony Orchestra, Easter sunrise service, easter egg hunts. and the annual Fourth of July fireworks. The Cypress Gardens Water Ski Team puts on shows on lake Silver which can be viewed from the park. This picturesque park was a pleasant place to spend some time outdoors. I took a scenic walk around the lake while admiring the view of Lake Silver. The well maintained open lawn is especially inviting for picnics and relaxing.

I love these type of parks and I have been to a few across Florida. A town will move several of…read moretheir historic buildings to one area which saves them from being demolished and it creates a place where people can learn about the history of the area. This historical park was created in Homeland, Florida in 1985 and it was set up to recreate a community from the mid 1800's. The town of Homeland got its name from an Irish peddler who was passing through and said that the town reminded him of his homeland. Buildings in the park include:: The Homeland Schoolhouse built in 1878. It was first called the Bethel Academy. The name was changed in 1885 when the town changed its name to Homeland The school started with only 5 students but when it grew to 60 a large room was added in 1888. Students in first through eighth grade were taught basic reading and math so they could help with farming and read the Bible. By 1925 the school had been expanded to a L shape. It closed in 1956 due to a decline in enrollment. It is the only building in the park on its original foundation. It is also the oldest school in Polk County. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Homeland Methodist Church was established in 1875. Construction of the church started in 1887, 500 feet south of its current location across the street. It took two years to complete and it was finished in 1889 at a cost of $2,000. In 1946 the church steeple was knocked over by a hurricane. The church served the community until the 1970's. In 1986 it was donated to the park. In 1990 the church steeple was built back up to its original height. Today the church can be rented for weddings. The Raulerson Home was built in the 1880's by Mr. and Mrs. Blocker. It was originally located in Lakeland near County Road. The house is an example of what an affluent family would have lived in. The house was purchased from the Blockers by Daniel Amos Raulerson who lived in it from 1901 until 1912. After that they rented it out. The house contains two rooms on the second floor that can only be entered from a ladder on the porch. These type of rooms were meant for the farm help. This was the third building to be added to the park and it was moved here on March 25, 1988. The English log cabin was built in 1888 in the Winston area of Lakeland, Florida by Cornelius English and his brother James Jackson. It was as a family home until the 1900's. The building is an example of the earliest kind of dwelling in Polk County, a single pen log cabin. The house remained in possession of the English family until it was donated to the park and moved here in 1989. The Pole Barn is the type of outbuilding a settler would have had in 1894. The building was added to the park in 1994 and it was the last building to be added. The barn was used to store farm equipment, protect animals, and store crops. The loft was used to store hay and feed for the animals. The barn was donated to the park by the English family. Tours of the buildings are given by appointment and several events are held throughout the year. In April they hold the Good Old Days Festival and their largest event is the Cracker Storytellers Festival. In December they hold the Christmas Notes Festival . Homeland Heritage Park offers scheduled tours, walk in tours, field trips, and their special even programs. Even though the buildings were closed I still had a great tour. Signs outside of each of the buildings told their history. It was so cool seeing buildings over a 100 years old preserved. I would love to make it back for an event one day.

Great small scale historical outdoor museum area. Free access to outdoor areas that are…read morewell-marked with historical signs. If you want to tour inside buildings, you need to make an appointment or peer through windows. Original school on original site from 1878. Small Methodist Church, one of first with stained glass windows. 1900 log cabin, 1880 aristocratic farmhouse, pole barn with some farm implements. Giant live oaks. Will take about an hour to stroll through it all. Great place for a picnic and peek back at the original cracker life in central Florida. South of Bartow, north of Fort Meade on 640. Signs are good to get there. Raw honey stand and "greens for sale" on the way in. Gotta love it!

I've lived on this beautiful little lake for years as my condo community has quite a bit of…read morefrontage. I know it very well so let's get started. Size & Location- Most folks think it's a small to medium lake at about 280 acres. It has a maximum depth of about 15 feet. The water is usually very clear and has no tannin. What a surprise! It's on Lake Damon Drive Which is immediately off US Route 27. You turn off Route 27 and you are pointing directly at the boat ramp less than fifty yards away! It's a good thing there is a sharp turn in the road, or your car could experience the boat ramp which I definitely do not recommend! This is the only public boat ramp on the lake. Shoreline- The shore is about one half developed. The remainder is still pretty wild. There is no public swimming here! Fishing- This is the primary activity at this lake. Bass and panfish are where it's at. Trophy bass have been taken here. Recreational Boating- Other than fishing, very little. A couple of my neighbors have pontoon boats which they take out from time to time. A few of my neighbors also have fishing boats. Exploring the undeveloped shore by kayak or canoe is popular for some. There is one jet ski which is rarely seen. Facilities- Bathrooms = nope. Ditto purchasing snacks or drinks. Do both elsewhere. Pro Tip- The closest restaurant is Market 27, two minutes away and it's excellent! You can also purchase drinks & snacks here. Check Yelp! Wildlife- It tends to congregate near the undeveloped shore and is most easily seen by boat. However, there have been lots of exceptions in the developed areas. Lots and lots of gators. Please don't feed them and especially don't feed them little dogs! The little pups really hate that so keep them on a leash and away from the water. One "Chomp" and it's over! Most of the time they don't even yip! An abundance of birds and snakes. Watch out for water moccasins! Lots of turtles. I love to see racoons, especially babies! Fox are pretty common. At least one family of otters lives here, and it is a true treat to see them! Black bears have been seen but it's rare. As you can tell this is not Orlando! Highlands County is an agricultural county and represents Central Florida that's not Disneyfied! I love living here. Let's go for four stars!

Although this looks like an empty field in the middle of a neighborhood, there is a lot of history…read morehere. In the middle of the field is a mysterious granite obelisk. Upon closer inspection you see that it is a grave for five soldiers who died during a skirmish with the Seminole Indians. The monument reads "A group of United States Army soldiers led by Lt. Carlton engaged the Seminole Indians in what is known as the Willoughby Tillis battle in this vicinity on June 14-16, 1856. These five men who lost their lives in this engagement are buried here." The battle took place in this vicinity on June 14-16, 1856. The five men who lost their lives were Lt. Alderman Carlton, Lott Whidden, and William Parker killed June 14, 1856 and Robert F. Prine and George Howell killed June 16, 1856. Not exactly what you expect to find in your neighborhood park. The Seminoles are a Native American tribe that originally lived in Georgia. On May 28, 1830, Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act Forces, declaring that all Native Americans had to move west of the Mississippi onto reservations. The Maskókî, also known as Creek by white settlers resisted the move and traveled down to Florida to join with the descendants of other Native Americans who had lived in Florida for thousands of years. They thought of themselves as siminoli, meaning free people. White America called them Seminoles. Wars took place between the U.S. Government and the Seminoles as they tried to round up 5,000 Seminoles to oust them from Florida and send them on the Trail of Tears out to Oklahoma. They were successful in capturing and removing some Seminoles but ultimately a small band of 200 were able to head into the Everglades and evade capture. The government finally gave up and the Seminoles were the only Native American tribe never to sign a peace treaty with the US government. In their efforts to remove the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War, the US government set up a military road between Tampa and Fort Pierce. They set up forts along the trail including Fort Meade which became the town of Fort Meade. During the Third Seminole War, Willoughby Tillis and his wife Cecilia and seven children had heard of engagements between the Seminoles and white settlers so they moved from Tampa to be closer to Fort Meade. Travelers to the farm reported attacks by the Seminoles so the family moved within a mile of the fort and shared a house with Mr. Underhill who owned a pine log home and who was also seeking safety from his own primary residence. An account of what happened was given by son James Dallas Tillis and printed in a journal article. One Saturday morning, Cecilia Willoughby was out checking the cattle, and she saw the 30 to 50 Seminoles along the fence. They had planed to kill Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Underhill when they went out to tend the cattle in the morning but Mr. Willoughby had been up all night with the sick baby so Cecilia could rest, so instead she and the children went out in the morning. The family ran for safety in the house as they were fired upon. Luckily the cattle came between the Seminoles who were shooting and the family which gave them the time to escape. Mr. Underhill and Mr. Willoughby returned fire from the house. At one point one of the children who had been in the hay loft had to make a run for the house in a hail of bullets when the Seminoles tried to burn the barn. All of the families horses were shot and stabbed. The soldiers stationed at Fort Meade were alerted by a young boy who heard the shots and came to investigate. The seven soldiers were outnumbered but they charged the Seminoles anyway. Lt. Alderman Carlton, Lott Whidden, and William Parker were killed along with several Seminoles. Daniel Carlton in a fury to avenge his father's death rode to Fort Fraser where Cecilia Willoughby's brother was in command. He returned the next day with Captain Durrance and 50 soldiers. Durrance and his soldiers pursued the Seminoles and in the ensuing battle, 2 soldiers were killed along with 15 Seminoles including their leader and medicine man. Some of the remaining Seminoles were able to escape into the pine barrens. It is believed that this was the last engagement in the Third Seminole War. The bodies of the soldiers from the battle are buried underneath the obelisk. As long as they had not been touched by white soldiers, the Seminole would have taken their dead with them. It is believed the marker may be incorrect, because it was Florida Militia who participated at the battle, not members of the army. There is also a marker to the local veterans in the park along with a table and benches. You would not expect to find a graveyard in the middle of a park and the history here is fascinating and on the day I visited the beautiful azaleas were blooming.

Quiet, serene, honorable, mature trees, green grass, monuments, breeze, small walks. This park…read moreprovides a space to think, appreciate, and reflect. So many things happened to people over time; but the energy to create a space by the descendants is incredible.

I live really close to this beautiful, well-maintained, and secluded property! How close, you ask?…read moreWell, I can drive my golf cart to it! It's been around for a very long time, since 1939 in this location. It really has two faces- Face #1 is that it is a Christian camp for young folks. I can't speak to this as my little munchkin is now in her forties and lives in Denver! Face #2 is a venue for corporate retreats, large social gatherings, extended family reunions, generally rentals of all types. This review speaks to these kinds of experiences. Let's get into the details- Location- Nestled behind citrus groves and on beautiful Lake Trout, they are about a 1 mile from US Route 27 just after you cross the northern Highlands County line. Signage is good and they are a snap to find. Visiting- You can't just stop by as others may be occupying the site. Check their website and reach out to arrange a tour. Facilities- It's a 25-acre site! For single-day events they can handle about 150 folks. If your needs include an overnight stay that is absolutely possible. For that, they can sleep about 120. They can supply food, or you can arrange your own. For you corporate team-building types, they have the ubiquitous rope courses, both high and low, and other related stuff. With 25 acres, they can afford to diversify. It turns out they have quite a reputation as a wedding venue! Pro Tip- Alcohol, tobacco, and firearms are prohibited. I realize some events might typically include beer & wine. That's not gonna happen here. Expect nicely maintained infrastructure with plenty of shade from our famously hot Florida sun! Staff- I've attended a couple of events here and they have been top notch! If you have this type of need in Central Florida, these fine folks should absolutely be on your list for consideration.

Cool camp! Rustic, yet sophisticated. A great landing spot for kids over the summer, or to get…read moremarried at.

Fewox Memorial Park is a neighborhood park located between SR 17 and Lake Reedy in Frostproof. It…read morewas named in honor of Gladys Fewox who was part of a ranching and farming family in the area. Her son and family own FX Bar Ranch and a road in Frostproof is named for Gladys. Fewox Memorial Park is completely fenced in which is great for children's safety. There is some basic playground equipment with things to climb, slide down and swings. There is also a large pavilion with picnic tables and a grill which can be rented. I think the nicest feature of the park is the large oak trees dripping in Spanish moss that add beauty and shade to the park. I love visiting rural Frostproof where you can enjoy nature and that small town, Old Florida vibe.