RoadsideThoughts
A Gazetteer for the United States and Canada
Home >> State of Florida >> Hillsborough County >> Garden Grove >> Tidbits & TriviaIndex...

Outdoor Activities ...

As we travel, we like to pursue some of our interests (such as astronomy and bird watching).

When in Garden Grove, we use the following websites to find information relevant to Garden Grove and the surrounding area.

  • Weather ...
  • Astronomy & Satellites ...
    • Whether using binoculars, a small telescope or the naked-eye, the Heavens-Above website can help you to find your way around the night-time sky. In addition to detailed sky charts, their website will help you find planets, asteriods, comets, satellites and their tracks across the sky.
    • To give accurate results, Heavens-Above requires the latitude and longitude of your location. As a starting point, when we link to Heavens-Above, we pass this GPS location for Garden Grove:
    • 28.144000, -82.476200
    • Once you're on the Heavens-Above website, you can improve its accuracy by giving a more precise longitude and latitude as your actual position.
    • Open the Heavens-Above website centered on Garden Grove
  • Bird Watching ...
    • We enjoy finding new spots for bird watching and we use the eBird website for local sighting reports and to help identify hotspots.
    • The eBird website is organized on a county-by-county basis. We have selected Hillsborough County as the starting point when you click on the link below:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Hillsborough County
    • Since Garden Grove is near Pasco County and also Pinellas County, we have provided a link to their eBird sighting reports:
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Pasco County
    • Open the eBird sighting report for Pinellas County
  • Waymarking ...
    • Looking for somewhere out of the ordinary? Find a unique place and want to share it with others? Then it's time to visit Waymarking.com:
    • Open the Waymark.com report for Garden Grove

Communities Also Named Garden Grove ...

We found six communities that are also named Garden Grove.

There is one other community in Florida that is also named Garden Grove.

Beyond Florida, we know of five communities that are located in the United States.

  • Communities Located In Florida ...
    • Hernando County
      • This Garden Grove is located in Hernando County and lies 23 miles [37 km]<1> to the north of the Garden Grove that is located in Hillsborough County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Hernando County community of Garden Grove.
  • Communities Elsewhere In North America ...
    • California
      • Orange County
      • This Garden Grove is located in Orange County and lies 2,124 miles [3,418.2 km]<1> to the west northwest of the Garden Grove that is located in Hillsborough County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Orange County community of Garden Grove.
    • Iowa
      • Decatur County
      • This Garden Grove is located in Decatur County and lies 1,078 miles [1,734.9 km]<1> to the north northwest of the Garden Grove that is located in Hillsborough County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Decatur County community of Garden Grove.
    • Kansas
      • Edwards County
      • We found mention of this community, but have little information.<2> For the information that we do have, please visit our profile page for the Kansas community of Garden Grove [Edwards County].
    • Oklahoma
      • Pottawatomie County
      • This Garden Grove is located in Pottawatomie County and lies 976 miles [1,570.7 km]<1> to the northwest of the Garden Grove that is located in Hillsborough County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Pottawatomie County community of Garden Grove.
    • Utah
      • Davis County
      • This Garden Grove is located in Davis County and lies 1,878 miles [3,022.3 km]<1> to the northwest of the Garden Grove that is located in Hillsborough County.
      • For more information, please visit our profile page for the Davis County community of Garden Grove.

Curious and Interesting Names Near Garden Grove ...

As we travel, we always see a community with a name that gives pause. While there are names which are interesting or familiar, some catch our attention or strike our fancy. We always wonder about such a name. If time permits and the community is not too far, we'll usually try to make a side-trip.

  • Candlelight
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Candlelight is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Candlelight
  • Cedarwood
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Cedarwood is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cedarwood
  • Coopers Bayou
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Coopers Bayou is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coopers Bayou
  • Coventry
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Coventry is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Coventry
  • Crystal Cove
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Crystal Cove is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Cove
  • Crystal Lakes
    (Less than 2 miles to the south)
    • Crystal Lakes is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Crystal Lakes
  • Cypress Cove
    (Less than 2 miles to the east)
    • Cypress Cove is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypress Cove
  • Cypress Head
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
    • Cypress Head is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cypress Head
  • Deer Park
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Deer Park is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Park
  • Deer Run
    (Less than 2 miles to the north)
    • Deer Run is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Deer Run
  • Eagle Crest
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Eagle Crest is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Eagle Crest
  • Edgewater
    (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
    • Edgewater is located in Hillsborough County
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Edgewater
  • Continue List   (33 more) ...
    • Elysian Fields
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Elysian Fields is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Elysian Fields
    • Evergreen North
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Evergreen North is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Evergreen North
    • Fern Glen
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Fern Glen is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fern Glen
    • Fox Run
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Fox Run is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Fox Run
    • Green Meadow
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Green Meadow is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Green Meadow
    • Heritage Harbor
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northwest)
      • Heritage Harbor is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Heritage Harbor
    • Heritage Harbor Village
      (Less than 2 miles to the northwest)
    • Holly Lane
      (Less than 2 miles to the north)
      • Holly Lane is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Holly Lane
    • Hounds Hollow
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Hounds Hollow is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Hounds Hollow
    • Indian Head
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Indian Head is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Head
    • Indian Mound Village
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Indian Mound Village is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Indian Mound Village
    • Jessies Place
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Jessies Place is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jessies Place
    • Lake Charles
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Lake Charles is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Charles
    • Lake Keen
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Lake Keen is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lake Keen
    • Manor Oaks
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Manor Oaks is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Manor Oaks
    • Marilyn Shores
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Marilyn Shores is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Marilyn Shores
    • Montana Pines
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Montana Pines is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Montana Pines
    • Pond Eddy
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Pond Eddy is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Pond Eddy
    • Popes
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Popes is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Popes
    • Reflections
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the west)
      • Reflections is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Reflections
    • Regalwoods
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Regalwoods is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Regalwoods
    • Ridgelake
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the east)
      • Ridgelake is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ridgelake
    • Sapphire Lake
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Sapphire Lake is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sapphire Lake
    • Shady Pines
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Shady Pines is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shady Pines
    • Shagbark
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the south)
      • Shagbark is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Shagbark
    • Sunny Pines
      (Less than 2 miles to the south)
      • Sunny Pines is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sunny Pines
    • Tangerine Hill
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Tangerine Hill is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tangerine Hill
    • Tropical Lakes
      (Less than 2 miles to the northeast)
      • Tropical Lakes is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tropical Lakes
    • Turning Point
      (Less than 2 miles to the east)
      • Turning Point is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Turning Point
    • Waterbridge
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Waterbridge is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Waterbridge
    • Wildwood
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Wildwood is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wildwood
    • Willow Creek
      (Less than 2 miles to the southeast)
      • Willow Creek is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Creek
    • Willow Pond
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Willow Pond is located in Hillsborough County
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Willow Pond

How Far From Garden Grove to ...

We spend a lot of time looking through Gazetteers, Almanacs & Directories that were published in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Many of the Gazetteers include the distance from a community such as Garden Grove to various places of note, such as the White House.

With a nod to our favorite Gazetteers, the straight-line distance beginning in Garden Grove and extending to:

  • Tampa, which is the Seat of Hillsborough County, lies 12 miles [19.3 km]<1> to the south. If you could walk a straight line from Garden Grove to Tampa, with an average speed<3> of 2.2 miles [3.5 km] per hour, it would take five to six hours to make the trip. A horse and buggy averaging 3.2 miles [5.1 km] per hour would take nearly four hours.
  • Tallahassee, which is the State Capital of Florida, lies 192 miles [309 km] to the northwest (NW). Driving, with an average speed of 63 miles [101.4 km] per hour, would take a little over three hours, a buggy would take 8 days and walking would take 11 days.
  • The White House (Washington, DC) is 805 miles [1,295.5 km] to the north northeast (NNE). Driving would take just about two full days, a buggy would take 32 days and walking would take 46 days.
  • The shortest distance<4> to Jerusalem (specifically the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock) is 6,611 miles [10,639.4 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<5>
  • The distance to the Great Mosque of Mecca (specifically the Ka'bah - or Kaaba ) is 7,281 miles [11,717.6 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<6>
  • The distance to Saint Peter's Basilica (The Vatican) is 5,179 miles [8,334.8 km] and it lies to the northeast (NE).<7>'

Footnotes ...

<1>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'point-to-point' distance. A straight line distance ignores obstructions like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line drawn from Point A (ie- Garden Grove) to Point B. In other words: 'As the crow flies'.
<2>If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer as a placeholder. As we find more information about that community, it will be added to our Gazetteer.

Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Rock Creek to see Pete ... Rock Creek is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name.

Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time.

Also keep in mind that Garden Grove could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out.
<3>While we have tried to pick reasonable speeds, the rate of travel is very theoretical - obstacles like fences, hills, lakes, river crossings and rest stops have been ignored. When we say 'Days' of travel, we're assuming 8 hours of travel per day.
<4>The shortest line can be visualized by stretching a string on a Globe from Point A to Point B - this is known as a Great Circle Route. Where you might expect the shortest route from Garden Grove to the Middle East to be East and South, the Great Circle Route actually lies to the North and East.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Garden Grove. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 28.1440, Longitude: -82.4762       In this case, the coordinates for Garden Grove have been provided by the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
<5>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Jerusalem is 310.853 degrees.
<6>The calculated bearing (or angle) to Mecca is 305.28 degrees.
<7>The calculated bearing (or angle) to the Vatican is 309.857 degrees.