Exploring the World With Pokemon Go: LaCosta Urban Wetlands Park
I decided that since Pokemon Go has made me explore the world just to find virtual critters, that I would make use of this time to write about what I found. There are many hidden parks out there just waiting to be discovered.
For today’s first post, I decided to venture to a little place not far from where I live. Nestled right near multiple busy streets in Orlando Florida, namely Semoran Boulevard (State Road 436) and Curry Ford Road (State Road 552) it is hard to imagine such a quiet park so close.
But just what is this place that I found? Were there good Pokemon to catch? Did eaten by an alligator? I’m here to answer all these questions today.
First, the name of this park is LaCosta Urban Wetlands. I found this locale with a roommate while we were following the trail of rare Pokemon in Go. Indeed this find of a new locale was hardly the first time. Thus I was inspired to continue writing about other places I discovered by the same method.
What I Found
The image above was one I took when I started exploring. I am by no means a talented camera man. Indeed I took these photos on instinct and did not wait for proper lighting of any sort. I caught many Pokemon along the way, but unlike many who play this game, I did not remain ignorant of the scenery around me.
It is shame that so much trash ended up in this beautiful park. From my vantage point I was unable to reach the debris. Countless signs around the park warn not to get too close to the water thanks to the many alligators that populate the area. Still, when one looks past the damage that humans have caused here, the rest of the sights are wonderful to behold.
There are multiple little lagoons that one can see as they walk around LaCosta Urban Wetlands. I decided to get off the physical trail and walk around the outside areas. While careful to avoid getting too close to the water, I did manage to anger many ants as I walked around. Catching Pokemon while enjoying quiet scenery truly is a pleasure.
As I reached the other side of the park, I discovered a trail that went elsewhere. Pokemon Go map showed that the path in front of me went into the nearby neighborhoods. Never being opposed to exploring, I decided to see where this path would take me. Sadly, I did not find any rare mons along the way.
As it turned out, the other end led me to the source of the nearby creek. I discovered the source of a “wonderful” smell as I realized that the nearby water was drainage from the road and from the looks of the pipes, other nasty places as well. At least I found something new. But decided against going this way again.
Open Fields:
These pictures were taken on opposite sides of the park and show two large and open areas. Both these locations just scream outdoor activity. Though one should be careful not to get too close to the water, lest the gators get a free meal.
I took this picture from one of the bridges. There are a few places where one crosses the lagoons and it gives a fantastic view of the wildlife living just below. I chose to include the bar in the image as a reference point and totally am not just an amateur photographer.
These two images were taken from different bends in the trail. Ultimately, if one stays on the path, they will walk around a ladle shaped walk way. The parking lot marks the handle.
As I was leaving the park, I noticed this tree with bright red berries. While I had no doubt that I would be a fool to even touch the fruit, it still was nice eye candy.
Pokemon Go Aspects:
Of course, I can’t forget to mention that I did play Pokemon Go while here. The image above depicts the game version of what I explored. With only one Pokestop and Dunsparce being the rarest Pokemon I encountered, I rate this park as a nice place to explore, but sub-optimal for Pokemon Go.
Oh and I hatched a 5k egg at the end:
Stay tuned for my next post. And the good news is that I will be going on another adventure tomorrow to do this all over again.