Upcoming Events in Volusia County for Nature Lovers!

There will be a Forestry and Eco-Buggy Tour Tomorrow around Lake George between 9am-11am.  If you are interested, please contact Ms. Bonnie at Bcary@volusia.org.

If you live in Volusia County, and you love nature, Bonnie is the one to talk to!  She sends out emails every month on upcoming nature events that are offered through the county.  Most of these are free events, or they are extremely low cost.  They offer everything from kayaking, biking, horse riding, and hiking tours, classes on various aspects of nature (star gazing, bird watching, etc.), nature crafts, and even a toddler hike for the little ones.  I participated in several events while we resided in Volusia and I would highly recommend joining the newsletter.

Common Grounds Park Set To Reopen!

Common Grounds Park is set to reopen today!  The park has been undergoing a makeover for the past few weeks.  We can not wait to see all the improvements made to this wonderful park.

For more information on the park, please check out the City of Lakeland's website; http://www.lakelandgov.net/parkrec/CommonGroundInclusivePlayground.aspx

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.

Mayfaire Art Festival

Mayfaire Art Festival is one of my favorite events.  Set for Mother's Day weekend each year, this festival includes different events for everyone.  There is the Art Festival on Saturday and Sunday, a run on Saturday, block party on Saturday night (with fireworks), and food truck event.  Set around beautiful Lake Morton, the fair is a staple for the community.  Put on by the Polk Museum of Art and various local businesses, and the majority of the events are free to enjoy, so it is worth the crowds.

I personally enjoy the art.  There is something for everyone here. Artists from all over the country are displaying their pieces.  From paintings and drawings, to ceramics, and even metal work, can be found while enjoying a leisurely stroll around the lake.  Lake Morton is also known as the "Swan Lake" as there are many different breeds of swans and ducks in the Lake enjoying the spring weather.


My husband enjoys the food.  There are tons of food trucks located through out art festival and the Saturday night block party.  The food is rather expensive if you buy it at the truck, but there are plenty of wonderful restaurants within walking distance.  Or, to save some cash, there are plenty of places to drop a blanket and enjoy a picnic.

The kids get extremely excited about the kids tent located in the Lakeland Library's parking lot.  The tent offers kids the opportunity to make their own art for free.  There are plenty of volunteers to help parents and kids turn household objects in to something fun.  This year they made paper plate swans and coffee filter sun hats.  There is a bounce house area set up directly behind the kids tent, but it is rather pricey, so we skipped it.

They also enjoy the free block party.  There is live music, dancing on the lawn at nearby Lake Mirror, and fireworks.  Bring a blanket or some lawn chairs and set up a spot for your family.  There is a park here, so the little ones can expel some energy before the main event.  If you would like a cold drink, either bring your own, or headed over to the Garden Bistro (you will save yourself $3 per drink).  *There is alcohol sold and consumed at the Block Party.

The 5K takes place before the Block Party kicks off, and awards are handed out before the fireworks to runners.  There is a fee for participating in the 5K, and if you are interested, please visit their website at; http://lakelandrunnersclub.org/races/mayfaire/ 

This year's Mayfaire was amazing and we already can not wait for next year!  For more information on Mayfaire check out this website; http://polkmuseumofart.org/events/mayfaire-by-the-lake/  It is regularly updated, and includes information on past and future Mayfaires.  We hope to see you there in 2014!

Paddle boarding on the Halifax!

Something a little bit different... A co-worker and I decided that we wanted to go Paddle boarding.  It is normally a bit more than I would spend, but we ended up getting a good deal on it via groupon, so it was a go!  Our tour was run by New Smyrna Stand Up (you can check out their facebook page here; https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Smyrna-Stand-Up/103902219642858).  It began on the Halifax River, which is rather calm.  We were able to see some really neat wildlife, such as a dolphin and a crab.  I did topple over once, but I survived without a scratch.  Tips, wear sunscreen and water shoes.  This trip would be good for families with older kids.  You do have to be in relatively good shape as this type of activity can leave you a bit sore in the morning.  It gave me a good workout in my arms, shoulders, and core.   I will be doing this again!

Tallahassee Bound!

I'm researching Law Schools.... so the Husband and I decided to take a trip to FSU's School of Law and the State Capitol of Florida.  The town itself is unlike our home in Central Florida.  They actually have hills.  Being that Mike and I are use to walking on flat surface, trudging up a giant hill was brutal, but we survived.  We got lost several times in this town, and ended up going round and round in circles for what seemed like hours.  We did however get to visit some really neat places (for free), and try The Mellow Mushroom Pizza.

Our first stop was the historic Capitol.  Very cool, it had lots of neat exhibits about the history of Florida's government.  We toured the historic state senate and the original Florida Supreme Court (Which sent my legal heart a flutter).  We laughed at the exhibit on the 2000 election debacle which held special meaning to the two of us because it was the first election that we had both ever participated in.

Approaching the Historic Capitol

The Florida State Constitution

Historic Florida Supreme Court

My husband debating me in the Historic Florida Senate Chambers

After that, we set out to view the Museum of Florida History.  It was very cool and contains a mammoth skeleton, steamer ship, and a complete exhibit regarding war veterans.  We found the exhibit on the St. John's River very sweet, because it is the life blood of Central Florida.

Before we headed out of town, we drove by Gov. Rick Scott's mansion.  The way that is is situated and with all the guards, we decided to stay in the car and take pictures.  

I will say that Tallahassee is a very unique city, I don't think it is the town for us.  The panhandle is totally different from Central Florida!

St. Augustine

This is the second time we have come to this wonderful city.  This time it was a trip without the kids.  So, we did some different tours and visited some different places then we would have if we had the kids with us.

The town itself is rather touristy, as is much of Florida.  There is a large centrally located parking garage, it charges, but it is the cheapest deal in town unless you are lucky enough to stay at one of the many bed and breakfasts.  The husband and I enjoyed just walking around and people watching.  You will see some rather unusual things in this old city.  We really had a laugh on our way to dinner when we spotted a horse and carriage at the bank drive up atm.

We went on one of the many nightly ghost tours that are offered.  We went on "A ghostly encounter" http://staugustineghosttours.net/ and got to tour the Spanish Hospital, two graveyards, and a cottage.  The tour was pretty good, the story teller was insightful and was actually one featured on the Ghost Adventure's episode about the area.  It was relatively tame, so I would say it would be OK for a grade school kid, unless you have an easily scared kid (if they can watch Nightmare Before Christmas they will be fine).

The next day, we set out for something a little different.  We headed to Ripley's Believe it or Not!  This place is not cheap, so check the website for ticket prices and deals.  http://www.ripleys.com/staugustine/  They offer lots of add ons to the admission price, but we opted against them.  It took us roughly 45 minutes to an hour to tour the entire museum.  We did see a lot of neat stuff, but I think a one time tour is enough for me.

After all is said and done, St. Augustine is one of my favorite towns to visit.  So if you ever get a chance, be sure to stop in and admire this ancient city, oh and don't forget to grab a yummy cinnamon bun.