Park It!

One of the best parts of living in Boise is the extensive park system. The Boise River runs through downtown and along that is the Boise River Greenbelt. On either side of the greenbelt, for many miles, are acres and acres of parks. The three that we are closest to are Julia Davis Park, Ann Morrison Park and Kathryn Albertson Park. Click each park link for information about the park and story of the woman each one is named after. For an interactive list of all the parks in Boise click here. You can also read about Porter’s and my train track hike to another park, the Boise Depot which has a beautiful park and gardens, in the post Abundant Sunshine.

Public parks are a fantastic way of enjoying the outdoors within city limits. We are lucky in Boise that they are so well maintained, offer a variety of activities year round and have mature beautiful trees and landscapes. All of the parks/greenbelt are free and open to the public and each one has its own personality.

I am a firm believer that open space, especially within a city, is important to keep communities alive and in touch with the earth. It is always worth supporting organizations that help maintain these open spaces for use by the public. Our parks not only have open spaces, but a zoo, many museums, Library! access and facilities for huge social gatherings and festivals. While the museums and zoo have entrance fees, most other activities at the parks are almost always free. The activity that brings us to the park on a regular basis, Luke especially, is disc golfing. All you need are the discs. The tees and baskets are already set up for 18 holes. Spending time in our many parks is a great way to connect with nature, our community, and have a great time as a family without having to spend a dime, and that’s always tender!

For our anniversary, yesterday, we went to Kathryn Albertson Park where Luke and I got married. We had a picnic in the same place that we had our ceremony. Then we took Porter for a walk around. Spring is baby gosling time for the Canadian Geese and that meant occasionally having to part a sea of geese in order to get through. Luckily we made it and weren’t pecked to death! 30 geese all in the same area can be intimidating for sure. Porter, however, wasn’t fazed a bit.

I loved getting to share such a special place for Luke and I with our child. It’s an activity that I had never considered sharing with our children, but I’m glad we can do it so easily. Telling our stories and sharing special places is what will make our family strong and keeps our shared experiences alive. I sure do love my little family!

The Eyrie Gazebo where we were married.

There were turtles sun bathing on every available rock.

Every available rock.

One of Albertson Park’s many ponds.

Another pond in Albertson Park.

I’m always a sucker for flowers in bloom!

We’ve also been enjoying our feet, friends and spring days here in Idaho.

Porter has officially found his toes, in fact, there are times when his big toe replaces his thumbs entirely. It makes changing diapers and putting on clothes EXTRA fun!