I was actually surprised at the trails here. At first glance you don't see them and then there they…read moreare hidden from the parking area and fishing "lakes". Pretty trails which wind around more water area and under canopies of trees. Unfortunately there is trash lying around and some of the people I encountered seemed to not be there for nature, so that's why I only rated it three stars. Signs are almost unreadable and area doesn't seem to be taken care of. I will go back as I didn't get to explore the whole length of the trails. I advise being aware of your surroundings out here. Also enjoy nature and the beauty this park has to offer

Worked at Saddle Creek in Lakeland, Florida in Building 18…read more Here is my experience: 1. Arrived at building 18 and made contact with Kathy in dispatch. Kathy instructed me to wait on another driver who could train me on a CNG tractor. 2. Waited for 2 hours in the breakroom. Finally introduced to Omar (CNG trainer) who showed me how to operate CNG. Kathy then assigned a truck to me which was not CNG but regular tractor day cab. (wasted almost 2 hours). 3. Assigned a trailer and handed the BOL by Kathy. On pre trip of assigned trailer, found license plate light was out. Informed kathy of defect and was instructed to repair the light at the shop. 4 At repair shop, light was fixed and finally dispatched at around 12:30 noon. Had been in touch with kathy and ELD logs documenting this defective light and the late dispatch. Receiving: Arrived at 1st receiver (Ft. Lauderdale). Discovered that the trailer was loaded incorrectly by Saddle Creek warehouse. Had to physically remove all packages from the trailer to get the 1st stop's load. Then had to reload the trailer to head to the second stop (West Palm Beach). Received numerous calls from Kathy in dispatch asking about my ETA to Palm Beach. Notified her and dispatch that the unloading took a lot of time and DOT hours were dwindling. Made it to the 2nd stop with an irate and rude warehouse manager. Asked me "what my The problem was" because I was late. Explained about the trailer error but didn't care. Notified dispatch( Kathy and Scott) that manager was rude and in my face. Leaving 2nd stop, notified Scott in dispatch that DOT hours were running out. (had to make it back from Palm Beach to Lakeland in 3 hours). This was not happening. Was instructed by Scott to take the 16 hour exception and proceed. Asked specifically about other options but received 0 feedback from Scott. Arrived back at Saddle creek building 18 and violated DOT driving rule (had to drive 1 hour illegally) Next Day Summary of Events Report was sent by both Scott and Kathy in dispatch to warehouse supervisor Chris Sands of the following: 1. Driver (me) dispatched late (completely ignoring the license plate light issue-item 3 above) 2. Driver took tractor to shop without authorization (was approved and instructed by Kathy to take the truck to the shop (item 3 above) 3. Driver took to long to unload (completely ignoring that the trailer was loaded incorrectly from warehouse) 4. Driver violated DOT driving hours: Scott stated to Chris Sands that he "told me, the driver, that if I run out of DOT time, to call him. This was false and Scott never mentioned those words to me. I do however take full responsibility for the illegal dot driving. In Summary I have found that the two personnel, Kathy and Scott (who was in direct contact with me during the entire load) reported false and inaccurate statements to management to either mitigate risk from the operations standpoint or to shift blame more on the driver. Met with Chris Sands (manager at building 18) in person and had a good meeting. Chris was attentive, direct, and a good listener. his major issue was with the illegal drive time (which is completely understood). Had no other comments or feedback when I explained that his dispatch team (kathy and Scott) falsified and accurately described the load events and details.

We drove all the way to Circle B find it closed. No mention of it on their website so we…read morestumbled upon Holloway as we wanted to go for a nature walk. The map shows lots of trails, and it looked like the paths had been freshly mowed. We walked for awhile, but honestly it was boring. There wasn't anything to see so we turned around and went home. Maybe we missed something, I don't know, but when you have your heart set on Circle B and it doesn't happen, most places will fall short.

Went to Holloway Park to check out the disk golf course. Its has some difficulty in that it's very…read moreeasy to lose your disks in the brush if you dont have proper aim (like me...lol) but it has a great sequence to the baskets and well kept mowed paths. There are also hiking and jogging trails and pets are allowed on leash. There is 1 portable restroom on site and plenty of parking. Overall, it's a beautiful little park with a nice disk golf course but I recommend you protect yourself and bring some mosquito repellent or you will get eaten up out there.

Munn Park is located in the Munn Park Historic District, a designated U.S. historic district in…read moreLakeland, Florida. It is named in honor of the city's founder, Louisville, Kentucky businessman Abraham Munn. Munn purchased 80 acres of land that now comprises the Lakeland downtown business district. Munn Park was the first open space in the city. It was dedicated in 1884, as a town square. In 1889 the park was developed with sidewalks, a bandstand, and a well. Lakeland's first train station was located at the park's northern border. Early in the 20th century the park served as an outdoor meeting place. In 1910 the Daughters of the Confederacy erected a monument dedicated to those who died in the Civil War. Later ponds and gardens were added. In 1961, angular pattern walkways replaced the circle and a gazebo and fountain were added. In 1989 the park was redesigned to go back to the more simple town square design. The Confederate monument was removed in 2019. Today Munn Park is a great place to relax in downtown Lakeland. Surrounding the park are historic buildings, restaurants, bars, and businesses. I enjoyed sitting on a bench as the hustle and bustle of the city went on around me. At night the trees are lit with meteor shower lights. One of my favorite sculptures, Live Large by Keith Williams has found a permanent home in the park. During the holiday season the city decorates the park with lights and a Christmas tree and the park is used for pop events, food trucks, and farmers markets throughout the year. Future plans for Munn Park call for a shade pavilion at the north end of the park, restroom, swan themed splash pad, dog park, open lawn, gardens, and children's play area. The City of Lakeland has approved the new design but the city has been working on securing funding and plans for the new park have been moving forward slowly.

A perfect little park full of Xmas Spirit. This park is located in the middle of downtown Lakeland…read more Downtown Lakeland is a quaint perfect area full of restaurants, sidewalk cafes, and some cute shops to stroll! It was also a perfect spot for many to be in the middle of the Lakeland Xmas Parade action. The Xmas lights spread cheer and happiness and Munn Park is a great place to bring the family for some fun free Xmas fun and take sparkling festive holiday pics!

Just off US 98 and not far from the ramp to I-4, Booker T. Washington Park is across from the…read moreLakeland Regional Health Medical Center. This neighborhood park is just one square block with street parking available on all four sides. The park has a small playground, a half-court basketball court and a picnic shelter with paved concrete paths that crisscross the park. The playground set is modern and appears in excellent condition with some climbing and slides for the kids, plus a couple of benches where the adults can sit and supervise. There was no litter today and it was a nice spot for a brief rest before starting back into the Lakeland traffic. [Review 16810 overall - 1534 in Florida - 323 of 2022.]

Lake Wailes Park takes it's name from Lake Wailes on whose shore it lies. The land that makes up…read moreLake Wales was first surveyed in 1879 by Sidney Irving Wailes. He changed the name of Watts Lake to Lake Wailes after himself. The city of Lake Wales was established near the lake in 1911-12 by the Lake Wales Land Company. The spelling Wales was used for the city, although the lake is still spelled Lake Wailes. The park is visually stunning. Under old oak trees dripping in Spanish moss sit picnic tables. On the north side of the lake is a boat ramp. There is a fishing pier on the west side of the lake with an observation gazebo that offers a beautiful view of the lake. The 2.5 mile Lake Wailes Trail, a lighted and paved hike/bike path winds through the park for exercise enthusiasts. It leads around the lake from the south side to Kiwanis Park on the northeast corner at N. Lake Shore Blvd. and Cephia St. It should be noted that there are no restrooms in the park. This passive park that is perfect for a stroll or a picnic lunch. It is also a great place for bird watchers. Migrating song birds can be spotted in the trees in spring and fall. Around the edge of the lake are Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds. On the shore are Least Bitterns, White Ibises, Anhingas, Florida Sandhill Cranes and winter ducks. Common Loons inhabit the area in winter. The stately trees add to the old Florida look of the area and it easy to see why Mr. Wailes fell in love with the lake and view.

Lake Wailes Park is a peaceful and older park with picnic areas and a 2.5 mile hike along the lake…read more It also has a pier, boat ramp, basketball court, play ground, soccer field and more. It is open from 7am to 7 pm daily and is dog friendly. During my visit there was a large festival going on with lots of family fun activities.

Dead River Park includes a 2 mile trail. The area is available hikers and bicyclers and also…read moreprovides for fishing, camping, and canoeing (after a portage from parking area). The trail is two miles long and runs along the Hillsborough River. The park is part of the Lower Hillsborough Wilderness Preserve. Camping is available for a fee and there is a picnic area. See the Southwest Florida Water Management District website for more information: https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/lh-dead_river_park.html

You can't miss this spot when you come to Lakeland. Apparently Queen Elizabeth donated two mute…read moreswans and now the rest is history. It's so peaceful around the lake and a pleasure to commune with nature.

This scenic 40 acre lake is named for John P. Morton who used to own land around the lake. Morton…read morewas the brother-in-law to Lakeland founder, Abraham G. Munn. Both business men came to Florida from Kentucky and Morton was a wealthy publisher. His company, John P. Morton and Co., was one of the largest book publishers in the South, specializing in textbooks and blank books. Morton died just a few years after Lakeland's official founding in 1885. He passed away in 1889 at the age 82 in Louisville but his prolific publishing house continued operation until 1943. Surrounding Lake Morton is a passive park area with benches and picnic tables. Bordering Lake Morton is the South and East Lake Morton Historic District Neighborhoods. Development of these neighborhoods began around 1906 with most of the bungalow and Mediterranean styles houses built during the Florida Boom between 1920 and 1926. In 1926 the City of Lakeland had 20 swans. They became a beloved part of the city and a Swan Department was even created to tend to the birds. By 1954 the last swan passed away leaving Lakeland very sad. Mrs. Robert Pickhardt, a Lakeland native living in England was familiar with the royal flock of swans on the Thames which were descended from the original pair given to Richard, the lion heart. She inquired about purchasing a pair for Lakeland and Queen Elizabeth offered to send swans if the city would pay the cost of capture, crating, and shipping at an estimated $300. The city was able to raise the money and the pair of White Mute Swans from England were released on Lake Morton on February 9, 1957. The swans became treasured celebrities and are the mascot and symbol of the city. The swan is in the city's logo, and in the names of businesses, neighborhoods, streets, and events. The best place to see the black and white swans of Lakeland along with other birds like anhinga, ducks, wood storks, egrets, herons, ibis, and pelicans is on Lake Morton. I loved watching the beautiful swans glide through the water along with all of the other birds on the lake. The only other place I can think of where there are swans like this is on Lake Eola in Orlando. Lake Morton is also home to the Mayfaire by-the-Lake, an art festival which takes place on Mother's Day weekend each year along the shores of the lake. It typically features more than 140 artist booths and is one of the oldest and largest art festivals in Central Florida.

South Lake Howard Nature Park is the perfect place to enjoy a walk. The 17.6 acre area was…read moreoriginally developed to treat stormwater. Stormwater parks help the environment by capturing and retaining stormwater runoff which prevents flooding in the surrounding areas. It cleanses and stores stormwater to recharge the aquifer. The pond plants removes pollutants from the water leaving it clean. Left untreated stormwater leads to algal blooms, muck deposits, fish kills, and other environmental problems. These ponds also attract a variety of wildlife including Florida's beautiful wading birds, alligators and turtles while providing a recreation area for the public. The South Lake Howard Nature Park opened in 2001 and contains stormwater ponds and infrastructure to help clean and filter the stormwater water from the sucrose's and neighborhoods before it enters Lake Howard. At the entrance to the park is a parking lot, picnic pavilions with tables, and restrooms. The first part of the trail into the park is a 1,000 foot boardwalk that takes you over the water. Further into the park are three paved loops measuring a quarter mile, half mile, and mile. At one point you have to cross over 21st West. The paved pathways make it easy for people of all exercise abilities to enjoy the park. As wonderful as the park is, there is even more to come. The city purchased an adjoining property which was the former home of WSIR Radio. They plan on adding more trails, boardwalks, kayak launch, play area, disc golf, an outdoor classroom and other amenities. Keep an eye out for the exciting new developments at South Lake Howard Nature Park.