A Walk in the Park

Today was a beautiful day with blue skies and temperatures in the 50s. Definitely, a day that we did not want to waste on inside chores. So, after a productive morning at home, Ward and I went to a nearby town to walk in their park. We considered something more rural but decided most trails would be muddy - which we didn't want. We had been to this park before but had yet to explore all of it as we did today. We were not the only ones enjoying the park and sunshine; we saw many other people enjoying it just as we did. Here are pictures from our walk in the park.

The park is centered around Carroll Creek, which flows through it.

I got excited when I saw a swan in the creek. It turns out that it was made out of plastic.

This swinging bridge across the creek was initially built in 1875
and moved to this location in 1929. Subsequently, they have
 upgraded it to make it safe by today's standards.

The park also has a lake where we saw this statue of Lefty Kreh, a fly-fishing innovator.
We saw real people fishing, also.

And we saw real waterfowl on the lake when we spotted these mallards. 

The park has an amphitheater as well as a bell tower. The tower has 49 carillon bells
and still plays concerts. Someday, we will make it to one of them.

On the edge of the park is a former armory. The building was built in 1913 in the style of medieval fortifications. Today, it houses rec department facilities.

We did a little more exploring around the neighborhoods near the park before we headed home. It was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

Until next time...

A City Walk

Last Friday, Ward said he wanted to get out of the house because he hadn't been outside for a week except to take the trashcan to the curb one morning. I was surprised because I had been out several times to go to work and hadn't noticed that he hadn't gone anywhere.  So he could get out of the house, we took the afternoon off and went exploring in a new-to-us park. We were looking for something with paved paths since anything else would have probably been either icy, muddy, or both. I layered up and survived was warm against the cold wind, but true to form, Ward found it invigorating.

Here are a few pictures from our walk.

We visited Baker Park which is in the middle
 of the small city of Frederick. In case you can't read the sign, 
"Baker Park, Opened June 3, 1927. 
To provide wholesome recreation for the people,
safe, sane amusement for the children,
this park is dedicated to the welfare of the community."
I wonder what "sane amusement" is.

There is a 70' bell tower honoring Joseph Baker who is the park's namesake. 
It has 49 carillon bells and they give concerts on Sunday.

The park also houses a large amphitheater. 

It is mostly known for housing band concerts, but obviously gives a nod to theater.

Adjacent to Baker Park is the linear park that we have visited before.

We saw colorful sculptures...

...as well as the colorful boat display we visited a couple of months ago at night
when they were all lit up. We saw a whole different set of details during the daytime.

And what park visit would be complete without seeing ducks?