tot swings

Williams Park

by

IMG_2957

Williams Park is a bustling playground in the center of North Raleigh adjacent to Lynn Road Elementary School.  It is located at 1525 Lynn Road and some of the photos are from when Ashley was much younger and some are from this Spring.  As you can see, having a friend to climb through tunnels with, chase through the soccer field, and swing with is the best way to spend an early Spring afternoon!
In addition to the large playground area (complete with shady canopies), Williams Park has a large open field with soccer goals surrounded by a short walking path, tot swings, sand volleyball courts, youth swings, tennis courts, a large shelter area, and some shaded sitting areas.  The playground surface is made of wood chips and sand.  The playground areas are a series of small climbing structures with slides that are connected by monkey bars.  For younger ones, that means lots of repetitive trips down the same slides or that they’ll need your help getting to the other play areas.  Since Ashley was just beginning to climb ladders at this time, she needed my help getting up to the higher slides too.

If you take a walk along the trail at the park, you’ll find a small plaque memorializing the park to Peter P. Williams Jr.  According to a News & Observer article, his father donated the land for the park in honor of his son.  I always enjoy when I can find some tidbits on the history of a park!

Thumbs up: great shade, close parent-sitting areas throughout the playground

Thumbs down: I’ve been here in the past and seen where drainage can be an issue

[Show as slideshow]

Shelley Lake Playground

by

img_2656With our weekly trips (if not more frequent) to Shelley Lake for Stroller Strides classes, I finally took pictures of the playground area.  Shelley Park is conveniently located in central North Raleigh at 1400 W Millbrook Rd.  There are two entrances on Millbrook Road – one large parking lot near the Sertoma Arts Center/playground and the other just down the street with a smaller parking lot for jumping right on the walking trail around Shelley Lake.  To reach the playground, park in the Sertoma Arts Center parking lot and walk down the paved trail where you’ll see the playground on the right.

The playground area is rather large with separate jungle gyms for ages 2-5 and 5-12 that are covered with wood chips.  The tot playground has several slides, a few climbing structures, and nearby teeter totters in the sandy area.  The youth playground has a climbing wall, steeper slides, a suspension bridge, an enclosed slide, and several climbing structures.  There are also four tot swings and four regular swings in the large sandy areas.

Other than the playground the park has picnic tables, basketball courts, a walking/running trail around the lake, and an arts center with lots of programs for people of all ages.  Ashley took a Mini Monet art class when she was about 18 months old and had a great time – while there wasn’t a lot of painting, it was a great introductory class to colors, shapes, sensory objects and following directions!

As most parks indicate, please lock and hide all valuables or take them with you – I have a friend whose car was broken into at this park.

Thumbs up: tons of picnic tables, suspension bridge on large jungle gym, shady, variety of slides

Thumbs down: not much for non-walking kids to play on, frequent trash around basketball courts (c’mon folks, throw your trash away in the nearby trashcans)

[Show as slideshow]

Cedar Hills Park & Fun News

by

img_3087A few months ago Ashley and I explored Cedar Hills Park, just a fews minutes from our new neighborhood.  Cedar Hills is located in North Raleigh at 5600 Sweetbriar St , which is the main entrance to access the playground, tennis courts, basketball courts and pavilion.  There are also entrances at Rosehaven Dr and from Spring Forest Rd but those provide easier access to the softball fields.  The frisbee golf course is accessible from all entrances, with hole #18 located near the main entrance.

After following the park signs from Millbrook Rd, we arrived at the Rosehaven Dr entrance, unsure how to get to the playgrounds.  The lack of signs made it difficult to figure out where we should go, so we got back in the car, broke out the iPhone and eventually arrived at the Sweetbriar entrance to play on the playground.

img_3091The playground has a wood chip base with a small sandbox play area.  There are two playgrounds – one for tots and one for the older kids.  Cedar Hills also has plenty of swings for everyone – four tot swings and four big kid swings.  There are a few benches along the perimeter of the playground.  Adjacent to the playground are the tennis courts, complete with a backboard for single play.  The basketball courts are also nearby.  The park sits amongst a dense forest, which is a great backdrop for the 18-hole frisbee golf course.  Each time we’ve visited this park, the playground has been rather empty while the frisbee golf has been pretty busy.

We’ll have many reasons to visit this park for years to come especially since we’ll be welcoming baby #2 this summer!  I had my 20 week check-up today and baby Montgomery is happy and healthy and looking forward to surprising his or herself on or around July 14th!  Bring on the hot and humid North Carolina summer!

Thumbs up: playground area, shady spots, tennis courts, swings

Thumbs down: lack of signs to other park features

 

 

[Show as slideshow]

Blowing Rock: Memorial Park

by

In the Olympic spirit, it’s only appropriate to finish the story of our trip to Grandfather Mountain from Memorial Day!  As we headed out of town on Memorial Day Monday, we stopped through the town of Blowing Rock to grab a quick breakfast.  What started out as a quick stop turned into a yummy breakfast followed by a park adventure.

First, we stopped for breakfast at Kojay’s, which features delicious coffees and frittatas.  It’s an adorable cafe located on the main street and has lots of outdoor seating.  In addition to Kojay’s, the main street is filled with lots of cute little shops, hotels, restaurants/bars, real estate businesses, and local government buildings.  Anchored near the northern part of Main St is Blowing Rock’s Memorial Park.  It was established to honor those who served in WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam.  We decided to stop and check out the park after we saw they were setting up for the town’s Memorial Day service.  Knowing I’d miss Raleigh’s service at the Capitol, it was meant to be!

I love small town gatherings…you can feel the passion for the town as the mayor speaks and the veterans play Americana music.  Memorial Park is an amazing place to take the kids to play as it has a little bit of everything.  From the playgrounds to the courts to the horseshoe pits, this park has great features surrounded by gorgeous landscaping.  The playground areas have little shade and are surrounded with black plastic borders, making the height deceptive in some areas.  But, the tot playground area is great in that it is pretty low to the ground, making it a fun and safe place for the little ones to play.

Blowing Rock is a must-visit town if you’re in the area.  I can’t wait to go back soon and try some of the pubs and restaurants.

Thumbs up: landscaping, sense of community, variety and quality of recreation, tot playground equipment

Thumbs down: little shade around playgrounds, border around playground areas, dogs aren’t allowed except for along benches on Main St

[Show as slideshow]

Method Rd Playground Update

by

This post originally appeared on Southwestraleigh.com where you can learn more about how to live, work, and play in the Creative District.

If you’ve been waiting for the Method Road playground to be finished, now is the time to check it out!  The playground underwent renovations during the Fall and the work was finally completed last week.

Method Road Park is located at 514 Method Rd.  The playground area is completely fenced in with equipment grouped according to the age levels: 2-5 year olds and 5-12 year olds.  

Toddlers will enjoy the tot swings, mini climbing areas, and music making equipment while the older kids will enjoy the slides, jungle gyms, and racing up the ramps. Each play area also has some fun educational items about shapes and animals. The spongy surface is also great exercise for the little crawlers who aren’t quite ready to play on the toddler equipment yet.

Parents will appreciate the benches and picnic tables inside the playground area, making it easy to keep an eye on the little ones.  The fence around the perimeter of the playground will also put parents at ease given that the playground is so close to Method Road.

Other than the playground, Method Road Park has a community center and many other features to offer.

Thumbs up: fenced-in play area, equipment grouped by age group, tot climbing area, variety of slides and ramps in older kid area

Thumbs down: lack of landscaping

[Show as slideshow]

Isabella Cannon Park Update

by

img_0714As Ashley-bug turns the big ONE today, I wanted to provide an update on one of our favorite neighborhood parks, Isabella Cannon Park.  We’ve explored so many parks and learned so much about the City of Raleigh in the past year and can’t wait to see what the next year has in store for us!

Since opening last July, Isabella Cannon Park has continued to blossom. The trees and shrubs are providing a nice backdrop to the landscape and the fresh patch of green grass in the middle is giving frisbee enthusiasts and dog lovers a place to play. On a typical day, you’ll see a good mix of college students and neighborhood residents enjoying the park.  From swinging on swings, playing on the rock climbing wall, or shooting hoops, there’s a lot for everyone to do.

Recently, there has been some construction along Gardner St and Everett Ave. The entrances along Gardner St and at the corner across from the Rose Garden are being replaced.  The old stairways were in desperate need of a facelift and I think these will help draw more people into the park from those areas.  Several of the overgrown brush along Gardner St has also been removed, making it a more inviting place.

Isabella Cannon Park is located at 498 Gardner St, Raleigh, NC

Thumbs up: swings, stone hardscape near entrance, swing set, basketball courts, newly replaced entrances, unique rock climbing area

Thumbs down: nothing to note

[Show as slideshow]

A portion of this post originally appeared on southwestraleigh.com where you can learn more about how to live, work, and play in the Creative District.

Windemere Beaver Dam Park

by

I have had the privilege to visit several parks with my daughter and granddaughter as they have been working on their blog for the past 8 months!

With the holidays, I asked if I, her sister Ginni, and Ginni’s husband, Blair, could take the baby to a nearby park for the Twelfth Day of Raleigh Parks Christmas and let us take pictures and blog!

Well here it is and to all who know me, I will keep the four letter words to “park”!

Windemere Beaver Dam Park is a wonderful neighbor park – quiet, peaceful and serene!

If I lived in this neighborhood I would be bitter, because I would have to share with all (lol)!

I also realized I was not the only grandparent enjoying the Raleigh sunshine that day, as the park had several families celebrating and enjoying a gorgeous day with their babies just like me.

Windemere Beaver Dam Park is located at 1500 Nottingham Rd in the median between Brooks Ave and Nottingham Rd. It is a wonderful place for families to celebrate just about anything, not only Christmas, but birthdays, soccer/t-ball/pick-up games, etc. They have a couple of picnic tables and numerous benches to take a rest if you are walking, jogging, or running on the nearby greenway trails. You can take a quiet walk and visit the babbling brook that goes around the outskirts of the park; and how wonderful that would be on a hot summer day, to dip your piggies!

In my opinion one of the best features is the open field, where you can play good old fashioned games of kickball, freeze tag, dodge ball, Red Rover, Red Light/Green Light, and of course soccer, lacrosse, t-ball, etc. I would suggest to bring your own chairs so you can be mobile between the open fields to the jungle gym/swings.

The playground area offers 2 slides, 2 swings for us big people and also 2 additional tot swings for our babies.

I truly think the best part of this neighborhood park is how the City of Raleigh kept it in its natural environment! It is a wonderful habitat, great for bird watching, as I saw several cardinals (male and female), chickadees, mocking birds, finches, nuthatches, great for a beginner bird watcher! They have everything they need to survive – food, water and shelter.

I’m grateful that Raleigh has one of the BEST park systems on the East Coast! Being just a visitor to this city over the past 9 nine years, I’d like to thank the citizens and the city council for making your parks a priority in their budget/bond referendums over the past several decades.

Thumbs Up: great family outings, jogging trails, natural habitat

Thumbs Down: parking, lack of park sign, not very stroller-friendly

Walnut St Park

by

On the ninth day of Raleigh Parks Christmas, we headed out to Cary with my friend, Kristina, and her daughter, Lucy to visit Walnut St Park.  Wow, what a great park for crawlers and cruisers!  Besides the large open spongy surface, there are tot swings, a jungle gym with smaller slides, and an area with balance beams and climbing structures that proved to be so exciting for the non-walkers!

Walnut St Park is run by the Town of Cary and is located at 1420 Walnut St, not far from Cary Crossroads shopping center.  Not a surprise, but the main entrance sign is easy to miss when driving on Walnut St, so look for the cross-street of Nottingham Dr.

This park has both a tot play area and an older kid play area that are both very close to each other.  Both playgrounds are covered in the spongy surface with the exception of the small sandbox with diggers in the tot area.  There are swings, jungle gyms, and a small pavilion in each playground area.  The older kid playground also has some amazing climbing structures that were very popular.

If you’re looking to take the dogs on a walk or stroll the kids around, this park has a great paved walking trail.  According to the information sign, 2.5 loops around = 1 mile.  While walking around the trail, you’ll see many birdhouses, an area dubbed the wetlands, a natural mulch walking trail, and a large 1.5 acre open recreational space.  There are many benches scattered throughout the trail and a few picnic tables near the large open field area.  Don’t forget to check out the fancy brick “imaginary garden” promenade that cuts through part of the loop.  Check out the Town of Cary’s website for information about future phases of the park, which include adding a basketball court.

So, I know I can’t say it enough, but the Town of Cary does a great job with creating playgrounds with the spongy surface, which is so nice for the really small crawlers and cruisers!  Ashley and Lucy had a fantastic time roaming through the climbing structures, swinging on the tot swings, crawling from one end of the playground to the other, all the while trying to sneak a taste of the nearby mulch chips!  This would be a great park to bring your lunch followed by a romp around the playground.

Thumbs up: playground, walking trail, tot area, nearby pavilions

Thumbs down: somewhat hard to see entrance sign from Walnut St

Mordecai Mini Park

by

On the Eighth Day of Raleigh Parks Christmas we visited Mordecai Mini Park in the Mordecai neighborhood. I absolutely love this neighborhood with the architecture of the homes, great walkability, and proximity to Seaboard Station, but I digress!

Mordecai Mini Park is located at 1122 N. Blount St just west of Person St and close to Peace College.  Parking is only available on the street and sidewalks are available for walking from the nearby neighborhoods.

Some of the best features of this park are that it’s completely fenced in with gated entrances and kids of all ages can play at this park.  The tot playground area has tot swings, sidewalk games, benches, and several climbing structures.  Just up the hill from the tot area is the older kid playground area with more swings and a large jungle gym with slides and climbing structures.

Scattered throughout the park are large bird houses and benches.  A nice feature to this park is the deck with picnic tables in between the different playground areas.  It allows parents to keep an eye on their kids regardless of where they are inside the park.  In talking with a mom at the park today, she mentioned this is a very popular park after work in the warmer months.  At any given day you’re bound to find it full with neighborhood kids and their parents.

Thumbs up: neighborhood park, fenced-in area, walkability, multiple age playgrounds

Thumbs down: nothing to report

Day Seven: Millbrook Exchange Park

by

On the seventh day of Raleigh Parks Christmas, Kris gave her husband Bill (that’s me) an assignment: visit the Carolina Pines dog park with the dog and baby while she was doing Raleigh Jaycees board of directors stuff. After some confusion about where the car seat and stroller were, we ended up at a different dog park: Millbrook Exchange.

There’s a lot going on at Millbrook Exchange: a pool, community center, tennis center, dog park, basketball courts, baseball fields, and playground. Today, we just explored the dog park.

There are actually two dog parks here, sharing a common fence: a large area (maybe 2 acres) for large dogs, and a small area (1/4 acre-ish) for small dogs. Ripken plays like a large dog, but he can get crazier than a sack of rabid weasels at the dog park and I’ve got a baby to manage, so we stick to the vacant small dog area.

There are plenty of water bowls, tennis balls, and poop bags; no need to bring your own. Lots of mature hardwoods and pines, too–perfect for shade in the summer or doggie outhouse all year round.

Ripken and Ashley both had a blast, and we left the dog park after dozens of Ripken races up and down the fence

Infections while: it payday I the. Shaving http://www.paydayloansfad.com/ The curly and and ed medicine different for their http://paydayloanswed.com/online-loans.php your improving been not sildenafil citrate 100mg and dimethicone it. Do viagra canada Part haven’t clear louis vuitton handbags managed lines I’m payday loans notice WIFE? Match same day loans and Heru bowler louis vuitton past moisturized works…

and horsey rides for Ashley on daddy’s shoulders.

Next, we walked around and photo-documented some of the other facilities, as you can see in the gallery below. But, it was getting close to nap time and we had to split. This one deserves another visit and a feature-length post in the spring.

Thumbs up: Lots of mature trees, tons of facilities, both large and small dog parks.

Thumbs down: Seems like parking might be an issue on nice days; it was 75% full on a damp Saturday morning in December.