Watched July 3rd, 2026 fireworks here at Nathan Benderson Park. We parked by Foxtail Coffee for…read morefree, and walked over. They also had fees to park in parking lots starting at $30, but you still had to walk. The walk wasn't bad at all and luckily the rain finished and it wasn't as hot. We stayed at the part of the park before the bridge. It was a nice set up with a walking trail, grass, a few picnic tables, inside restrooms and a playground. Two or three food trucks. The other side of the park had more stuff along with the VIP area. Liked this side of the park since we could comfortably place our chairs down in the grass and be close enough to the bathrooms. The music was streamed from the other side. I didn't like it because it was orchestra and classical music the whole time. The fireworks were ok and you saw it on the distance not too far. But the music made it sleepy for me. This is just my reminder for next year. At least we had good parking, weather, seats, & clean restrooms. Line for them wasn't too bad.

its a lovely place to walk, although it needs better, more clear signage for its mile markers. It…read moreis 3.4 miles around the lake. But you dont know where the starting and ending points are. Shame there isnt more shade around the park. In hot days there is no escape from the sun.

This is a small county park (about 50 acres) that wasn't here the last time I visited Sarasota.  To…read moreme, its lake is the focal point, with its deck overlooking the water -- a nice place to relax.  The also a trail in the woods with exercise stations, as well as a pavilion with picnic tables.  I haven't seen it on a weekend, but weekday mornings in January are rather quiet and peaceful.

Went to Waterside Place in Lakewood Ranch and it is such a cute spot to walk around. There is a…read moregreat mix of shopping and restaurants, and everything is right on the water, which makes it even better. It is a very cool place to hang out and just take your time. We went over Christmas and it was decorated so cute, which made it even more special. The water views are beautiful, the area is very clean, and the overall vibe is just really nice. I cannot wait to go back and check out more of the businesses there. Such a cool spot.

It's so dreamy every time I visit Waterside Place at Lakewood Ranch…read more I visited today most recently for their Sunday farmers market which goes from 9-2pm. Lots of vendors, families, and very dog friendly. Waterside Place has something for everyone. Here's a list of some types of their businesses off the top of my head: Forked: Breakfast Brunch Quincy's Lobster Roll - coming soon Osteria 500 - Italian Duck donuts Brewery Coffee shop Seafood restaurant Kore - Korean steakhouse Boutiques Kilwin's ice cream IV Spa Barber shop Hair salon Italian market coming soon This is just some of what I remember In addition, there is a spot for entertainment, lots of cushy areas to sit down, playground area, walking path, and very dog friendly Around it are apartments and villas in the area and it's in the middle of the Lakeshore Ranch home developments It's a great area to visit with lots of areas to park and a great place to hang out for friends and family. Will definitely keep on coming back to see all they have to offer!

So the park itself in size is about two laps worth or 800 meters. I didn't like that the bathrooms…read morewere locked or the graffiti on the tree. Overall the walk was okay though I did see others walking there dogs there. Not the best park but not the worst park either.

Never heard of this place. Met some friends who have been here several times…read more Definitely a hidden gem. See the photos for its history, etc, but there are cute cabins to rent , an outpost ( food, drinks, souvenirs and bait sold; I had a root beer float); nightly entertainment, and plenty of chairs for relaxing. Saw a few carloads of ? College aged kids parking and getting ready for some early evening fishing. Just a fun and relaxing place to visit.

What a hidden gem! Absolutely loved this place. Found it on here looking for a sweet spot to take…read moreour son fishing. Hit the jackpot with a full restaurant and live music and natures beauty with a gorgeous sunset! Highly recommend

Pleasant Lake RV Resort is on SR-70 in the Lakewood Ranch area. It isn't far off I-75 but once you…read moreenter off the street, it feels like you are away from it all. But there are great stores and restaurants nearby for convenience. We stayed here 5 days September. We were in the pull-thrus right across from the lake. The lake is pretty with many water birds. They allow catch and release fishing and kayaking. There is a sign that there may be alligators but we didn't see any. The site was long enough for our 32 ft travel trailer and pickup to be in. We had full hookups that were in good condition. There was a picnic table and grass on the door side and a beautiful palm tree on the driver's side. It was a nice area to put chairs and enjoy the lake or there were benches to sit and relax. There was a pool and other amenities that we did not try but looked nice. It will be fun going back when I can use these things! Office staff was friendly and helpful. They take Passport America at least in summer. I definitely recommend Pleasant Lake RV Resort!! Stayed Sept. 6-11, 2021 12/6/21; 18 photos

We totally enjoyed this beautiful park. We got great service from staff at the desk and very…read morepleasant, we also found the residents very nice and friendly as well. Had socially distanced activities and most everyone using masks. Such a pretty resort and had only bikes for transportation and close to stores, restaurants and CVS. A lot of people said they start with RV's and soon look for mobile homes as permanent residents. Will love to return! Great having the fruit and veg truck deliver on Fridays.

Went to a donation based event in the park to see Christmas lights. Great way to see Santa and the…read moreGrinch for a reasonable amount of money (or free). It's been hard to find pictures with Santa for a reasonable amount in the area and now I know to come back here next year! Only thing I struggled with was walking to the entrance after I parked. Bring a flashlight!

Wonderful local park - great for a short hike, an educational trip regarding native plants or a…read moreplace to sit quietly and enjoy nature.

This is a wonderful space just off the highway. There are nice sidewalks and a couple of nature…read moretrails to walk and run. There are two separate parking lots to access different sections of the park to start your workout or walk. It's a very cozy and charming place to walk and I will return.

All the kids love this place. There are things to climb on, make yourself dizzy with, and a zip…read moreline swing. A family I babysit for from out of town asked for park recommendations. This was on top of my list of recs. They loved it. The pics I was sent had the baby with pure joy all over her face. This was also my recommendation for the child's summer camp to take the kids. It was great for all the kids, they went three times last summer. 03.02.25

This is a cool oversized neighborhood park with a good climbing area, swings, walking path, pond…read morewith water fowl, and a strange path of busts of "independence" fighters like our countries own Thomas Jefferson who apart from working lots of slaves on his properties was surely a real humanitarian.

Has quickly become my favorite local park. Excellent neighborhood park. Very clean and looks well…read morecared for. Paved walking path throughout park. Both tennis and pickle courts. Large playground for younger kids. Exercise stations throughout park. Plenty of benches and a picnic area. Street parking. Dog friendly. Lots of waterfowl who tend to ignore pooches as long as the pooches ignore them. But don't act like you are going to feed them, you will draw a crowd! LOL The park is very well laid out with lots of natural flora and water. The old growth trees add a feeling of permanence. There is also a memorial garden with several busts of historically important individuals to the area. I love the diversity of the busts but was disappointed to not see any women represented. Either way its a charming spot. Another major plus for me is the noise level, or should I say lack of noise. This is definitely a peaceful park. No music blasting, no yelling (other than the occasional groan from the pickle courts or joyful shriek from the playground). There's even a dedicated dog park right across the street and you don't really even hear much noise from them either. It's very reflective of the neighborhood which seems to be a very peaceful, almost bohemian sort of vibe. My dog Chico and I enjoy our time there!

We did the 10 p.m. bioluminescence clear kayak tour, and OMG... I loved it so much! The first time…read moreI ever saw bioluminescence was in Puerto Rico back in 2018, and it's still one of the most beautiful nighttime experiences I've ever had--right up there with seeing the Northern Lights. There's just something so magical about watching the water glow around you. We drove about 50 minutes from Orlando to Merritt Island for the tour, where we launched from the Indian River Lagoon, and it was absolutely worth it. This is one of those experiences that's really hit or miss, so keep in mind that the amount of bioluminescence you see isn't something the tour company can control. We got lucky because there was so much activity that night! We actually didn't kayak very far since the bioluminescence was so active right near the shoreline. We spent most of our time enjoying it from that area because there was no need to go much farther. Also, don't expect your phone camera to do it justice. It's incredibly hard to capture on camera, and it's so much more breathtaking in person. I highly recommend this experience to everyone, and I already can't wait to do it again!

I saw the picture that showed one of their other locations so I was disappointed with this paddling…read moretrip. It wasn't very epic and would hardly count as an adventure. The person who helped us was friendly and the prices were reasonable. We had a good time. The scenery was OK.