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Roanoke Park Playground

February 26, 2012October 27, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

So, a few weeks ago when my mom came into town I wanted to do a picnic lunch in the park, but wanted to have food from a new (to us) place and explore a new park. After some quick online surfing we decided on take-out from Nofo at the Pig followed by a trip to Roanoke Park Playground. Both ideas turned out to be absolutely fabulous!

Roanoke Park Playground is located southeast of Five Points at 1500 Cherokee Dr. It’s located in a quiet neighborhood in the median between W Aycock St, Cherokee Dr, and Greenwood St. This was a part of the Five Points area I had never been to and quickly fell in love with the homes and the nearby shops.

On one side of the park is a large open field perfect for a pick-up game of flag football, kickball, or volleyball. There are numerous shade trees along the perimeter, which gave us ample of shade for our picnic lunch. There’s also a small pavilion with picnic table, but having a baby in the prime of her crawling meant we were having lunch in the grass!

After lunch, we followed the wooden path to the other side of the park that contains the playground area. Along the way we passed a large wooden deck with built-in benches. There are two swing sets complete with tot swings for the little ones. The jungle gym has several slides and climbing areas atop a mulch base. The sand box area has a few diggers and other play equipment. We were also shocked to see numerous riding cars sitting in the toy corral area. It was welcoming to know that neighborhood toys could sit in a park and go without being stolen. After some more research on this park, I learned that the neighborhood partnered with the City a few months ago to fund some of the toys you see in the park. At the far end of the park there’s also a full-size basketball court.

This park was so delightful that I packed a picnic lunch and visited it again the next day with my husband, baby, and dog!

Thumbs up: shadiness, peacefulness, swing sets, open fields, friendliness of neighbors

Thumbs down: nothing to report 🙂

Clayton Community Park

October 12, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

One of the best ways to explore a park is with a friend. It’s even more special when it’s with an old high school friend and you’re both meeting each other’s infants for the first time! A few weeks ago, I finally caught up with my friend, Melissa, and her adorable baby boy, Braxton at the Clayton Community Park. This is a park usually known for it’s big 4th of July celebration, but even the small visits with a friend can be big too!

Clayton Community Park is located at 1075 Amelia Church Rd in JoCo. Yes, I promise we’ll get back to a Raleigh Park soon, but this one is only a short 25 minute drive south of Raleigh. After getting the babies situated in their strollers, we headed off on the 1/2 mile paved trail that surrounds the three baseball fields. While on the trail we passed a small pond, eight bocce ball courts and a shelter, and some unpaved trails that we explored too. We also came upon the strangest amphitheater (we both thought it was a cult gathering area) and a few bridges for crossing the small streams. Nonetheless, it made for a relaxing stroll on a beautiful fall day.

P1010944 — Paved walking trail around park

P1010942 — Small playground area near walking trail

P1010945 — Picnic tables near baseball fields

P1010943 — Building near baseball fields with restrooms

P1010948 — Braxton & Ashley chilling on the walk

P1010949 — Braxton enjoying the sunshine

P1010952 — Pavilion near the bocce ball courts

P1010953 — Unpaved path through the woods

P1010955 — Benches near the stream along the unpaved trail

After some walking we headed over to the pavilion to relax and play with the babies. Next to the pavilion are sand volleyball courts, six lighted tennis courts with a shelter, and some of the most unique playground equipment.

Signs with information about tennis leagues

What a fun day catching up with an old friend and her baby boy! Visit the Town of Clayton Parks & Rec department for more information about this park and the nearby community center.

Thumbs up: paved trail around pond, playground area, picnic tables in pavilion, tennis courts, sand volleyball courts

Thumbs down: lots of flies at pavilion (I believe due to full trash cans), creepy amphitheater

Jennette’s Pier

February 26, 2012September 21, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

Last week I spent a wonderfully relaxing week with great friends and family in Nags Head. Everyday was at least 85 degrees and sunny except for the last day, so my mom, sister, bro-in-law, Ashley and I decided to check out the newly renovated Jennette’s Pier at MP 16.5 in Nags Head. For someone who isn’t interested in fishing, I fell in love with this pier! From the magnificent views of the Atlantic Ocean, to the history and science lessons scattered throughout the pier, to the spirit of the fishermen… you, too, will fall in love.

The pier, on property originally owned by the Jennette family, was first built in 1939 for $6,000 and extended 740 feet. It collapsed in 1943 and was rebuilt after WWII in 1947. Since then, there have been several repairs due to storms and hurricanes, most notably in 2003 when Hurricane Isabel came through and destroyed a large portion of the pier. Before then, the Jennette family had sold the pier and then the NC Aquarium Society (a division of the NC Dept of Environmental and Natural Resources) purchased it in 2003. Construction of the new pier began in 2009 and was finally completed earlier this year.

Before going onto the pier, you’ll pass through the main building, which contains the future aquarium, educational programs, and gift/convenience shop. The shop is filled with children’s books, stuffed animals, and prepared food and drinks. A digital tower highlights educational programs, daily temperature and tidal current info, fishing reports, and history about the pier. There is no fee to walk onto the pier, but there is a suggested $2 donation. The daily fishing rates are as follows: $12 adults, $6 children under 12. Additional fishing fees can be found here.

The new pier cost $25 million and has 257 concrete piles installed between 35-45 ft deep. The pier extends 1000 feet, where the water is about 25 ft deep. It is a grand structure, to say the least. As you walk along the pier, it’s easy to get lost in the conversation among the fisherman, the sounds of the crashing waves, and in the educational information about tidal currents, pier etiquette, wind power, marine mammals and birds, and surfing, to name a few. You’ll also see fish plaques throughout the pier showcasing the various sponsors. The sounds from the three wind-powered turbines support the pier’s “green” statement.

On the second story of the pier is a large reception room available to rent for private events. It has a plasma TV, floor-to-ceiling fireplace, and gorgeous globe-like chandeliers. The wrap-around porch with rocking chairs provides 270 degree views of the pier and ocean. Chair sponsorships are also available.

So, next time you’re at the Outer Banks be sure to check out Jennette’s Pier with your family. Whether you’re there to do some fishing or just exploring the pier, there is great fun for everyone!

Thumbs up: beautiful views, educational programs, gift/convenience shop, informational boards throughout pier

Thumbs down: nothing to report

Powell Drive Park

February 26, 2012September 19, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

This post originally appeared on southwestraleigh.com, where you can learn more about what a great place South West Raleigh is to live, work, and play.

Powell Drive Park is another example of a Raleigh park that offers more features than meets the eye. Drive past Powell Drive Park and you might only see the features closest to the road, such as the unattractive neighborhood building, playground area, and tennis courts. You may not know that if you explore the park further, you’ll find a small pond surrounded by shade trees great for picnics and photos, pavilions perfect for small family outings, and a large open field for group recreational activities.

Powell Drive Park is located at 740 Powell Drive in the southwest Raleigh area. It is located in the triangular region between Western Blvd, I-440, and I-40. For those in the nearby neighborhoods, there are sidewalks and stairs for accessing the park.

Close to the parking lot is a small open field, a neighborhood center used for programs or available for rent, two lighted tennis courts, and a playground area. The neighborhood center is not staffed, but you can learn more about the facility at the City of Raleigh’s website. The playground area has a large jungle gym with mulch base, swing set, sandbox area, benches, and water fountain.

Follow the paved path from the parking lot past the playground and you’ll first come to the lighted basketball court. Immediately past the basketball court is where the small pond surrounded by shade trees is located. Several benches are located along the perimeter of the pond, which you can access by a cleared trail covered in pine needles. At opposite ends of the pond are small steel bridges, which add architectural interest to the area. Sadly, on this particular day, I didn’t see any evidence of ducks or turtles near the pond.

Continue on the paved path to access the large, open field where the backstop and soccer goals are located. The open field is surrounded by a dense forest to the north and west and four small pavilions (one has a charcoal grill) and a less dense forest to the east and south.

With the busy school schedule and college/pro football season upon us, take some time out and grab the kids and stomp around the playground, enjoy a yummy picnic with a loved one, or round up some friends for a game of flag football at Powell Drive Park.

Thumbs up: playground area, shady picnic spots, photo ops around pond, large open field, small pavilions

Thumbs down: unattractive community building

Kentwood Park

February 27, 2012August 24, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

This post originally appeared on soutwestraleigh.com, where you can learn more about what a great place South West Raleigh is to live, work, and play.

Kentwood Park is located at 4531 Kaplan Dr in southwest Raleigh not far from the NC State campus and AB Combs Elementary School. It’s too bad the park entrance sign is missing, but given the park’s proximity to the road, it’s hard to miss the entrance.

From the medium-sized parking lot near the entrance you can get to all the park’s features within a very short walking distance. Follow the steps up to one of the four lighted tennis courts or follow the sidewalk to the large playground area and pavilion with picnic table

Unfortunately, the recent rains seemed to have resulted in more silt and sand covering the pavilion area. Near the back of the parking lot is a building with restrooms and a community board. The restrooms have certainly seen better days, but be sure to check out the community board especially if you’re interested in frisbee golf leagues. Just past the building is the lighted baseball field complete with bleacher seating for the spectators.

Signs are posted on the way to the baseball field alerting patrons of the stream restoration project that is in process. The sign notes that the City is intentionally not mowing sections of the park in order to allow the natural vegetation to build up and stabilize the stream bank. Check out the information plaque for more details about the in-progress restoration.

This is one of the few parks in Raleigh with an 18-hole frisbee golf course. It begins near Kaplan Dr and ends between the baseball field and tennis courts. Being close to NC State this is a very popular place for college students to play, as we saw several kids playing golf that day. Not ever having played frisbee golf, my competitive nature will definitely bring me back to the park soon to play.

Thumbs up: frisbee golf, tennis courts, playground

Thumbs down: bathroom facilities, landscaping, lack of park entrance sign

Ridge Road Pool

July 14, 2014August 17, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

With the summer heat in full gear there’s no better place to cool off than at the pool. This past week we explored Ridge Road Pool at 1709 Ridge Rd in Raleigh. It’s adjacent to Martin Middle School, so as you pass the school, bear right where you’ll find the pool parking lot. The crape myrtles in the parking lot provide shade while you’re relaxing at the pool.

The sidewalk leading down to the pool entrance passes by the nicely terraced landscaping and bike rack areas. Before heading into the pool, you have to stop by the front desk to pay the entrance fee. Since I’m a Raleigh resident and I had a child under 1, we only had to pay $3. Once you pay, you’ll pass the restrooms, the lifeguard office, and the life vest rental office.

Morrisville Community Park

July 26, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

After a rained-out start to our shift on Monday night, Tuesday proved to be plenty hot and sunny! Tuesday night we headed to Morrisville Community Park at 1520 Morrisville Parkway where the 10u girls age group was playing. This park is run by the Town of Morrisville Parks System and it did not disappoint!

The softball fields used for the tournament are in the back, but you can’t help but stop and stare at the gigantic playground area on your way in. I think this playground is in competition with the Anderson Point Park playground for its massive size and ability to entertain! This playground has several jungle gyms hooked together by various bridges. There are also two swing sets and a shaded gazebo in the middle perfect for a picnic. The main playground sits on a rubbery base and adjacent to it is a sandy play area with see saws. A 0.6 mile paved jogging trail loop, which is part of the Hatcher Creek Greenway, is close by as well.

P1010352 — Gazebo in middle of playground

P1010350 — Access to the Hatcher Creek Greenway

Follow the walkway past the playground to the restrooms and adjacent pavilion with picnic tables and charcoal grill. There is a small open area in front of the pavilion too.

P1010346 — Pavilion with picnic tables and charcoal grill

P1010353 — Restrooms near playground and pavilion

Continuing on the walkway you’ll pass a large open field (mostly used for soccer according to another volunteer) and a small softball field with bleachers.

Finally in the back of the park are the two lighted softball fields, concession area, water fountain, and restrooms. Both fields have covered team benches and uncovered spectator bleachers. Today was a hot one for playing and watching softball so most of the team’s families brought in canopies, which they set up over the bleachers.

We were set up next to field 2 so we had a good view of the thrilling pickle, slides into third base, and outs at home. And these were only the 10u games! I encourage everyone to come out and watch the games. 10u, 12u, and 14u Championship games will be played on Thursday at Middle Creek (10u and 12u) and Thomas Brooks (14U) parks. 16u and 18u Championship games will be played on Friday at Thomas Brooks park. Stay up to date with dates and times on the PONY website.

P1010351 — Pretty tired after a long night of volunteering

P1010339 — Future volunteers! Chris with his daughter, Kennedy, and me with Ashley!

A nice feature to this park is the proximity of the parking lots to the playground, pavilion, and softball fields. There are large pockets of parking throughout the park.

Thumbs up: proximity of parking areas, functionality of walkways, quality of softball fields, friendly Town of Morrisville staff
Thumbs down: lack of shady seating near main softball fields

North Hills Park

July 21, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

North Hills park is located at 100 Chowan Circle in North Raleigh. Overall this is a basic neighborhood park with B+ features. As you arrive there is a medium-sized parking lot with a nice lighted baseball field on the right. It has bleacher seating for the spectators and a water fountain near the far team’s bench area. The adjacent grassy hill also provides plenty of additional seating.

P1010292 — Bleacher seating near baseball field

P1010293 — Water fountain near far team's bench

P1010294 — Another view of lit baseball field

At the top of the grassy hill is a building for restrooms and the Buffaloe family cemetery.

If you continue driving past the baseball field you arrive at the back parking lot near the two lighted tennis courts, playground, pavilion with picnic and access to the greenway. The playground has several connected jungle gyms with a hard mulch base and a smaller sandy playground. The pavilion has 6 picnic tables and a nearby charcoal grill. The wide, paved sidewalk provides easy from the parking lot around the playground and pavilion.

P1010299 — Another view of the playground

P1010297 — Benches and sidewalk near playground in the shade

The access to the greenway is near the tennis courts. This is the North Hills Segment of the Crabtree Creek Trail and it is 1/4 mile of steeply sloped paved pathway. Going down isn’t bad, but pushing the stroller back up was quite a workout! I would definitely recommend the baby bjorn for this segment. The trail tees into the Crabtree Creek Trail, where if you go left you’ll head south towards Lassiter Mill Park and if you turn right you’ll head north towards Shelley Lake.

P1010286 — Access to Crabtree Creek Trail greenway

P1010288 — Signs at the end of the North Hill Segment of the trail

P1010289 — Head left towards Lassiter Mill Park

P1010290 — Head right towards Shelley Lake

It’s amazing to think that under all these overpasses and adjacent to creeks and roadways exists this other world of trails. Navigating through the greenways really helps you get a better sense of direction and helps you realize how close these parks really are to each other. It sort of reminds me of a foreign place like Middle Earth in LOTR. I encourage you all to explore the greenway. A lot of the trails are paved and shaded and would make for a great adventure with dogs, loved ones, or a group of friends. So, pick a greenway segment, find a parking lot, and explore!

Thumbs up: quality of amenities, large parking lots, large playground, easy access to greenway, sidewalk access to pavilion and playground areas
Thumbs down: no sidewalk from baseball field to playground area

Isabella Cannon Park

April 29, 2013July 19, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

The new Isabella Cannon Park is officially open! I had the great pleasure of attending the grand opening on Monday night with about 100 other fellow neighbors, kids, city leaders, and Raleigh Parks & Rec staff. Mayor Meeker and Councilman Crowder along with others spoke about Isabella Cannon and congratulated everyone on a job well done with the project. Mayor Meeker noted that Isabella Cannon served as Raleigh’s mayor from 1977-1979 and passed away in 2002 at the age of 97. She was also the first woman to serve as a capital city mayor in the U.S. and was elected during a turning point in Raleigh.

P1010309 — Mayor Meeker addressing the community

P1010310 — Councilman Crowder congratulating those on the project

P1010311 — Project Manager giving thanks

P1010312 — UPHA president giving her thanks

Isabella Cannon Park is located at 2601 Kilgore Ave inside the beltline. Even though there is no parking lot, there is plenty of side-street parking. The main entrance on Kilgore Ave has a very wide path, making it an inviting place to come. There are additional stairway entrances near the intersection of Everett Ave and Gardner St across from the Rose Garden.

P1010190 — Main entrance on Kilgore with entry wall ahead

P1010191 — Side-street parking is available

P1010192 — Bike rack near the main entrance

P1010203 — Near corner of Everett Ave and Gardner St

P1010188 — Stairway entrance on Gardner St

Heading up the main entrance path is a beautiful stone entry wall in front of an open field surrounded by a concrete walkway. If you follow the path to the right you’ll see the renovated basketball courts, updated landscaping, playground with swing set, jungle gym, and see saws. The playground has both a mulch base and a sandy area with several picnic tables and benches scattered throughout.

P1010193 — Basketball courts beneath large shade trees

P1010187 — Playground with swing set, jungle gym, and sandy area

P1010201 — Another view of the playground area

P1010317 — University Park Homeowners Association metal bench

Beyond the playground is a new stairway to the unpaved and more densely wooded area that has a charcoal grill. Continue on and you’ll find the stairs leading up to the entrance at Everett Ave and Gardner St.

P1010202 — New stairways leading to the unpaved section of the park

If you’re back on the concrete walkway continuing around the open field you should notice the newly planted Knockout Roses behind the entry wall symbolizing Mrs. Cannon’s love for the Rose Garden. Along the walkway there are several comfortable benches to rest on or enjoy the views of the open field (still closed off to allow the grass to grow). Once the grass grows in, it will be a great place for a flag football game! There is a also new pavilion with 4 picnic tables on the far side of the path.

P1010316 — View of pavilion from across the field

P1010319 — Picnic tables at the pavilion

Continuing past the pavilion you’ll come to the most unique feature of the park: a small rock climbing area! The base has some padding to soften any falls and there are rules posted for climbing the rock. According to some of the speakers at the event this is the only park in Raleigh with a rock climbing area. The pathway extends up Kilgore Ave to the intersection of Latta St where the park ends. There are more benches in shady areas and new landscaping to enjoy.

P1010320 — Additional benches along the pathway

Being at the grand opening really gave me a sense of what a community is all about. The renovations for this park were provided by the 2003 bond referendum and from hearing the speakers thank those involved it sounds like the entire project from soliciting the community’s ideas to developing the master design plan to executing the project achieved the goals that were set forth…bringing a community together! I only wish I had gotten involved with the UPHA years ago.

P1010321 — Baby Ashley was all smiles when seeing the new park

Thumbs up: rock climbing area, sense of community, pathways, benches, playground, basketball courts, picnic area

Thumbs down: nothing to note

Glen Eden Pilot Park

January 16, 2014July 7, 2011 by Kris Montgomery

Glen Eden Pilot Park seems small and uninviting at first glance, but boy does it pack a punch! This park is located at 1500 Glen Eden Dr just outside the beltline. When I first pulled up I immediately noticed the empty parking lot and ugly stone building. I was carrying Ashley in her car seat due to lack of signs about trails so I figured I’d take a few pics with nothing to report and we’d head home. The main building is not staffed and was locked but can be rented by calling the Jaycee Comm Center at 831-6833. Next to the building I passed some stairs so we decided to walk down them. At the bottom I was pleasantly surprised to see a paved walkway and a gravel path that seemed like you could access it from Glen Eden Dr. My gut told me maybe there was more to this park than I initially thought, so I went back to the car, put Ashley in her stroller, headed on the narrow sidewalk and turned left out of the parking lot onto Glen Eden Dr. We found the secret wheeled-access path and met back up with the paved walkway.

P1000884 — View of the empty parking lot

P1000885 — Another empty parking lot pic

P1000887 — Stairs next to the building leading down to the paved trail

P1000886 — Side view of stone building available for rent

P1000892 — Gravel path for wheeled access (tough for pushing the stroller)

As we continued we passed a small pond for fishing and then came upon this open space oasis! I felt like we had just entered the secret garden! There is a large pavilion with 5 picnic tables, large open fields, 2 basketball courts, and a playground area all adjacent to this 1/4 mile loop paved trail. There are benches and a water fountain near the basketball court. The playground has a swing set and 2 jungle gyms. The large open spaces would be great for picnics or flag football.

P1000895 — Playground with jungle gyms and swingset

We walked past the basketball courts and found another entrance to the park with a small parking lot at Carlow St and Eden Croft Dr. This is a much more suitable entrance for visitors with strollers or in wheelchairs.

P1000894 — Smaller parking lot at alternate entrance (again empty)

From the trail we also came across a secret set of tennis courts. There are 4 courts and 1 court for single play against the backboard. The sign on the courts said to reserve the courts through Raleigh Tennis or use them on a first-come first-serve basis. There is also a separate entrance for the tennis courts although I couldn’t access the parking lot because of having the stroller.

P1000898 — One of the four tennis courts

As we headed back on the trail I enjoyed how the birds were drowning out the noisy nearby I-440. We had the entire park to ourselves, but I couldn’t help but imagine how much more popular this park could be if only a few signs were posted in the parking lot advertising “spectacular basketball courts, playground, picnic tables, and tennis just a few 100 yards away!”. Here’s a satellite view of the park from Google Maps of the entire area so you get a feel for what it looks like from overhead.

Thumbs up: peacefulness, open space, tennis courts, basketball courts, playground
Thumbs down: wheeled access from Glen Eden Dr entrance, lack of signage throughout park, lack of information at main building

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