Lake Clarke Shores is a small residential town in Palm Beach County. It was founded by John Newton…read moreClarke who arrived in Lake Worth in 1889. He worked various jobs before establishing a homestead and fishing camp. Lake Clarke bears his name. The land was developed into a town when West Palm Beach attorney William Travers purchased land that became exposed when the waters of Lake Clarke fell. He developed the land and sold lots and by 1956 there were 150 registered voters living in the area. The town was fearful of being annexed into West Palm Beach so in 1957 they voted to incorporate themselves as the town of Lake Clarke Shores. Memorial Park was created with public land at the head of Lake Clarke. Walter Travers deeded the land to the town in exchange for issuing a permit for his water company. For years it remained an unnamed area although some people referred to it as Travers Park. When Paul H. Cline became Lake Clarke Shores first casualty in Vietnam on February 6, 1968, the council decided to name it Memorial Park to honor Paul and anyone else who would pass away during war time. Another young man who lost his life is also honored here. Scott Alan Powell was only thirteen when he was struck and killed by a car as he bicycled along Pine Tree Lane while delivering newspapers. Donations from residents provided the plaque in Memorial Park for Scott. Memorial Park has benches and picnic tables so you can sit and take in the view of Lake Clarke. It also is the site of the town Christmas tree. The memorial plaques are by the fountain. A few steps away from Memorial Park is Pine Tree Park that has a heart course. I have driven by this park so many times. I am glad I finally stopped in today for a few minutes to take in the peaceful vibe and calming water view.

Lake Clarke Shores is a small residential town in Palm Beach County. It was founded by John Newton…read moreClarke who arrived in Lake Worth in 1889. He worked various jobs before establishing a homestead and fishing camp. Lake Clarke bears his name. The land was developed into a town when West Palm Beach attorney William Travers purchased land that became exposed when the waters of Lake Clarke fell. He developed the land and sold lots and by 1956 there were 150 registered voters living in the area. The town was fearful of being annexed into West Palm Beach so in 1957 they voted to incorporate themselves as the town of Lake Clarke Shores. Pine Tree Park is one of five parks in Lake Clarke Shores. You can find it directly across from Memorial Park at the head of Lake Clarke. In 1978, the Town purchased the old Town Hall and Water Company site on Pine Tree Lane. The building there was razed despite requests by both Garden Clubs to use it as their headquarters. Today, the Town has developed the area as Pine Tree Park and built a heart trail with a landscaped 1/8 mile walking path and 5 exercise stations. There are also picnic tables and open space for play. Improvements may soon be coming to Pine Tree Park. In September the town met to discuss a $200,000 grant application for the Florida Recreation Development Assistance Program to help finance improvements at Pine Tree Park.

Lake Clarke Shores is a small residential town in Palm Beach County. It was founded by John Newton…read moreClarke who arrived in Lake Worth in 1889. He worked various jobs before establishing a homestead and fishing camp. Lake Clarke bears his name. The land was developed into a town when West Palm Beach attorney William Travers purchased land that became exposed when the waters of Lake Clarke fell. He developed the land and sold lots and by 1956 there were 150 registered voters living in the area. The town was fearful of being annexed into West Palm Beach so in 1957 they voted to incorporate themselves as the town of Lake Clarke Shore. Community Park is one of five parks in Lake Clarke Shores. This well maintained park has something for all ages to enjoy. There are two pickleball courts, 2-5 year old tot lot playground, 5-11 year old playground, benches, outdoor fitness equipment, a multipurpose field, picnic pavilions, and a restroom. I enjoyed strolling through the park on the 1/4 mile walking trail. Community Park reaffirms Lake Clarke Shores commitment to providing inviting outdoor spaces for recreation. This park represents the town's small-town, family-friendly atmosphere.

Oswego Oaks Neighborhood Park is a community success story. This 3-acre parcel on the southwest…read morecorner of Oswego Avenue and Seminole Boulevard was owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency. It is located across from the Westgate Recreation Center. For years, it was used for illegal dumping and loitering. Construction of Oswego Oaks Neighborhood Park was completed in late 2019, transforming what was once an eyesore into a community asset. The development of the park is part of the L-2 Canal Greenway Project outlined in the CRA's Community Redevelopment Plan. The plan called for the creation of a linear park with connections to other public spaces and amenities. Today, the park features an event pavilion and performance area, winding pathways shaded by mature oak trees, seating areas, a food truck zone, and enhanced landscaping. A sign within the park also provides information about CRA programs and projects. The park renovations have attracted visitors who come to enjoy outdoor yoga. During one visit, I rescued a turtle from the nearby roadway and safely returned it to the canal. I appreciate how the CRA transformed a once blighted area into a valuable resource for the community.

Tortuga Trail is a beautiful scrub preserve located on the campus of Florida Atlantic University,…read morewith a surprisingly rich history. Before World War II, this area was part of the vast South Florida scrubland. In 1942, it became the Boca Raton Army Air Field, where over 100,000 soldiers trained for combat. The Army constructed more than 800 buildings and four runways, and planes from across the country flew here to have radar installed. This development reduced the native scrub habitat to a small "island" between runways, which was regularly cleared. When FAU opened in 1964, part of the former base became a regional airport. The remaining conservation area continued to be mowed until the 1970s, when a determined botanist began restoring it to its natural state. In 1971, the National Audubon Society designated the preserve as an owl sanctuary--and impressively, it has continued to thrive even as the university has expanded. Originally over 100 acres, the preserve has gradually shrunk to about 90 acres due to campus development, including the stadium, parking lots, and student housing. Still, it remains a vital pocket of native Florida scrub habitat. Running through the preserve is the two-mile Tortuga Trail, an interpretive nature path built and maintained by FAU's S.E.E.D.S. club (Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity, and Sustainability). The green trail begins at the parking area and connects to the blue and red loops; the red trail leads to Parking Lot 5 behind the stadium. Along the trail, you might spot threatened gopher tortoise and burrowing owl--the university's mascot. The plant life includes sabal (cabbage) palm (Florida's state tree), saw palmetto, slash and sand pine, live and dwarf oak, rusty lyonia, and even the fragrant tarflower. Notably, the rare Toothed Rein Orchid was discovered here in 2016. I didn't spot any owls or tortoises on my visit, but I did enjoy bright yellow prickly pear blooms, wild coffee, lantana, a cute grasshopper, and plenty of buck moth caterpillars covered in spiky (and stinging!) bristles. The trail itself is rustic and easy to follow, marked by green, blue, and red posts. Some sections are in full sun, but much of the path offers shade. Just be mindful of your footing--you may need to step over small fallen branches along the way. It was such a nice surprise to discover this hidden hiking spot. Parking is available at Lot 5 or across from the north entrance.

Heart and Soul Park opened on June 19, 2021 in the Northwest Historic district in West Palm Beach…read more This neighborhood dates back to when Henry Flagler announced plans to extend the Florida East Coast Railway to Southeastern Florida. Blacks from northern Florida, Georgia, and the Bahamas moved to this area for work. When West Palm Beach was incorporated in 1894, it became the oldest municipality in Palm Beach County. During segregation the black community lived and worked here adding their own identity and culture to the city. Heart and Soul Park was designed to pay tribute to the musical history of the Northwest community. The park is next to Sunset Lounge known as the Cotton Club of the South. In the 1940s and 1950s, the Sunset Lounge was one of the premier African-American entertainment venues in the south. Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Louis Armstrong were some of the artists who played here and they are honored next door in the park. The West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency is currently restoring this iconic music and entertainment venue. Heart and Soul Park was built as a continuation of the adjacent award-winning 7th Street Streetscape. The musical themed park includes a musical themed playground and swing set under shades. Along the piano key-themed walkway are history stations, art work, instruments to play, picnic tables, benches, and concrete walls that offer additional seating. The park has also been beautifully landscaped. The city also put new art into the park that pays tribute to the history of the area and to the musical trailblazers that used to play next door at the Sunset Lounge. The recently completed mosaic public art project modeled on vintage posters and record covers was created by Dominican South Florida-based artist Elio Mercado also known as Evoca1. It was designed to celebrate the neighborhood's heritage. Names featured in the art include the original owners of the Sunset Lounge, Dennis and Thelma Starks, Florida's first black woman legislator, Gwen Cherry, the first black doctor in West Palm Beach, Dr. Thomas Leroy Jefferson, black educational pioneer Alice E. Moore, musician Ray Charles, architect Hazel Augustus, jazz pianist Count Basie, and musician James Brown plus many more. There are QR codes on the art so you can learn more about the people represented. One unusual thing I noticed about this park was that it has a full time security guard. This is the first park I have ever been that has its own security. As I was taking pictures I was followed and I started to feel unwelcome. There weren't any signs that said photography was prohibited. Other than that strange interaction I really like how this park combines history and art in a way that children and families in the can enjoy. It is also a great place for the city to stage community events.

This is a very nice park in Royal Palm Beach located in the Crestwood neighborhood of Royal Palm…read moreBeach which is made up of 660 single family homes. Park amenities include a parking lot, picnic pavilions, tables and grills, basketball court, open play space, paved exercise path, and the Bark Dog Park. In the back of the park is a hiking trail into the Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area. The 773 acres of the preserve contain a wet prairie and a pine forest. This natural area is part of the Great Florida Bird and Wildlife Trail and Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Palm Beach county purchased most of the land in 1992 and 1993 and the rest was deeded to them in a mitigation settlement. Unfortunately the trail entrance in the park was flooded due to recent rain but there is another entrance in the back of the Saratoga Pines subdivision.

In 2014 Palm Beach acquired 33 acres of scrub habitat that was once part of the now closed A. G…read more Holley State Hospital property. The hospital was built in 1950 as the Southeast Florida State Sanatorium. It was also known as the Southeast Tuberculosis Hospital. This was the third of four tuberculosis hospitals built in Florida between 1938 and 1952 and was the last of the American sanatoriums dedicated to treating tuberculosis. With the discovery of drugs to treat tuberculosis patients outside of the hospital, patients declined and by 2012, the hospital was abandoned and eventually demolished. The Lantana Scrub Natural Area is ideal for a hike, photography, or wildlife watching. The preserve contains Florida scrub and scrubby flatwoods habitats. The rare scrub habitat was formed on top of sand dunes when the sea level fell. There aren't very many of these communities left because since they were on high land and dry they were the first to be used for commercial development. There is less than 2 percent of the original scrub habitat left in Palm Beach County. Plants that can be found in the preserve include pine and saw palmetto, Florida rosemary, powder-puff lichen, and hog plum. Wildlife that has been recorded here include the threatened gopher tortoise, golden-winged skimmer, eastern phoebe, and swallowed-tailed kite. There are a few parking spots in front of the preserve. The ground is sand and uneven. The loop path is almost a mile around the perimeter. Sadly there was glass and other garbage strewn on the ground. Shame on the people who use a natural preserve as their personal garbage dump. Another negative is that the entire trail is in full sun. There is no shade and after about 5 steps in I was soaked in sweat. I would recommend coming during the winter. Five stars for keeping the area in a natural state but it was so hot today that even the gopher tortoises were staying inside.