Did you know that July is National Parks and Recreation Month?
Sure, it’s so hot outside that many readers would probably rather celebrate indoors with air conditioning and a constant loop of Parks and Recreation playing on Netflix. That’s not a bad idea at all. But we all benefit from spending some time in the great outdoors, and Plant City is a fine place to do so.
Get the bug spray, sunscreen and allergy medicine ready to go and give these activities a try in July.
(Pokémon) Go to the park
It’s been just over a year since Pokémon Go debuted on smartphones nationwide, giving longtime “trainers” and casual fans alike a new way to “catch ‘em all.” I never caught the bug myself but it’s just as good a way to get someone outside in 2017 as it was last year.
I know for a fact that you can catch a lot of creatures in Plant City’s parks. One of my best friends regularly goes to Edward Medard Park, off of Turkey Creek Road, to search. He eventually got his girlfriend’s family hooked on the game and, before long, they would take regular Pokémon hunting trips there together. If you can get a good variety at Medard Park, I’m certain there’s good stuff at Otis M. Andrews, Ellis-Methvin and more.
You get the best of both worlds doing so: you can still be glued to your phone while you explore the outdoors and get in a nice cardio session.
Experiment with new things
There’s a pretty good chance that something you’ve been wanting to try, to cross off the “bucket list” or whatever, can be done outside in our town’s parks.
Did you get a drone for Christmas? You’ve got plenty of airspace in a park. Have you been wanting to try running to stay in shape? You’re probably not going to beat our parks’ scenery anywhere else in town. Are you looking for a place to (legally) skateboard? There’s an area for that at Mike Sansone Park. Would you like to start regularly playing a sport with a group of people? There are resources around town that will cover most popular athletics, many of which are close to Interstate 4 for easy access.
Put in work
I’ve noticed that one of the biggest trends in gyms is presenting an environment without air conditioning. If you’re not trying to lift weights and leave it at that, why not get your A/C-free workouts done where the air is a little fresher?
The parks are a fine place for you to do your cardio, yoga and other exercise routines. If you’d rather play sports, I can personally vouch for the quality of resources available to you (if you’re not trying to play any kind of hockey). Having seen playing fields in nearby towns for both my work and my own play, I’d say Plant City puts the most effort into field care from Brandon to Polk County. But that’s just my opinion.
Whatever you do this month, I have one simple suggestion. If you can take something outside, and the weather isn’t too bad, you should.