Ocala parks are the very essence of life in our town. Our granddaughters were to visit for the weekend and we set out to plan a wonderful adventure for them. In researching our options, we discovered that Ocala is a city of parks. There are more parks per capita in our town than you could imagine. One of the most interesting is Sholom Park, a tranquil escape from city life.
The developer of On Top of the World created Sholom and gifted it to our city. He designed the park as a place to get lost in thought or enjoy a family adventure. Throughout the year it features “Yoga In Nature” events, art shows, concerts, weddings and more. Surprisingly, the park also features a glass wall serving as a display for inspiring quotes from giants of literature, art, music and other fields. Here you will find manicured lawns ideal for tossing a football around, or just reposing on a blanket with your special someone and enjoying the tranquil setting. There is a pond filled with Koi and, as we were soon to discover, smaller, yet more aggressive fish as well.
The park features open fields and forests. Additionally, paved paths weave their way throughout this marvel of nature. Some take you on a circuitous jaunt around the park. Others are mazes that challenge you to find your way out. Ocala residents have contributed the benches dispersed throughout the park as well. Of course, each bench bears a plaque honoring the donor or explaining their reason for giving. We also discovered a small area where there are a few round tables perfect for picnicking with family or friends.
Our Sholom Park adventure began with a visit to the bountiful Koi pond. To be sure, feeding fish is a thrilling experience for youngsters. Therefore, this park features a wooden, roofed feeding platform with dispensers of Koi food pellets. Koi are descended from middle eastern carp bred centuries ago to highlight variegated colors of florescent orange, white and black. If their colors remind you of goldfish, it is because they also are descended from carp and bred for their colors.
The girls placed a quarter in a dispenser and out flowed a handful of pellets. As we looked down from the railing, below us a large school of orange and white fish congregated, anticipating the free meal that was to come. However, the girls were in for a surprise. As they began to toss pellets over the railing, a feeding frenzy ensued. But the Koi were too slow to react. As a result, a school of small, gray fish attacked the pellets as if they had not seen food in some time. The speed and energy with which these fish attacked their treat excited the girls all the more.
As we meandered away from the feeding platform, the children came upon another wonder of nature. Most bodies of fresh water are home to amphibians, and the Koi pond was no exception. Of course, in the spring frogs lay millions of eggs. They soon hatch and launch schools of tadpoles into the waters. As the girls traversed the shoreline of the pond, they discovered thousands of tiny tadpoles darting in and out of small bays, an exciting discovery indeed.
We spent the rest of our visit playing with a colorful inflated rubber ball and took two exhausted little ones back home to dream of their exciting day at the park.
Ocala is a city of parks. Visit them and don’t miss out on this wonderful aspect of the Ocala lifestyle.
Ocala parks are the very essence of life in our town. Our granddaughters were to visit for the weekend and we set out to plan a wonderful adventure for them. In researching our options, we discovered that Ocala is a city of parks. There are more parks per capita in our town than you could … Read more
As we continue to search for reasons Ocala is a great place to call our home, we discover a treasure, Paynes Prairie Preserve. This state park may be the most intriguing and ecologically unique habitat in the State of Florida. Who knew that buffalo are native to our state? A brief history of Paynes Prairie: … Read more
Here is another great reason to make Ocala your home. The Ocala National Forest serves as an area administered by the United States Forest Service. Since they so eloquently describe this national treasure, we have borrowed their words to introduce this magnificent forest to you. This nature reserve proudly wears the Congressional designation National Forest. … Read more