Lake Dan Preserve is a cool enough place to spend a bit of time. It gives us a glimpse of untamed…read moreFlorida and reminds us that before tourism and theme parks forever changed the landscape of the Sunshine State, Florida was wild and untamed. I enjoy seeking out these places when I am traveling for business. It is great to find these hidden gems. One of the great things about traveling for work are these discoveries. I seek them out and am better for finding them. I encourage you to check this place out and seek out these hidden gems whether in your travels or even right there in your community.

Lake Dan Preserve is hidden in the back of a neighborhood with no signs on Tarpon Springs Rd…read moreindicating it's existence. If I lived nearby I'd keep it that way because this Hillsborough county park was an unexpected find that I thought was a beaut. At first glance, a small parking lot, playground and pavilion isn't much. However, once on the hiking trail a nice boardwalk with benches goes over a large lake. I used a trail guide from a QR code that led me to a Hillsborough park website to help me navigate because most signs in the park are colored posts and colors on trees indicating the path the hiker is on. I didn't see any signs indicating where paths went or their distance once at the park When I visited Lake Dan Preserve, I went straight (over the bridge/boardwalk) and took the second left (the red trail) and a few feet down is a picturesque lake that would make a great back drop for photos or an amazing place to relax by a small pond. Turn right and go down the yellow trail and you can hike into neighbouring Lake Francis Preserve. I choose to vear off and hike the connecting blue trail. The blue trail goes down a gravel road into several large open pastures. I must've said this is gorgeous 15 times. A short time later the trail turns as the back side of Trinity starts to come into view in the distance. As the path continues, it leads to Lake Dan and a fishing pier. It's basically a shorter version of the park's entrance bridge looking out a vibrant and large lake. Birds, fish and some cows mooing in the distance makes the pier a nice place to relax. Although, I can't imagine hiking that distance to find it crowded. When I visited Lake Dan my car was the only one in the parking lot and I didn't see another person inside the park. I plan on visiting this preserve again as I thought some it's views we're nice enough to be back drops in movie scenes. It's wide open spaces and lack of people inside made it's trails an excellent place to enjoy a peaceful hike.

Clean-ish environment, well-trained horses, however the staff was mildly rude and unwelcoming.read more

My daughter attended a horse riding camp this summer at Suncoast Stables and had an incredible…read moretime. What did we love about it? -The themes. Each camp had a different theme and kids could sign up for the one they liked. -Covered riding area. Rain or shine, the kids could ride. -Kona Ice day. The truck came out and the kids could purchase a treat halfway thru the week. -End of the week presentation. Parents were invited to a Friday performance that showed off what their kids had learned. So why not five stars? Mainly because of the lack of communication. Leading up to the start of camp, the only information we had was from the sheet we filled out months before to reserve our spot. An introductory email would be incredible. Also, the paper handed out to parents about the presentation had the wrong time on. I was only able to confirm the actual time because we attended with a good friend who had the owner's phone number. Tightening up the communication would take Suncoast's Summer Camps from being amazing to perfect!

I've driven past Lake Francis Preserve many times and never knew it existed…read more After traveling down the main road, I parked in the open field parking lot and walked the rest of the way into the park through the pedestrian gate. Almost immediately after entering the park, I seen cows not far away from where I was standing. The rest of my walk consisted of me walking toward them (further into the park) and them turning around every few feet. Eventually we reached a large group of cows at the end of the road near a gate. At this point, most of the cows moved out of my way but a few bulls stared me down. I yelled at one that I thought was going to come toward me and it swung it's head and backed away. It turns out Lake Francis leases it's land to a cattle rancher and he/she left their gate open probably on purpose so the cows can roam freely. Essentially where all the cows ended up congregating and eat at is where hikers turn to continue on a primitive trail that connects to Lake Dan Preserve. I didn't see any signs indicating a turn and kept going straight over a fence and a wild boar saw me and took off into the woods, and snarled at me as I passed by. When I reached the cattle rancher's out post I realized I wasn't where I was supposed to be and ended up walking back. So you don't make the same mistake I did, click the QR code on the trail guide sign at the pedestrian gate when you walk into the park because signage is poorly marked after entry. The QR code populates a website that displays several trails, and explains how they differ by showing photos. The scenery of Lake Francis is very pretty but there isn't much to do besides stare at the cows and use the deteriorating road as a jogging path. Be mindful there isn't much shade and there lots or cow poop everywhere. When I return I'd like to hike the primitive trail that leads to Lake Dan Preserve to see what that's all about. If you haven't visited Lake Francis give it a try and experience this park for yourself and take in the quiet setting of it's pastures and animals. It's very different from other nearby parks and all the busyness of Tarpon Springs Road is non-existent.

I was excited when I found Lake Frances Nature Preserve as I hadn't noticed it before, so I decided…read moreto investigate it. What I found was a Horse park, mostly. The parking area is for trailer parking, and there is a 1.5 mile road, but no shade. You can hike, but be aware of the local wildlife as this is as primative as you'll get.

If you're looking for a great horseback riding experience, especially as a beginner, I recommend…read moreChoyce. We had Will as our guide and he was so kind and professional. He made sure we all understood what to do and guided us through the process without being overbearing. We were able to take in the gorgeous sites and just enjoy our time without having to worry about a thing! The only reason I'm giving 4 stars instead of 5 is that the communication leading up to this event was a little rough. We had to reschedule a few times, due to storms and a couple in our party getting sick, and texts/calls were not answered in a timely manner. There was also some confusion about where to meet and what time and such. However, that did not derail the actual experience, which was lovely. I would recommend, just be aware that your communication attempts may go unanswered for a while.

Communication was superior when setting up the reservations and the day as it progressed…read more A very friendly and knowledgeable staff. They chose horses according to your abilities and acquainted you with them before riding. It was a scenic ride thru Green Swamp Wilderness and was enjoyed by all riders. We definitely would go again!!

My daughter has been to several WCM summer and winter camps and recently started regular lessons…read moreand participated in her first show, and we absolutely love it. The trainers are so knowledgeable, patient, and supportive, always putting safety first, but also get my daughter out of her comfort zone which has done so much for her confidence. Highly recommend!

West Coast Morgans is a great place for all things horse related! Riding, driving, camp, horse…read moreshows! The staff is outstanding, knowledgeable, relatable and fun to be around! The barn family at West Coast is supportive and tons of fun to hang out with at horse shows! You can't go wrong riding at West Coast Morgans !!

Purchased a gift card last year and have not been able to get in contact with them to schedule!…read moreMultiple voicemails and emails. Website has said the same thing for 5 months now. There is no update on their fb page either. They essentially stole my money!