Lake Myrtle Sports Complex – Experiences

Lake Myrtle Sports Complex is located in the city of Auburndale, Florida, but the sports complex is used by most of Polk County. It has nine collegiate-size baseball fields and 11 lighted soccer fields. Various sporting events ranging from rugby to lacrosse take place at this venue, which in turn brings many visitors to central Florida.

The location of this venue puts it in close proximity to Polk City and Lakeland, so it is easy to visit a few different cities in Florida with little time wasted on travel. Below is an itinerary for a full day of sightseeing and dining while you’re in town visiting the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. It’ll take you to some of the major attractions in Polk County along with favorite local dining spots.

 

Morning

Noon

Night

 

Morning

Begin your day with a home-cooked breakfast from Chamba’s Hometown Café, which is about four miles from the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. This down-to-earth eatery makes all of their dishes to order, so you’ll have some time to relax and enjoy a coffee while they prepare your breakfast.

There are a number of eggs options to choose from on the menu at Chamba’s, such as eggs with home fries and meat or an omelet. You could also order French toast, a breakfast burrito, or a pancake sandwich.

Lake Myrtle Sports ComplexAfter breakfast, you’ll head past the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex on your 13-minute drive to Fantasy of Flight. This is a large hangar that houses a collection of vintage aircraft. The 25 planes on display there span several eras.

While many aircraft rotate in and out of being on display, there is a set collection that is permanent. These aircraft include a 1945 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1943 Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina, 1945 Grumman Duck, and 1945 North American P-51D Mustang.

You have to buy tickets to visit the Fantasy of Flight, and a portion of ticket sales go to the World’s Greatest Aircraft Collection, a non-profit corporation. It is $12 for adults, $8 for children ages six to 12, and $10 for seniors over 55 years old. For an extra charge, you can even ride in a real biplane. The ride lasts for about 20 minutes and takes you above central Florida’s Lake Country.

 

Noon

Now it’s time to learn about Florida’s environment and wildlife with some time spent outdoors at Polk’s Nature Discovery Center. From Fantasy of Flight, it is roughly a 20-minute drive that will again take you past the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. As you prepare, be sure to bring plenty of water with you for your walk and wear appropriate clothing and shoes. You won’t always be able to find shade while walking the trails, so wear sunscreen and consider bringing a hat.

After you park, head into the Polk’s Nature Discovery Center building before venturing out onto one of the trails. The Discovery Center has information about the environmental areas that are part of the Polk County Environmental Lands Program. All information is free to visitors.

There are 11 sites of preserved wildlife in Polk County. The aforementioned buildings you will visit are all located on the Circle B Bar Reserve. This means the two nature reserves that will be most accessible for you on this trip are the Circle B Bar Reserve and Marshall Hampton Reserve. Both areas surround Lake Hancock.

Lake Myrtle Sports ComplexThe Circle B Bar Reserve spans 1,267 acres. The area used to be a cattle ranch. Today you can walk the trails and see a wide range of plants and animals. You will more than likely see alligators as you walk along Lake Hancock. Keep in mind that this is their natural environment, so do not venture off the trails.

Your other option is the Marshall Hampton Reserve, which is across the lake from the Circle B Bar Reserve. This 1,100-acre area is filled with oaks, slash pine, sweet gum, and palmettos. Two loop trails will provide you with different views of the area.

Regardless of which nature reserve you decide to visit, there are some things you need to remember when you visit. As mentioned previously, this is a natural habitat for Florida wildlife, like alligators, so don’t wander off trails and don’t disturb animals and the environment. This means do not bring pets, do not play music, and most of all, do not litter.

You should also be aware of bugs that have a home in these areas. This includes mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, and biting flies. To protect against these insects, wear long sleeves and pants or use bug repellent, and do not wear perfume or scented lotion.

After soaking up some sun on the trails, head to lunch at Maria’s Friquitin. This eatery is a 15-minute drive from the Polk’s Nature Discovery Center and 11 miles from the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

Don’t let the outside of this restaurant fool you. While it may look small and unassuming, you can find deliciously authentic Puerto Rican cuisine there.

They make their food to order at Maria’s Friquitin, so get ready to grab a seat and take a load off. This will be welcome after walking around the nature reserves. Your patience will be rewarded with fresh, homestyle Puerto Rican food. Customers rave about the mofongo con carne frita, which consists of fried plantains and pork. Pair the mofongo with a side of cornmeal fritters and you’ll leave feeling full and satisfied.

 

Night

For your first stop of the night, Lake Mirror, you can either walk from Maria’s Friquitin or take a short drive over. It is less than a mile away, so the walk would only take about 15 minutes or so. Lake Mirror is perfect to take beautiful pictures as the sun sets.

Lake Myrtle Sports ComplexThe Lake Mirror Complex has a few different areas you can visit. First is the Hollis Garden, which is a botanical display garden. It’s only 1.2 acres but packed with over 10,000 flowers, shrubs, and native trees. There’s also public art and ornamental fountains dotted throughout the garden. Have your camera ready and take a stroll to smell the roses.

You can also stretch your legs at the Frances Langford Promenade on Lake Mirror. This lakeside path is a very popular spot for locals to walk, run, and bike. Take photos of the lake, fountains, and statues. You might even come across a swan or crane.

When you’re ready for dinner, take a walk down to Red Door Lakeland. It is half a mile from Lake Mirror, and as you walk there you will pass Lake Morton. Red Door Lakeland is about a 22-minute drive from the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

This quaint restaurant has seasonal menus to keep their dishes fresh and unique. Even though the food on the menu changes, you will be able to choose from appetizers, small plates, large plates, and sharing plates. For sharing plates you might find a dish like the Grazing Platter, which comes with cheese, salumi, house-made jam, seasonal fruit, pickles, chips, and house pâté. Small plates could be anything from salads to lamb ribs, and large plates might include seafood dishes, vegetable bowls, or brisket. When it comes to drinks, Red Door Lakeland has you covered with a wide selection of wines, craft beers, and house cocktails.

For something sweet, head to Pelican’s SnoBalls, which is a six-minute drive from Red Door Lakeland. Pelican’s SnoBalls started in New Orleans and has since branched out to many locations over the past 20 years. There are over 100 flavors to add to the fluffy “snow.” If it’s too hard to decide, you can pick from one of their nine signature SnoBalls.

You can choose to end the night after Pelican’s and take a 22-minute drive back towards the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex, or you can keep the night going with one more stop at The Brass Tap. This craft beer bar is an eight-minute drive from Pelican’s SnoBalls.

At The Brass Tap, you can pull up a seat at the bar and have a cold beer while you watch some sports. Depending on the day, you might be there on a night when there’s live music. If you want to enjoy the Florida weather, you can opt to sit outside on the patio and sip your drink. Whatever you choose to do, one thing that’s for sure is that you won’t run out of drink options because The Brass Tap has about 300 craft beers to choose from.

So that wraps up your day in Polk County, Florida. From starting in Auburndale and ending in Lakeland, you’ve seen a great deal of the area around Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. If you have any other free days in the area, you can even take day trips out to popular cities like Tampa or Orlando.