Beautiful Bok Tower

With all the rain lately, we decided to get out of the house and enjoy something a bit different.  Bok Tower really hit the spot.  Located in a rather remote area of Lake Wales in Central Polk County, it was a picturesque place to relax and unwind.  The cost is $14 per person, although children a a bit cheaper.  We were able to use our AAA discount to knock off about $2 per person.

The welcome center is located right next to the park lot, and has a gift shop and cafe.  We did not eat at the cafe, but we brought our own picnic lunch instead.  They have plenty of tables set up outside around the cafe, and there is no eating in the actual gardens.  The welcome center has a neat little movie to watch and has several exhibits about the natural wildlife that lives in the area and the tower.

We went on a Sunday, so there was no concert, but they do play recordings of the concerts from the tower everyday and we were able to witness that.  It was extremely neat.  The kids thought the tower was pretty cool, but I think they were rather bored, because you can not enter the tower, all you can really do is walk around and admire the gardens.  They do have a really cool "Window" that allows visitors to sit inside an enclosed shed and look out at the wildlife that inhabits a pond, and the boys did enjoy that.

All in all, my husband and I really liked it, but it is definitely not for the older kids.  Babies might find it relaxing to walk around and nap, but the lack of action might be a bit too dull for most children.  This would make a great "date spot" though, if you can get away from the kids!
http://boktowergardens.reachlocal.net/

Circle Bar B Reserve

Ready for a hike?  Then head on over to the Circle Bar B Reserve in Lakeland.  This county run reserve is located on Winter Lake Rd. near the intersection of US 98 and the Polk Parkway.  The park has several different trails, and each are marked with their difficulty and their length.  We opted for the Shady Oak, Alligator Alley, and Heron Hideout. 

Shady Oak Trail

The trails were very well taken care of and we were able to view plenty of wildlife on them. 

A crane that we saw on the Alligator Alley trail.

I would not suggest the Alligator Alley and Heron Hideout trail for those with a stroller or unsteady walkers.  The trail was rather bumpy with exposed tree roots.  I would also suggest bringing sunscreen and bug spray.  We used deep woods Off and did not have any issues, but I did notice several others on the trail smacking bugs.   The trails we picked were rather shady, but there were spots where the trail was not covered and lets face it, the Florida sun is brutal. 

Alligator in the lake that we spotted on the Alligator Alley trail

There were plenty of place in the parking lot to picnic, with several covered areas with tables and a grill.  There is also a discovery center onsite that teaches kids and adults about the local wildlife and environment.  The kids really enjoyed the tree house and fox den that they could crawl in.  There was also a video running that discussed ways to help conserve our natural resources.  

The park allows for horseback riding, bikes, and of course hiking.  There is no playground, but the indoors discovery center makes up for it.  They offer several different events through out the year, so be sure to check it out if you are ever in the area.  I know we will be back soon to try some of the other trails.  

For more information, check out their website: Circle Bar B Reserve

A turtle sunning itself on Alligator Alley trail.

Curtis Peterson Park, Lakeland

Curtis Peterson Park is a wonderful little neighborhood park in Lakeland, FL.  This little gem is a great place to watch Little League baseball or enjoy nature.  There is a wooden path that walks around the lake and takes you up in the trees.  For dad, there is a boat ramp and plenty of great fishing spots (A Florida Fresh Water Permit is required).  This park is located on the Lake to Lake bike trail, so the second trail is perfect for biking or walking. Both trails are built to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers.

 There is a good size playground with a play area for little kids and a larger play area for the older children. My two boys enjoyed the playground after our walk while I relaxed in the shade. The playground itself is not shaded, but there are plenty of shady spots just outside the mulched area.

Close to to downtown Lakeland, so there are lots of nearby restaurants, or bring some food and enjoy the use of the onsite grills for a picnic.  There are lots of pavilions, including one large one that is completely screened in.  Because this park is on a lake, I would suggest bringing the bug spray.  There is no swimming and there are alligators in the lake.

The park is hidden behind the Lakeland YMCA on Cleveland Blvd.  For more information on the park, check out the park's website; http://www.lakelandgov.net/parkrec/PetersonPark.aspx.

Hontoon Island State Park-Great Park for a Picnic & a Hike!

Hontoon Island State Park is located just outside of Deland, Florida at 2309 River Ridge Road, Deland, Florida 32720.  Located in a residential area, it can be rather difficult to find, but is well worth it.
Entrance to the park is free, as well as the ferry back and forth to the island. There is a small playground located on the island that the little ones will love, along with a small one room exhibit on the history of the park.  There as several picnic tables around the dock and the playground for picnics and a small store that sells limited food items at a reasonable price.  The park is clean, and there are two restrooms, although they are located in the front of the island. 

The campground is further inland, and the park does provide transportation for gear (if requested) via van, truck or golf cart.  The campground includes primitive camping and several cabins for rent (please see their website to book a space or cabin).

There is a good hiking trail, but it does have a tendency to flood or become muddy during the rainy season.  Mosquitoes can also be a problem during certain times of the year, so bring bug spray!  The trail is not stroller accessible, so this park is for age 5+. 

My family and I thoroughly enjoy this park, and will continue to come back.

A little Critter that we met on the hiking trail.

Discover Lyonia Preserve, Deltona

This Saturday is Discover Lyonia, http://lyoniapreserve.com/.  Lyonia Preserve is Volusia

County’s newest Wildlife Preserve and Conservation Effort. The Saturday event is free and open to the public.  After the open house on Saturday, there will be a charge to explore the Lyonia Preserve (they have not released the proposed admission price, but I will let you know as soon as it becomes available).  Check out the website, and I look forward to meeting new explorers this weekend.

DeLeon Springs State Park

This was a completely wonderful surprise!  Located just off US17, six miles north of Deland, this is a jewel of a park, and the webpage does not do it Justice, http://www.floridastateparks.org/deleonsprings/ .  Admission is only $6.00 per car load, up to six people and then an additional $2.00 for each person after 6.   The grounds were amazingly well kept and there is plenty of parking. 

There are five covered pavilions, four of which that can be rented out for private parties.  There were plenty of picnic tables scatted around the swimming hole and plenty of areas to just throw down a blanket and sunbath.  There is also a welcome center that is rather small, but showcases various periods of history of the Springs, from Native American fishing ground to 1950's amusement park.

There is a restaurant on site that serves all you can eat pancakes for $4.50 along with burgers and various sandwiches and salads, all at a reasonable price.  There was quite a long line (45 minute wait) for the Pancake House, so we passed it on this trip.

There are several nice nature trails showcasing natural Florida.  We took the short ¼ mile paved trail.  It was a breeze with the stroller, and we saw lots of butterflies and various flora.  I would suggest bringing bug spray, as there were lots of mosquitoes on the trail.  My oldest enjoyed walking the trail and pointing out various sights, while my youngest napped.

After our walk, it was time to cool off in the spring.  The water is a crisp 72 degrees year round, so the best advice is jump in!  There is a roped off area that is quite large where the water is only 3 feet deep, which was chest high on my four year old.  My youngest could not touch the bottom, so he stayed on the steps splashing his brother.  There is a diving platform, where the water is up to 30ft deep, and my husband enjoyed doing cannon balls for the children's amusement.

The restrooms were clean and stocked.  There was a changing table and a bench in the women's room to help change in and out of swim suits.  The stalls were quite large and doubled as changing rooms.

There is a small play area that consists of only 5 slides, very small but my oldest enjoyed it.  There is also a volleyball court.

I give this park a true THUMBS UP!  My family and I will be back for more.

MOAS

This trip was to the Daytona Beach MOAS (Museum of Art and Science) http://www.moas.org/.  It was Museum Day by the Smithsonian, and admission was free for the day.  Normal admission is $12.95 for adults, $6.95 for 17-6, and 5 and under is free.  They offer several different special events through out the year, for various age groups, along with several decent deals throughout the year. 

I enjoyed the several exhibits on art and crafts through out history.  The Chinese art was extraordinary.  My four year old enjoyed the Coca-Cola Exhibit and the two restored passenger train cars.  The west wing is still closed due the flooding this past summer, so the Science Exhibits were all closed.

Both boys enjoyed the Children’s Museum.  Daddy helped them build a roller coaster, and a race car.  The area for the babies is small but my youngest enjoyed it.  There is a nature trail running along side the museum that the whole family enjoyed.  The path was a well cared for shaded wooden boardwalk with plenty of interesting trees and flora to look at.

The bathrooms were well marked and cleaned, with changing tables.  There were museum staff constantly walking around, and all were very friendly and helpful, to point out interesting articles in each of the various exhibits.

There is no place to eat inside the museum, so I would suggest a local fast food restaurant, which there is plenty in Daytona Beach.

My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time at this fantastic museum, and we hope to stop by again and check out the west wing when it reopens.