Relaxing,well kept property and playgrounds for a neighborly feel…read more No recent pics to post.

Given that I am in a new town for a month, I figured I would explore my surroundings. My pup was…read moredue for a much needed long walk filled with sights and sounds to stimulate her senses as I was kind of cooped up in the house I was staying in in Saint Albans, Vermont. Don't get me wrong, there was a park or two in Saint Albans, but the major one (Taylor Park) was a bit of a walk aways. It was beautiful with a vast expanse of open land and they held a Farmer's Market there in the Spring, but it was at a distance from where I was, so I didn't frequent there as much. The park I am reviewing now is 9 minute walk from the apartment I am staying at. This park was absolutely amazing and rivals that of AD Barnes Park and Tropical Park in Miami, FL where I grew up but Riley Park is like ten times better! As I entered, I didn't expect much except some large canopy trees, oak trees, birds, and maybe on occassion running into some butterflies, and following down a winding path. As I kept moving forward, I first cane across some very well kempt tennis courts and it wasn't like one or two only but like 7 or 8 and on top of that they offer free tennis cardio classes on Sunday to the community. That was like the first tally mark in my mind in terms of Yelp checkmarks. The park itself continued to seem very clean. There wasn't a surplus of dog poo everywhere or debris or litter of any kind. I then happened upon some more greenery and then what I came to learn was a bike park. This was thee coolest thing I have ever seen at a park. Guests can practice for free I assume on the turf. What made it so sppealing to me was that the gravel itself was super new and dark and also well kempt. Whoever the custodians are for this park deserve to be recognized because this park is at least 40 acres I read online! So the bike park/ramps weren't the only astonishing thing abiut this place. As I made my way around, there was also this bridge that connected to another more elevated area of the park (so please be mindful if you are someone that has trouble walking up steps or hilly areas to be careful). It was a beautiful red bridge kind of like one you would see in the woods somewhere in New England. It sat atop a bumbling brook where moss, ferns, and probably some other creatures one can't see would traverse. Once yoh make your way across the bridge, there was an acquatic park, yes, an actually water park with a pool. If I recall correctly it is named The Kathy Dowling Acquatic Center but don't quote me on it. I didn't get a full view of it as I didn't know if I could bring my dog to that area, so I refrained as I wanted to abide by park rules/policies. I walked paat it but I could see a few large colorful closed tube water slide. The kid in me would have totally gone on one of those lol but I wasn't in proper attire to do so. Plus, I aas walking my dog. What made the walk more fun were the woodland type creatures I encountered along the way like the squirrels my dog would try to chase, some ducks floating in the pond, and dragonflies (as well as beautiful butterflies of course). I had to get a better view of the ducks because I love ducks, birds, penguins, blue jays, etc. They were all huddled and congregated together and I didn't wish to disturb them but it's been awhile since I have seen a majestic Mallard. There were some pretty tall trees in the area as well near that pond as well as a Rock Garden. I liked how they had descriptions of the various landmarks or designated rest areas as you mKe your way around the park. So by this point, I had almost made my way around the park. There were some playground areas for kids with swings and slides that seem like perfect play areas for birthday parties. I am sure they probably have some covered shelter areas to host parties as well or other types of gatherings. I am not sure if they would be free to use or cost money to rent. I passed by a basketball court as well. Another cool area that I had to take a photo of was the skate park. I couldn't believe they have one to use, and for free. Now I myself don't skateboard (I tried to many years ago as a kid but failed lol) but I just was so amazed that these places were available to use for free! My jaunt continued to another brook/pond area as my dog insisted on sniffing around there . She is mighty persistent and she must have really loved the park as she urged me to take her around it again for a second time This time though, I got to see things I didn't notice the first time and yes this was all on the same day. It was probably about a 45-60 min walk tops but I didn't mind as it wasn't super hot or raining and I needed the exercise. I used to walk around parks or grassy areas or jog a lot more and have stopped in recent years, but it was so nice to be in nature, I obliged. I noticed they had these signs with stakes in the ground called "postcards" where they would highlight a major milestone in the parks history. It was a nice added touch.

The Jacob Schramm Nature Preserve is a 31-acre mature woods in Hancock County close to New…read morePalestine. It was originally protected in 1999. It is owned by Hancock County Community Foundation and the Central Indiana Land Trust helps manage the stewardship of the property. For those who like trails but prefer a shorter one, Jacob Schramm offers a fairly easy .6 mile trail that is pretty much all natural with some bridging and some markings for trees. A pergola, bench, and boardwalk area was added in 2009. Because this is mostly natural, it can be a little difficult (or a lot) during inclement weather. As a wheelchair user, I most definitely could not wheel even the short trail during rainy weather because it gets fairly muddy. During good weather, it's a pretty delightful little preserve. I'm always torn with how to rate preserves. As a wheelchair user, I get frustrated at the lack of access. However, I also respect the desire to keep the nature preserve in its natural condition. It's a difficult dilemma. I think active wheelchair users could handle most of the preserve during good weather days, though there are natural obstacles periodically and even with a largely flat trail I'd hesitate to call it anything close to actually accessible. That said, I love the work of the Central Indiana Land Trust and this is an under-appreciated gem in Hancock County. While I don't get to Hancock County often, when I do I most always stop here. I should note, of course, that this is not a "park." There are no activities here other than the pergola and bench where you can relax and enjoy nature. You will discover a wide variety of trees, flowers, birds, and occasionally other wildlife while here.

This little gem of a nature preserve is found about a mile south of US 40 on Mt Comfort Road (CR…read more600 W) in Hancock County. The preserve was established in 1999, and the pergola, bench, and the board walk areas were added in 2009. The 31 acres are mostly woods but contain a small pond area within the woods and small tributaries that meander towards the nearest creek. The local boy scouts have done a good job of building crossings for the widest/wettest spans of the trails. However, the majority of the 0.6 mile hiking loop is foot worn with leaves as the main buffer between your shoes and the dirt/mud. What I really like about this otherwise run of the mill wooded area is that there is a small kiosk at the entrance to the trail area which has park pamphlets inside. The pamphlets have numbered items that are either tree descriptions or instructions for observations. Along the trail, you will see numbered blue posts that correlate to the pamphlets. For example, #12 is a Sycamore tree that grows from 60-90 feet, has triangle shaped leaves with alternating leaf placement, and bark that is pale white which often peels. I like feeling smarter after a good walk, exercising my mind at the same time I exercise my body. The ground is mostly flat, but footing can be a little slippery after rains. They could also use a trash can near the parking lot to help keep the preserve clean. Review #781

My focus at Roberts Park this morning was to see the beautifully preserved 1884 Longwood Covered…read moreBridge but there's so much more to do here. It was a nice opportunity to walk around and see the park itself. Picnic pavilions, sporting fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, pickleball courts and even an amphitheater. Many of the park roads are one way which was a bit of a challenge to getting exactly to where I could see I wanted to be but the road doesn't go that way. Oops. [Review 1003 of 2026 - 210 in Indiana - 26182 overall]

Connersville has a really nice park that has something for everyone. Whether you like swimming,…read morebasketball, pickleball, tennis, or horseshoes, they have a place for it at Roberts Park. If you like watching your kids play on a variety of swings, slides, and climbing equipment scattered throughout the park, the have those here too! The park is a mature park with lots of shade trees that are greatly appreciated on days like the one I visited here. There are narrow roads that meander through the park since the place is quite large. On the south end near the aquatic center, there is an amphitheater for racing and some barns near there. I didn't see any horses during my visit, but I assume that the barns and track are for those. Must be a seasonal thing like the swimming and water slides. The park also has the Longwood Covered Bridge which was relocated here for preservation. There are a couple sculptures and a few plaques to commemorate bits of history tied to the park & Connersville. Generally, there are a lot of options for individuals. The only reason I didn't give this a five star review is that the park looks like it could use some attention. The tennis courts has cracks that have been sealed, but the scraggly white lines should have been painted over to match the court. Very distracting. Some of the older playground equipment could used a fresh coat of paint too. The garden area by the park admin building was in need of some trimming and the brick around the fountain could stand some work too. Little things, but they do separate an older park from one that has the latest features. A wish list would be a walking trail separate from the roads. I don't like having to continuously watch over my shoulder for vehicles coming up behind me, or having to walk through the grass when it's wet from dew. Otherwise, the park seems like a great place for specific activities. Review #1419

I haven't been to this park in years since it was redesigned. I visited with my 3 year old and 1…read moreyear old. It was fun and safe for both of them. We will be back!

Doesn't look like much as you're driving by. But it's a great space for kids to play. There's…read moreoutside playground equipment for all ages. There are bathrooms and drinking fountains on site. There's also a covered gazebo with picnic tables open to first come first serve. The parking lot small but this is a fun hidden gem.

Indianapolis World Sports Park was formerly known as Post Road Community Center. It's located on…read moreIndy's Southeastside and is easily most known for its game fields - cricket, soccer, basketball, Gaelic, and football. The park does also have a walking trail loop and an activity center with restrooms. There is also, of course, a playground. The park was expanded and renovated in 2012. It has 46 acres with wonderful greenspace and mature trees. The multi-use sports fields can be rented. The park has a banquet hall with meeting/event space - easily one of the best features of an eastside park. It can accommodate larger gatherings. The park received a $2.15 million grant from Lilly Endowment to add a new concession pavilion to be done by the end of 2024. The indoor facility includes a ballroom, dining room, fireplace room, and community room. The athletic fields can be configured into two cricket fields, four Gaelic fields, six soccer fields, or a variety of other options. It took me a while to realize this park was the old Post Road Community Center, though I don't really do the southeastside a whole lot. Prior to its renovation, this has existed since 1991 and is still one of the area's newer parks. This park is also pretty heavily utilized and I'm super fond of some of the activities here including free yoga, clogging lessons (Okay, I'm footless. I'm obviously not clogging - but I do love that they have it.), line dancing lessons, and art classes among other activities.

I was out driving around on a brisk, windy Sunday afternoon just trying to get some fresh air and…read moredecided to do one of my "get lost" drives. While I'm a lifelong Indy resident, the truth is there are still lots of streets I've never really traveled. Today, I decided to travel through Lawrence a bit and ended up spending some time in a fairly lonely Lee Road Park. Lee Road Park is the home for Fall Creek Little League baseball and softball. It also offers a playground, picnicking, and a modestly sized shelter. It's a fairly average park as far as neighborhood parks go. It's decently sized, but it just doesn't offer much beyond a couple of baseball diamonds and an ample amount of parking. The actual playground seems to be a bit run down and the shelter almost seems like it was an afterthought. A small wooded area is consistent with the neighborhood that surrounds the park. The park is within the city of Lawrence. While it's technically within a neighborhood, it's set back a bit and didn't seem like the kind of place families would go out of their way to walk to unless perhaps for a ballgame. In terms of accessibility, certainly the parking lot would be workable and one could likely find a place to sit at one of the ballfields. The playground is definitely not of the accessible variety. I believe a sidewalk goes to the shelter, though like most shelters it seems to have a bit of a lip to it. Basically, in just about every way this is a middle-of-the-road city park. I spent very little time here as there was only one other car and simply not a lot to look at or do.

Here is another sports complex in Lawrence with lots of central parking. There is a small wooded…read morearea by the entrance with a shelter and playground on the north end of the parking area. It is in pretty good condition and is a nice place for a ball game, but not much else is here to draw you to the park. Review #752

While walking along the Pennsy Trail in Greenfield, I noticed this mini park covered in shade near…read moreState Street. There is a small shelter and a mini Japanese garden that can be visited by a gravel path. Several Japanese stone lanterns are also on site. The park gets its name from the "Sister City" relationship between Greenfield, IN and Kukuda, Miyagi, Japan on the northeast side of Honshu Island. Both cities have manufacturing and agriculture as prime industries. Kukuda is also known for raising silk worms used for making silks. The park is a nice acknowledgement of the relationship between the cities, but misses out on the opportunity to tell the story between them. If the goal is bring understanding of another culture to people of your town, there should be some information posted about the relationship and the significance of the ornamentation that has been selected for the park. As far as being a park, there is a small picnic table for someone to rest while at the park. Review #3131