Throughout the gorgeous cities of Pinellas County in Florida you will find tranquil parks that are nature preserves and a place to gather and relax at the end of the day. Many feature fun children’s playgrounds, boat ramps or lakefront settings, and have picnic pavilions for hosting a party or family gathering. Here’s a sampling of our favorites:

Seminole Park in the city of Seminole sits on a gorgeous lake that people enjoy water skiing, or just sitting by the water and having a picnic. It’s a great location for a party and has many trails throughout the park to observe wildlife, walk or rollerblade in a peaceful setting. Also, in the city of Seminole you will find a playground at the Seminole Recreation Center that is covered so you can have shade year round. With equipment that will suit children of many ages, this is a great place to beat the heat in the summer!

Just around the corner in Largo is the Largo Central Park. This Park has a large open space that is perfect for flying a kite, letting a toddler run around, and is often used for hosting city events such as movies, art and food festivals and touch-a-truck events. There is a fenced in playground that has three separate climbing structures, and is handicap accessible. Lastly, they have a train that goes throughout the park and is available the first of every month to the public. You can also reserve it for a private party which is fun for a child’s birthday or company event.

In northern Pinellas County you will find great parks in Dunedin, Clearwater and Palm Harbor. Edgewater Park located at the end of Main Street in Dunedin is set next to the marina and can be a fun place to see the sailboats go out for the day. There is a gazebo and large area where festivals and city events are often held. The playground here is shaped like a pirate ship and is fun for kids to slide, swing or run and play.

Philippe Park in Safety Harbor is shaded with large oak trees and is set right on the water. You can host a gathering in one of their pavilions with a waterfront setting, let the children play in the playground and still stay cool in the summer because of the breeze off the water and the shade overhead. In Florida this park is top notch!

Lastly, Anderson Park off US Highway 19 and John Chesnut Sr. Park off East Lake Road in Palm Harbor are both set off of Lake Tarpon and have boat ramps to access this water. You can boat, fish or canoe here year round. The parks have picnic pavilions as well and great children’s playgrounds, baseball fields, and trails for walking your dogs, a quiet bike ride or a morning stroll. John Chesnut Sr. Park also has a large dog park for letting your favorite pet run and play with other animals as well! Make it a day for your entire family!

On the southern end of the county you will find St. Petersburg. A great park in this area is the Bay Pines Veterans Park. Located on the water it is a great location and has everything you could want to make a children’s birthday party, baby shower or company event perfect. There are large running areas for playing games, children’s playgrounds and covered sitting areas to eat and visit with friends.

The parks of Pinellas County are numerous, well cared for, and some of the best places to visit. Take your family on a cool day and hunt for bugs, see animals in their natural surroundings, or just take the family dog out for a stroll. You won’t be disappointed!

Yellowtail snappers are found in the tropical and subtropical regions of all the oceans.

One of the most popular and best eating of the snapper species, the yellowtail snapper ranges as far north as the Treasure Coast but are in their greatest abundance in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys. During days around the full moon, you will probably have excellent catches of the mutton snappers.

Yellowtail snapper is one of the best eating fish in the entire tropical roster of fish only eclipsed by the pricey yellowfin tuna steaks. The small size of the fish adds only to its succulent taste.

Typical catches of yellowtail range from the 10-12 lb size. This fish is so versatile that it can be cooked in any number of ways with any number of sauces & still come out superbly delicious.

Yellowtails are characterized by its yellow mid body stripe that extends into its yellow tail, the sleek and abundant yellowtail snapper swims in loose groups well off the bottom. There is a 12-inch minimum size limit and 10 snapper aggregate bag limit. June will be a good time, weather permitting, for night offshore fishing for mangrove, lane and yellowtail snapper.

Bait for Yellowtail Snappers – Weighted live bait will produce grouper & mutton snapper sometimes following in the chum slick. Depending on the time of year you might also catch Kingfish and Cero Mackerel. Use Live Ballyhoo whenever possible.

When yellowtails pull drag on 20 pound spin tackle, you know you have a good yellowtail on. Cut pieces of squid, small pilchards and even live shrimp are productive baits for yellowtail snapper. Sardines, silverside and glass minnows will also work well.

You’ll also need frozen chum to put in bags to chum up the water behind the boat. Chum up the water heavy at first. When you start to get a good bite of yellowtail, ease off on the chum so that they will feed on the bait of your hook.

Sandball for Yellowtails & Flat Lining – Filet your ballyhoo & squid & then cut them into strips. Then mix your chum & sand for sandballs – 60% sand & 40% chum. Make sure your chum is oily. Always add the chum to the sand. Mix chum until there are no dry areas. Mixing some oats into the sand/chum will help you catch more yellowtail.

Put the hooked ballyhoo bait into the middle of a sandball. Wrap your line around the sandball & then throw your bait out into the chum slick. Let the line feed out as the current goes until you feel the fish strike the line & pull on your bait.

Fishing Tackle – Use the smallest hooks, 1/0 or smaller, you can find & small conventional reels. Shimano 10 lb spinners for fighting those yellowtail, so everyone gets to enjoy the challenge. We also recommend bright colored jigs to attract the fish.

12- 15 lb test is the best for these fish. Use a pink line so that the fish cannot see the line in the water. A #4 hook up to a 1/0 and a 1/8 oz weight will be best on your rig for flat lining or sandballing.

Finding Yellowtail – Look for a sharp drop off on the edge of the reef. This is where you will find small stacks of fish & plenty of bottom life to support the bait fish. Your Loran or GPS will tell you where the best drop offs are.

When you imagine hiking trips, you think of the Smokey Mountains and the Appalachian Trail. There are many unknown destinations that give you a different and sometimes better experience than you ever imagined. Florida has many different kinds of terrain to offer to hikers of all accomplishments. It does not take a mountain trail to create a great a great trip. Florida has a tropical edge that is not recreated anywhere else in the US.

Florida has an excellent trail system that runs the whole length of the state. South Florida boasts and area called Big Cyprus that has been made famous by local photographer Clyde Butcher. The South Florida Everglades offer a complex system of lakes and marshes that offer all kinds of different experiences. Hike alongside lakes with beautiful palmetto and pine trees. You can even take an excursion on an airboat that skims along the water powered by an engine with an airplane propeller.

photo credit: active.com

You can head north via trails that head on the east and west coasts of the state. The west coast features warm, lush forests and sandy beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Along the east coast you will find huge beaches and cooler climates that are fed by the Atlantic Ocean. You will be able to see the environment change drastically as you hit the middle of the state. Pine trees start to mingle with oaks and maples. There is also the start of some elevation changes as you move inland.

Reaching Northern Florida brings you to a fork where you will need to decide if you would like to go east or west. This is a larger decision than near the beginning in South Florida because as you work North from that point the east and west trail meet a couple times. Up here, the eastern route will lead you to Jacksonville and north where there are beautiful islands to explore along the Atlantic Ocean. Hiking east will bring you along the panhandle of Florida towards Alabama along the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida also has a very diverse ecosystem where you may see alligators in South Florida and then see deer in central and North Florida. There is also nothing like camping on a desolate beach and waking up to the surf in the morning. Florida is truly a fantastically unique hiking experience.

One thing most residents and visitors enjoy about Valrico, FL is the gorgeous weather. They can enjoy all of their favorite outdoor activities year round.

While there are always going to be the occasional rainy day, the weather here is sunny and gorgeous year round. There are many great golf courses nearby in Brandon, Tampa or surrounding cities. You have wonderful choices of great championship courses that challenge even the most seasoned golfer.

Water sports are always popular for all Florida residents. Fishing, boating, canoeing and water skiing are just a few of the fun ways to spend a day basking in the sunshine. There are great local beaches nearby on the Gulf of Mexico, lakes and rivers that residents and visitors can enjoy that are close to home. Play in the sand, pack a picnic, or go for a swim – the water is usually warm!

If you see a theme park adventure in your future, Valrico is in the center of many great ones. Nearby Tampa has great ways to spend a day offering you Busch Gardens, Adventure Island water park, The Lowry Park Zoo and The Florida Aquarium. And with just over an hour’s drive you can make it to Orlando and visit Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World. With over 6 separate theme parks and many other adventures, Walt Disney World has set the standard for all other vacation destinations.

Avid shoppers will love Valrico. It is in the center of many great shopping venues. Tampa offers The International and Westshore Malls, while Brandon has many strip malls and Brandon Town Centre.

If you love outlet shopping you can drive a short distance to Ellenton and spend the day walking from store to store exploring the great savings and finds these shops have. And don’t forget Orlando. While it is a longer distance of over an hour, there are many great malls, outlet stores and shopping centers here.

No matter how you spend your day, your evening will be a delight too. Nearby Tampa has a wonderful arts center where you can see theatrical plays and musical numbers. If you prefer something low key, stop by Channelside or Ybor City for a drink and live entertainment. You can often sit outside the bars of Channelside and listen to bands playing live music while you enjoy your favorite drink or dinner.

What ever you like to do, Valrico has it! It’s a great city that is near many larger areas which offer the best of everything. You can see small time life here, with big city benefits.

photo credit: http://www.floridatikihuts.com