Question for you. " What is inflation proof?" Answer: the local park.
Hidden Palms Park is a local park in the triad of Paradise Palms parkd that include Desert Bloom and Duck Creek. Out of the three parks, Hidden Palms focuses more on the immediate area, to the degree of having zero restrooms. The closest ones are at Duck Creek Park to the east and Von's to the north. The lack of restrooms is a nice way of saying that this is a neighborhood park, where local residents are a short drive or walk away from their own restrooms. To further support this point, the small parking lot only provides thirteen parking spaces with an additional two for handicapped park users.
Throughout the years, I had driven by Hidden Palms Park several times. However, it was just recently I had stepped foot in it. When I visited, there were a few people. They were mostly by the softball field. The highlight was walking along the approximately half-mile walking path, which took me 5.37 miles to complete. I will describe my walk in conjunction with the park amenities. Starting from the parking lot and the adjacent playground as the starting point, I walked clockwise. Starting off, the walking path led me south, then west around the pickleball courts and softball field #1 before paralleling Pebble Road to the south. Walking further along the sinuous white paved walking path as it gradually shifted north, open green space with mature pine trees bordered it. To the left was the subdivision border wall. To my eyes, the open grass needed some tlc. Instead of a colorful golf course green they were close to a yellow palette. Continuing north, I took in softball field #2. As the walking path shifted away from the subdivision border wall, the open grass returned. As the path curved east, there was a fitness equipment station. Fronting the open space towards the John R. Beatty Elementary School north border wall was a sand volleyball court. At the sharp curve returning me south towards the parking lot, were the tennis courts. Approaching the end of the approximately 0.5 mile walk were the picnic tables and playground.
On my Diminutive Outdoors visit here, I simply walked around. This included a short stroll to the north border wall in the shadow of the park landmark: a towerering cellphone tower that resembles a pine tree. Here, I found my favorite spot in the park: a shaded bench overlooking the expanse of the park to the south.
I am aware that Hidden Palms is more of a neighborhood park than it is a local or regional park. However, that does not stop me from having the opinion that it would give an improved park experience if it was connected to Duck Creek and Desert Bloom Park by means of a multi use trail. I understand that it would involve the controversy of giving Pebble Road a protected pedestrian bike lane, furnishing Pollock Drive with a road diet (narrowing it from four to two sections) between Pebble and Wigwam, and reimagining Wigwam Avenue into a more pedestrian bicycle friendly corridor between Pallock and Desert Bloom Park. From evaluating Hidden Palms Park, I am of the impression that this would give Paradise Palms a trail system that Hidden Palms Park would anchor. Additionally it would connect park users from outside the neighborhood with a public restroom.
In conclusion, I give Hidden Palms Park "3 Stars." Considering that local parks are inflation proof, it costed me zero cents to explore it. With that said, I will most likely return to the nicer nearby Duck Creek Park and Desert Bloom Parks before returning to Hidden Palms Park. read more