Confederate Playground Dog Park

When we think of Florida, we think of sugar sand beaches and tropical drinks. We think of girls in bikinis and boys binging on alcohol while on Spring Break. We think of Florida as vacation land, Jimmy Buffet, and Disney World. Many say that Florida is a place to visit, not to live. 

There's a lot of fantasy and entertainment in Florida, but there's a lot of real life, too. For instance, the largest city in Florida, Jacksonville, is one of the oldest cities in America, having been founded in the 16th century. You can find the usual Florida distractions in Jacksonville, sure. It is right on the Atlantic ocean, and it's still Florida. 

There are plenty of sunburned people and drunk college students and lots and lots of tropical drinks. But there are also museums and galleries and regional business headquarters. And, in the middle of town, far from the throngs of tourists, is a very nice dog park.

Confederate Park is a nice, medium-sized park in the residential neighborhood of Springfield. The park is nine acres, with lots of paths, a large, marble monument to the women of the Confederacy, and a lovely archway covered in roses. It's a pretty park, but what makes it great is the dog park.

Originally, Confederate Park was designed as a memorial, not for recreation, so the city has made some renovations and improvements. One of the best improvements was the creation of a large dog park, nearly three acres in size. The dog park is totally fenced, with a second enclosure for smaller dogs. There are plenty of benches in both sections, lots of shade, multiple poop bag dispensers, and trash cans. Also, there are multiple dog fountains in both enclosures.

The Confederate Dog Park is nicely laid out, but one of the best features has to be a dog washing station just outside the dog enclosure, a place where you can tie your leashed doggie and hose her off. This is a great way to not only get the mud and dirt off your dog but to cool her down after a nice romp in the Florida sun.