October 2018

TOURING AND EXPLORING
Coconut Creek offers
something for everyone
by Robyne Friedland
lease get off the phone, the computer, and put down
“Pthat remote control.” Are these sentiments familiar?
It seems that the only way we spend meaningful time with
our children is to remove them from the house and go on an
adventure. You can’t always go on a vacation or spare the
expense to go to Disney, so take advantage of all that our
neighboring cities have to offer and enjoy an action-packed
day while staying unplugged.
We will start our Coconut Creek adventure at the Festival Flea
Market on Sample Road. This huge shopping area contains
a food court, pickle stand, fresh fruit store, and many places
to get a smoothie for the kids and a great cup of coffee for
you. There are many kid-friendly events at the Festival as well
as kid-friendly stores. There are also stores that display our
Florida pride. Stop by this unique location for fun, food, and a
taste of Florida.
Once the kids have spent some time indoors, it’s now time
to explore in the beautiful Florida weather. Just drive west on
Sample Road and you will arrive at Tradewinds Park. This is
not your typical park and one can spend an entire day just
exploring. Tradewinds Park spans both sides of Sample Road,
is host to the annual drive-through holiday lights show, and
houses many opportunities to interact with nature and animals.
Tradewinds, on the south side, is home to Butterfly World,
which is a world-renowned attraction featuring butterflies,
tropical birds, insects, trees, and flowers. Millions have toured
this beautiful place and vow to return.
Tradewinds prides itself on its pristine fields, beautiful pavilions,
and great bike paths. Many sports programs and 5K events
discover hidden paths
explore
take place here as well
as large city events
and birthday parties.
On the north side
of Sample Road,
Tradewinds houses a farm, weekend train
rides, horseback riding, and beautiful bike paths. School field
trips, group events, and birthday parties can often be seen
while people are riding a horse through the park.
While Tradewinds Park is Coconut Creek’s biggest and most
famous park, the city has many other parks including Sabal
Pines Park. This park hosts many city events, sports leagues,
Halloween Spooktacular, and a Butterfly Festival.
Oh no, the South Florida weather is taking over and
the skies are dark and it’s about to rain, what now?
Coconut Creek has it covered. Located on Lyons
Road is the Wow Factory, an indoor playground
for kids ranging from toddler to teen. Your kids
will have the chance to compete in Laser tag,
climb a rock wall, complete a ropes course,
play arcade games, and more. If the skies
have now opened and the rain looks
as though it will never end, don’t fret.
Next door to the Wow Factory is Wow
Alley, a unique bowling alley. If the kids
are now starving, both locations have
refreshment areas.
The skies have cleared and you are not ready
to return home. Just about a mile south on Lyons
is the Promenade. There are shops, restaurants, a
movie theater, and several places to stop for a sweet
treat. If you are not happy with the choices in
the Promenade, just a few blocks north is the
Schwart’s Deli and Mama Maria’s Pizza. These
two locations have received rave reviews and
are always busy.
Coconut Creek is a great place to spend the
day and this city has much more to offer. Our
next adventure will take us to Delray Beach
where we will see what this great destination
has to offer. P
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OCTOBER 2018