Fossil Park

Fossil Park is really close to our house. I decided that the closer parks should be left until the end of our quest just because it would be easier to pop by them, so Fossil is about 2 miles from my house at the most. It is likely the most active park and community complex in the greater Pinellas area. There are SO many things going on there all of the time. The Wilis S. Johns Community Center offers classes from toddler ballet to English as a Second Language to Doggie Boot Camp. There is also a community pool which offers swim classes during the summer months, plus lots of recreational hours for neighborhood kids.

As a high school student, 20 years ago, this park was the place to pick up a game of basketball and clearly that is still the case.

The converted a large section into a free fenced off skate park that always has someone improving their latest moves.

They have recently upgraded the playgrounds. There was once 2 wooden playgrounds one designated for kids 2-5 and the other 5-12, however in the renovation process what they did was take done the dilapidated wooden structures and place a small playground in the front of the near the community center and more importantly near the baseball/softball fields. This community center has a very active and robust little league program and I imagine that younger siblings needed a place to play while games were going on, so the move makes sense.

In what is the back of the park they assembled a new beautiful playground that is covered by natural shade and surrounded by many picnic tables. Somehow this park still manages to have green space for kids to run. The park is large has a dirt trail and small lake with ducks to feed. These ducks are less in number and are less aggressive then at other parks in the area.

It is an easy park to get to for us but admittedly we don't go often. We usually chose Crescent Lake instead and as I think about it may be that busyness of this park that tends to turn me off. Also the park is right off of a very busy street and to get to the other side where the new more secluded playground is you have to go into a neighbor and park on the street, which on one hand doesn't seem that off putting but for some reason it is a slight deterrent. One thing is true, Fossil is an big part of the community and many other families have found it to be the heart of their neighborhood.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone