Candlewood Park

We spotted this park as we were driving down Williams Drive over in Corpus Christi. It is fairly large and has a lot of area to walk and fields to play. There is a basketball court and a play area. The climbing wall was very sturdy. It feels like even big people could enjoy it. There is also a covered picnic shelter.

Ropes

There are a series of small parks along Ocean Drive and Shoreline in Corpus Christi. Ropes is one of those. The beach access isn't very easy. The parks have signs on the stairs leading down to the water warning users that the stairs are dangerous etc.

We didn't stay here very long. Several young women/girls arrived wearing bikinis. I think they were going to take pictures. It isn't really a park that I would go to sunbathe or swim.

It does have a nice picnic table with the view of the bay.

We left and drove down to Cole Park. There was a large crowd gathered for a skateboarding thing. People involved with the Corpus Dog Park group were also there. They are trying to raise money to build a dog park. The city is not helping with any of the finances. We miss the dog parks. Zip loved to go there and play.

And we were told as we were leaving Chris Tucker (actor in Rush Hour) was scheduled to be there. We didn't go back to see him. If it had been Jackie Chan maybe!!!

H E Butt Park

We went to Corpus to go shopping etc. We checked out HEB Park. There were many people playing at the Tennis Center. I'm not sure if a tournament was taking place or if it is naturally busy.

On the other side of the parking lot was a swimming pool. It wasn't filled with water. You would think since it is officially summer they would have it opened. Other pools in the town have been opened.

The park also had a small play area with swings etc, two open racketball courts, basketball halfcourt, and sidewalks. We didn't look around very much because I found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest. The other nestmates were perched around the nest. I placed it on a lower branch in the tree. Hopefully it will be able to hop up and over to the nest or maybe momma bird will find it. I'm not sure what kind of bird it is. I should have photographed it. It wasn't a bird I would have recognised like sparrow, grackle, or mockingbird.

May 11, 2009 The bird was a scissortail.

Collier Park

We were driving over to find Hamlin Pharmacy. We missed the turn and was doubling back when we found this park.

The pool was opened and being used. We just wished we had brought our swim suits. The park has a big child size climbing wall. This park must be a favorite for birthday parties. We saw three different tables decorated complete with pinatas.

Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge

This is another park that it mentioned in Birding Corpus Christi book. The book warns that the park is prone to break ins. There are numerous signs stating that the area is "Under Surveillance". On one side is a boardwalk beside a freshwater channel that is the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant. It flows into Oso Bay. We saw dozens of white pelicans grouped together. There were many smaller bird "fishing" along the shore. Some birds were so small I wondered if they might have been "chicks".

We walked over to the trail that leads thru the park. It is a pleasant walk. We saw a very red bird but not sure if it was a cardinal. There were many lizards racing along the path. At the other end of the trail I actually was able to hang from the monkey bars. I think I could have hung longer if I'd been wearing some gloves.

Paris

My niece Kristi went to Paris.

West Guth

In honor of the first day of spring, we went to West Guth park in Corpus Christi, which is located just off of I-37 between Carbon Plant Road and Rand Morgan Road. Never could find the carbon plant. The park has a duck pond with some noisy and aggressive inhabitants, a nice concrete walking trail, a disc golf course, numerous picnic areas, a swimming pool (public), a pavilion, a senior center and plenty of open space. The duck pond has a bridge on the east side that crosses over to an area bordered by a public school. This particular bridge was guarded by a battalion of feisty geese but we managed to cross over without major goose attack. There are also numerous rolling hills to walk, run or crawl up. The trail itself also has hills to present a varied walking/running challenge.

Lake Findley

For our 12th anniversary we decided to drive over to Alice, Texas and see the sights. My bird watching book suggested we check out Lake Findley. It also said we needed to get a permit from city hall before going out to the lake. We found city hall but it was closed. It was Saturday so it wasn't very surprising. Across the street was the police department. We walked over there but were unable to find anyone either. But fortunately there was a garage sale going on in the city hall parking lot. John and I wander over to some of the people working at the sale and asked them about the permit. A local woman said she had never heard about needing a permit so we were able to drive out to the park without a permit. Of course we checked out the junk. They were selling anything for a quarter. We managed to find five dollars worth of 25 cent stuff. John was pleased with a bunch of CDs he found.
We drove out to the lake. It has a levy around it so you cant see it as you drive up. It is the water reservoir for the city. There are several large picnic benches. There are many cypress trees that are a pleasant change from the usual mesquite. You can canoe on the lake. We watched a group with a small boat preparing to launch out on a voyage. We liked the place and felt it was worthy of a return visit.
For lunch we ate at Danny's. It was a Mexican food restaurant. John and I had the enchilada lunch special for only $3.99 (a lotta food for little $$$). We spent 20 buck and that included a generous tip for our waitress.

City Beach

We drove over to the beach. The sign said the sand conditions were poor so we did not want to drive very far on the beach. Because it was so cold and windy very few people were out. We walked a little along the shoreline. I saw quite afew shells etc. I didn't gather anything which is very unusual for me. I was concerned because of the beach parking permit requirement. We didn't have one and didn't want to get a ticket. I think the cold weather probably would keep the permit enforcement patrols to a minimum but we didn't want to risk it. We didn't stay very long. Next time we will get a permit and explore the beach.

Community Park

We drove over to Port Aransas to visit some of the parks. The first one we stopped at was the Community Park. There is a 1.1 mile walking/jogging trail. Along the front part of the trail are many exercise stations. The back half of the trail goes thru a birding area with a couple of observation area. This is one of the best maintained parks we've been to in South Texas. It was a cold day and very few people were out. A woman walking her dog was concerned about some teenage boys. She thought they had guns. They did have paintball guns. Also there is a skateboard park and a heated swimming pool.

Paradise Pond

This is the last park we visited before leaving Port Aransas. It is very difficult to find. There aren't any signs on the street. It isn't a very large park. The park is sandwiched between houses and businesses. There is a raised boardwalk leading you thru a wooded area. Three observation areas are positioned along the boardwalk. They look out over an open area. Currently the area was dry but according to the signs during some seasons it is a water/lake area.

Indian Point

Indian Point Park and Sunset Lake park are connected together. We parked at Sunset Lake and walked over to Indian Point Park. Creepy bit of history, A mass grave for dead from the storm of 1919 were buried in the park, (bodies have been moved to a cemetary now) There are two boardwalks and a large fishing pier. Admission is a $1 per person/pole. We did not go out on the pier even though no one was present to take our money.
We saw a couple of dolphins out in the water. Looked like Flipper and a friend.

Sunset Lake Park

We drove over to Portland for the day. Sunset Lake park has a jogging and bike trail along the shoreline. We saw four pink spoonbills. Three were together as a group and when we returned to the car the fourth on was visible from the parking area. Many people were fishing along the shore. I even saw one guy fly fishing. Only time I've seen it is on the movie, A River Runs Thru It.

Bentsen Rio Grande State Park

We drove to the valley today to visit this park. It is a good place to bird watch. We saw lots of birds. The best was seeing three javelinas, an armadillo, and a big black snake. I was surprised to see the snake. I thought they were hibernating for the winter. This snake was laying out in the sunny part of the path. At first glance it looked like a stick.
We decided to walk around the park rather than rent a bicycle. We didn't see all of the park. According to my pedometer, I walked almost five miles. We plan to return to the park again and next time we will rent bikes.

St. Andrews

We were looking for a short cut thru a back street over in Corpus and came across this park. There is a playground with toys. One looks like a ship. There is a large open field that several people were playing fetch with their dogs. One guy was walking three weiner dogs. There is also a tennis court.

Labonte Park

The park is located in Nueces county. It is along the river. We walked down to the dam. It is an area that keeps the salt water from the bay from going up river.

Doddridge Park

The park is along Ocean Drive/Shoreline in Corpus Christi. It is a great place to just sit and feel the breeze and look out at the water.

Flato Park

The park is located in Kleberg county. It has a covered picnic area, a playground, and basketball court. I also found a homemade pipe hidden in a tree.

Hazel Bazemore Park

The park is located in Nueces county. It has several places for bird watching. There are a series of trails. It has many picnic tables that are along the river. It looks like a good place to go fishing.

Dick Kleberg Park

We saw several types of birds in the park. Even saw a cardinal, John's clan animal. We walked on the path by the water and noticed a sign that an alligator had been seen in the water. We didn't see it but thought we saw Bigfoot by the Lion. LOL It was very quiet and peaceful in the park. The anchor is still in the park. The airplane and firetruck are gone. The tennis courts have been converted to a skate park but looks to need serious repair. Otherwise everything seems to be the same.

Marina

We walked around on the T Head and thought we would ride on the boat but were told that they only go out if there are 30 passengers. The lady said counting us there were two people interested so far.

Selena

We also saw Selena. I thought her statue was in the middle of the street. So I was surprised to see her on the T head.

"The Nina"

We walked around on the T heads and spotted a ship from Columbus' fleet. John was ready to stage a protest, but we had other things to do.

Artesian Park

Another small park in Corpus Christi. It located across the street from the newspaper. John could hear the presses running.

Cole Park

Saturday we visited Corpus Christi and drove along the bayfront. Cole Park has an elaborate wooden structure for the kids to play on. It large enough for big people too. The view of the water is fantastic. Cole park is one of many parks running along Ocean Drive/Shoreline.

Amistad Park

We went again over to Bishop to check out another small park. This one has a walking trail around the perimeter. There is a field with one football goal, a volley ball net, and a backstop. There are three basketball courts with goals and new nets on the other side of the park. The playground toys appear to be new.

Bishop City Park

We decided to check out the parks over in Bishop. This one is on Business 77. It is quite nice for a small town. There are baseball, and basketball fields. There are several nice playground toys. The park needs some care. It looks like the last time anything new was added was in the last century. There is a very nice nature trail with bird viewing areas. The trail had just been mowed and there was still areas with very tall grass. I guess unusually wet summer could account for the really tall grass and unkept look of the park.

Los Hermanos Flores Park

We have moved to Kingsville. There are fewer parks in Kleberg county and will not take too long to visit them all. This park has a basketball court, several toys, swings and jungle gyms for kids to play on. It also has several lions. I have always liked the lion water fountain. As a child I worried that it might bite me while I drank. LOL

Kenedy Park

This is a small park on the corner of Kenedy and 14th. It needed to have someone come and mow it. The grass was very high. The landscaping needed to be tended to also. The park looks almost like an overgrown lot.

Thompson Park

The last of the three parks we visited on Sunday. We didn't wander around because of the number of people. I just took picture and left. There are many toys for kids to play on and a basketball court.

The Cabin

The family has relocated to south Texas. Here is a picture of the rustic garage apartment I'm living in for awhile. I didn't get a chance to visit all the parks in the Houston area. I will now be checking out the what is in Kingsville/Corpus Christi area.

Collins Park

We stopped by at this park just to take the photo. It is just down the street from mom's new apartment. It has many toys on the playground. I think it has one of the tallest slides that I've seen. We will have to come to this park again when we come back to Houston for visits.

HEB Kid Fit Park

This is a new exercise area in Nottingham park. There are several sizes of equipment for young kids and adults. There is a small climbing wall. I even climbed up a couple of "steps". I was happy to realize I could do it.

There is John sitting on the curb around the climbing wall. The gnome is blocking the wall.

Fry Road Park

We were on our way back home and I noticed this park on the Key Map. the park is near Saums and Fry. It is a very nice park. There is a small walking trail, play ground toys, restrooms, and lots of parking for a pocket park.

Katy City Park

This park is next to Mary Jo Peckham park. You can see John in the background over by the restrooms. The park is ok but Peckham park is much nicer. The park has playground toys, baseball and a dog park.

Bill Archer dog park

We decided to check out this new dog park. We did not bring Zip with us. It has been too rainy. There was so much water/puddles we could not walk around the whole park. It is very large. The website said 17 acres. There are two sections for small and large dogs. Zip would have to go to the large dog part. There are water hose with spray nozzles to clean your dog after playing. John used them to clean his muddy (dogs) feet.

My new gnome is from Donna, a Swapbot friend. He has traveled all the way from British Columbia, Canada.

Bigfoot Post Office

Stopped off at Bigfoot on the way to Pearsall. There was a small park across the street but didn't see a sign.

Southdown Park

We drove over to Pearland today and visited Southdown Park. I want to call it Sundown park. It has a Water Splash park but currently it is closed for repairs. Apparently the pine bark mulch clogs the pipes etc. I like the recessed water park area. It allows a little privacy.

Next to the park is an enclosed Bark Park for dogs. There are some agility equipment. We noticed most of the dogs were just sniffing each other rather than running around.

There is a a sidewalk weaving around the park. There are exercise stations scattered along the pathway. The city has also landscaped many areas along the walk. The park has many covered picnic tables, a large pavilion area, and a event center.

Dow Elementary

The school in the background is being renovated. It looks like it will be made into townhouses/loft apartments. I don't imagine this park will be here much longer just looking at the changes occuring in this neighborhood.

In front of the "school" is an unusual Virgin sculpture made out of aluminum cans.

Tony Marron Park

The last park of the day. We just came upon it without planning to visit. There is a trail running along the bayou. We did not walk on it but it appears to go for quite a ways. The playground had very new equipment. I liked the small climbing wall. We need to return again to this park and check out the fountain/splash? park. It wasn't operating today but it looks to be a really interesting design.

Fox Park

John was parked in the street and I hurriedly took the picture. This park is just a small grassy space. It is barely larger than the sign.

Eastwood Park

A small park that I just took a picture of the sign.

John T. Mason Park

Park of the month for March

The park is over 100 acres and is divided into three areas. We did not visit the part across 75th street. A lot of construction is taking place in this park. Some of the projects are a lighted soccer field and a series of trails along Brays bayou. The park currently has a pool, disc golf course, indoor basketball, soccer fields, tennis courts, and community center.

When all the work is completed this will be a fantastic place to visit again.

Wright Bembry Park

The last park we visited today. It is a very small one (pocket park size). This neighborhood is rapidly changing. On one side of the park was a street with older small homes and on the other side were brand new homes being built. I imagine if we were to return later this year the both blocks will be rebuilt with all new homes.

Halbert Park

Just took photo of sign. We did not walk around this park. It has a basketball court. You can see a couple of people playing in the background. There was also a small playground area. But it doesn't really have a parking area. Another reason we didn't linger.

Proctor Plaza Park

This is a tiny park in a historic Heights neighborhood. There is a covered basketball court that does not have any hoops or backboards. I don't think many people play basketball over here. Several yuppie type families with young children were the only people at the park. It also has a walkway around the park and some tennis courts.

Montie Beach Park

The wet weather has kept us from gnoming. Today is a beautiful day. First stop is Montie Beach park. Not a sign of any type of water so don't know where the beach is. :)
There is a small hill by the playground. John says the park is much improved from the olden days. Today an organized group of men were playing soccer. There is also a baseball field.
A 5/8th mile walking trail goes around the perimeter of the park.

Pocket park 12005 Kimberly

Just a sign and some stakes marking a fence to be installed. It was kinda hard to find. Kimberly dead ends every other block. Easiest way to get there is to turn south at Memorial City Mall. I guess it would have been easier too if we'd used my new Key map.

Eldridge Park

It has been quite awhile since we have gone gnoming. I guess the "holidaze" and the "icicling" and the wet weather have kept us house bound. I guess getting my trusty canine companion, Zip may have also contributed. I'm still getting familiar with him. I also need to "train" him to walk better on a leash. Right now he isn't the best at following me as a pack leader.

Eldridge park is located in Sugar Land. The park has a bunch of soccer fields. There are two brick buildings. Looks like one could be use for parties, weddings etc. The other is an outdoor picnic type one. (maybe a concession stand?) On Sunday it looked like it was being used as a meeting area for an Asian Church. Along the side of the buildings was a small playground area.

There is a 0.4 of a mile paved trail around a pond with a spray fountain. We walked the loop five times to complete 2 miles. There was a large compass rose embedded in the sidewalk. It is located next to a pier. There were a number of ducks sitting around that we joked about possible being made into Peking Duck if they weren't careful. It was kinda cold, windy, and muddy so we didn't go to the farthest areas of the park. It looked like all that was at the back was more soccer fields.

Meyer Park

We stopped off at this park after visiting my brother's for Christmas. It was sooo cold maybe not that cold just very windy. The park is on both sides of the road. We wandered around on the South side of the park. Several people playing soccer and their dogs were the majority of visitors. Quite afew birds were in pond on the east side. We saw three Nutria running and swimming.

We plan to return again and explore both sides more thoroughly.

Emancipation Park

Emancipation Park is not far from Baldwin park but in a very different neighborhood. We drove by a pool. We didn't walk around this park. John used the portapotty while I quickly took this picture. Several homeless people were sitting around this park with their shopping carts beside them.

Baldwin Park

November park of the month. The city has really made many improvements. John says this used to be a real bum's hangout. There is a gravel path around the edge of the park. A gazebo like structure with welcome written in many languages is in the middle of the park. The playground is only two toys for very small kids. But the park has about four "dogie bag" dispensers located along the paths. The best feature of the park are the trees. Huge old oaks cover the entire park in a wonderful shade. One particularly old tree almost looks and feels like it might reach out and grasp you in its woody fingers.

Taylor park

This is the November park of the month according to the city's website. It is fairly isolated. Perfect place to dump stuff like about a dozen old tires. The park has about a mile of trails wandering around the park. Several bird blinds are scattered around. If the mosquitoes weren't so bad I might have been tempted to stay and see if I could spot some birds.

After windy Wednesday, the city really needs to send out people to clear the trails of all the limbs and branches.

We liked the park. I am sure we will return again to visit and watch birds.

Bell Park

With the time change we were early every where we went today. Decided to stop off at Bell park just because it wasn't closed. It is a small park with a very attractive water feature (pond, waterfall, fountain, a couple of bridges over the water). The benches are made from concrete but have been molded to a very smooth curves that make the attractive. There is also a statue of Christopher Columbus in the park. Not sure why he is here. He seems to be pointing at something in the bushes. (No telling what that could be since this park is in Montrose)
It is a pleasant place to sit in the shade and listen to the sound of water.

Sam Houston

We had been walking for quite awhile. By this time John needed to find the little boys room. I spotted a blue BFI portapotty across the bayou so we walked over there. When we got there I noticed the sign for Sam Houston Park. While John was inside I walk over a took this picture. I see by the sign this park was acquired in 1899.

John said the potty was too full to use. So we had to hurry back to the car and find some other place.

Sesquicentennial Park

This was the best sign I could locate for Sesquicentennial park. I'm sure there is a typical green or brown city park sign but I didn't see it today. There were lots of tiles along a wall with images from Houston. (from old to modern)

Art park

This area has changed so much. Ten years ago none of these trails were down here. It is a little noisy with the traffic noise. You can see all the elevated freeways in the background.

Buffalo Bayou Walk

This trail is along both sides of the bayou. There are several places were you can launch a canoe. Also painted on the sidewalk is painted with blue and white stipes with a poem about blue. The word blue and then a word that goes with it like blue plate blue print blue moon etc. Pretty cool!

Mozolo Disc Golf Course

Drove around the downtown area. It was easy to do on a Sunday morning. The weather was beautiful. A cold front came thru and it was very pleasant walking. We didn't bring any money. I spent all my change yesterday. We looked around for a parking place without a meter. Found a spot very close to this Disc golf course. There were several animals made from rebar nearby. We walked down to the trail along the bayou.

Schwartz Park

This park is located along side Landrum Middle school. It almost looks like it is a part of the school campus. There is a swimming pool, basketball court, and baseball field. The road that runs along the side of the park is a dead end. I imagine that some silly stuff could go on back there late at night.

Freed Park

When we arrived we noticed several men starting to play soccer in a large open area on the side of the park. There was a vegetable garden in another open area. I didn't walk over to look because the ground was still muddy from all the rain we have had. There is also a cummunity center. The other part of this park is filled with nice old trees and also has a very shady walking trail around the perimeter. The city is adding some new playground equipment. With all the apartments in the area, this will be very enjoyable for the neighborhood children.

Jack Brooks Park

We went to Jack Brooks Park to participate in a 5k walk with the Houston Happy Hikers. Last week we had lots and lots of rain so the trails were muddy. This meant that the walk was on the roads in the park. I told John to just think of them as really wide paved trails. The course was a bit confusing. One checkpoint was unmanned so we punched our own card. John ate several pieces of candy since no one was there to tell him "only one piece".
We will have to return to this park again when it is dry. It is near the dog track. So maybe we can check out the dog races also.

Grady Park

Found this park over by Chimney Rock and San Felipe. There is several tennis courts, a walking trail, and some basketball courts. The basketball courts are at the back and on the other side of a fence that makes me wonder if maybe the are part of the other property. You can see all the orange plastic fencing in the picture. It looks like there will be some playground equipment maybe?
We will have to return later to see the progress. It is a nice little park.

Lake Houston State Park

Took the new gnome out on a trip to Lake Houston State Park. We got an early start and arrived around 8:00am. There was still dew on the ground and lots of spiderwebs glittened in the sunshine. Very few people were out and about. (one guy on a bicycle, and later two people with their hiking poles) Seeing the poles reminded us that we should have brought ours. The trail wasn't too uneven or hilly to even need the poles. We wandered along a hike/bike trail. It was starting to get warm so we thought we would go back. We came across the equestrian trail and decided to follow it back to parking area. It has not been used as much as the other trails. The plants have grown over the trail more and the spiders webs are all over the trails. At one point John invented the Spider Dance. He had a HUGE Banana spider crawling on him. He is asking me to get it off his back. All I could do is stand back in terror and utter "It's on you" over and over again. Other than the creepy spiders we saw a deer, a squirrel, lots of little lizards, cardinals, and a really noisy barking dog. As we were leaving we saw a couple launching a canoe under the bridge into Peach creek. It looked like fun. We need to do this sometime.

Lake Houston Park

We didn't actually go to Lake Houston State Park. Last week the park became a Houston city park. The state park sign was still there so a photographed both. We have been to the state park a couple of times before. It has lots of hiking, biking & equestrian trails. There are camping and cabins for overnight stays. We have not camped here but want to in the future. Very quiet. A great place to go to get away from it all. Only saw eleven people the whole time we were in park. That is probably a busy day because of the holiday weekend.

Freshmeadow Park

This park is a really busy place today. There were many people playing and watching soccer. There were merchants selling all kinds of refreshments. I think one was even selling pork rinds. Didn't really notice too much about the park because of all the activity. Just jumped out and took photo.

Haden Park

I found a quarter on the ground in this park!!! It was in the playground area. The parks has some picnic tables and a .3 mile walking trail. It has some very tall pine trees. Unfortunately the park is a hang out for quite alot of men. They were sitting under the trees. I didn't see them drinking. I think they could have been day laborers waiting for a job.

Hegwig Park

The park is small and tucked beneath many tall pine trees. I don't think there is any part of this park that isn't in the shade. It gives the park a very woodsy feel. Many of the toys are for young children. Also found out that Hedwig is a woman's first name.

Westchase Park

This is the fourth park of the day we set out to find. One was missing I guess gone. I have an old map. Another was under construction. This one was adjacent to Sneed elementary school. It looks like it is also used as a school playground if you look at the times it is open (pen). We visited on a Sunday.

Noticed that one of the cars parked along the street had been burglarized. While I was taking photo the owner came out and discovered his broken window.

Harwin Park

Something really stinks in the garbage can.

We were the only people at the park despite all the cars in the parking lot. Looks like this is overflow parking for the church across the street.

The park has a small play area with some toys. There is one riding toy that is a duckhead. It is kinda weird cuz to play on it the rider sits on the face/bill.

The park also has a walking trail. The city is naturally landscaping around the path. In time this will make a very scenic place to walk.

Carverdale

The second park of the morning. This one has no place to park. If you drive off the paved road you will probably need a tow truck to get you back on the road. Not much here either. There is a futuristic fenced backstop. Kinda neat looking. But how much fun is a backstop. We didn't walk around here either. We were afraid to park. Dicided to drive on to a third park. Fresh Meadows. We didn't even stop there. We saw quite a few young people that looked to be partying. And I don't mean a Sponge Bob pinata party. Just didn't seem like a good time to stop even for just a photo of the sign.

Independence

This park has a covered basketball court, a playground area, bathrooms and a large open area. Today many adults were playing soccer. We didn't walk around the park because of all the people playing soccer. The park seems forgotten. Across the street is a vacant building with quite alot of graffiti.

Boone Road

It looked like it was gonna rain. We got here at the same time the ole city Honey dipper truck was working. The park has some playground toys and a covered picnic/gazebo. The tables were occupied with several people sleeping. Must have a late check out time cuz they were still in their sleeping bags. We walked the one mile trail. There were several people running. This park has a very large area. It has the potential to be a very nice place. It is also very close to the Hong Kong market. Another really fun destination.

Zube Park

One day a month they have free train rides in the park. We went to ride the trains. It was very hot. There were many people waiting to ride. Lots of children. (Lance and Miles were most annoying.) Where is Super Nanny when you need her. Be Good, Be Good

Also a group of bike riders were loading up to leave as we sat under a shady picnic table on the play area on the other side of the park.

Alief Amity Park

Decided to go to park early in the morning. The grass was still wet with dew. The park has a very cute gazebo. It appears to be a pre-fabricated type. It is made of metal instead of the wooden ones in the other parks. This park has lots of picnic tables and a number of them are covered. There are several horseshoe pitching courts, a covered basketball court, and a very small playground with two swings and a slide. It would be nicer if it had a walking path. My shoes/toes got wet from the dew as I walked across the grass.

Memorial park

We walked around the Seymore something exer- trail. I think it is 3 miles in length. I was looking for a sign to photograph. I found several with the golf course and even one for a croquet course. There were even people playing croquet. It was a very warm and muggy day. Thankfully it didn't rain on us. It did rain quite alot later. I brought my new camera in hopes of using it. Didn't get much of a chance. This picture was taken with old trusty.

WC in Uppsala next to cathedral

This is a good place to go in Uppsala. Stopped off there after I went through the cathedral.

Snöberget Naturreservat

Walked down to this area from Astrid's summer home in Niemisel. Someone had left a stick behind the outhouse so I decided to use it to walk along the trail. I didn't get too far down the path until every mosquito in the country swarmed me. I decided I really didn't need to see what was further down the way and turned back.

Artic Circle

On the way to Jokkmokk crossed the artic circle. Saw about 10 reindeer walking on the road. I bought a firestarter that was made with a reindeer antler. It really works. I found some flint on the ground outside my door right here in Houston. pretty cool!

Gammelstad Kyrkstad Luleå

Gammelstad Kyrkstad is a church town. It is a town that people only lived in for Sunday services or other religious days. There are hundreds of tiny houses.

Royal Palace Sweden

Went to Stockholm to see the old city. Saw the changing of the guards. I bought some souvenirs and ate lunch at an Italian restaurant. They had the thinnest pizza I've ever seen.

Cullinan Park

Cullinan Parks has a series of boardwalk, pier and tower that allows visitor to view nature and wildlife. John and I saw an Anhinga. It looked like it was injured at first. It was standing with its wings outspread. Later it was on the water I thought it looked like Loch Ness monster with only its head and neck above water.
There are also miles of trails and paths winding thru the park. We have wandered back there when we were geocaching. There is a covered area with several tables.

Moody Park

John had weekend off so we went adventuring. Stopped off at Moody Park. According to John many things have been improved. The pool was absolutely nasty. I don't see how they can possibly have it ready for kids to swim when school gets out in a week. The park has a very nice walking trail and play areas. One of the nicest areas is a row of huge trees. It was so shady and had a very nice breeze. The city really should put in more benches to allow folks to enjoy it. One thing I noticed most people in the park were men. As we were leaving some families began to arrive. John says it has been a place for homeless and drunks. Really large statue of a Vaquero is also in the park. It has been painted different colors. It looks a little creepy to me. Guess you get used to a bronze or marble sculpture and something different really stands out.

Cullen Park

You can't really see the name on the sign. Someone needs to touch up the paint. This is a favorite park. It has miles of trails. It even connects up to Bear Creek.

Today we saw a snake. Not sure what type. It was not a rattlesnake.

Everything was wet because of the rain yesterday. There was a picnic for a car dealership. They had set up tents and a moon walk. We watched a man fly some large remote controlled airplanes.

There are some playground areas and picnic sites. Across the street is a water park, soccer fields, baseball, and a velodrome for bike racing. John and I actually rode on the track with our bikes. They had an open house one time when we were over there. One of the volunteers allowed us to ride on the track if we wanted. Some evening we need to go out and watch the bike races.

Candlelight Park

The last of the three parks for Easter. This one was also quite crowded. I used to play here as a child when I visited my aunt. I remember it had a rocket that you could climb up and slide down. No rocket remains today though. Nice walking trail and the typical playground toys. There is also a community center where if I wanted it appears I could learn to dance hip hop.

Jaycee Park

This was a park that John would visit many years ago. It was quite busy today. Not alot of thing at the park. It has some picnic tables and a couple of baseball diamonds. We didn't stay here either. Just a quick picture and off on our way to the next location.

W. 11th Street Park

We were just driving by and spotted this wooded park. There are several benches and a place with wild flowers growing. It doesn't have a good place to park. I just took this photo while John kept the car running.
July 29, 2006 Found an Audubon website about this park. It tells about the trails and wildlife in the park. Guess we need to go back and wander around on the trails.

Lost Creek Park

We walked from Oyster Creek park over to Lost Creek park. They were mowing the soccer fields. The smell of cut grass is like perfume to John. There is a playground area with toys that are good for small children.

Oyster Creek Park

Beautiful park locted in Fort Bend county and Sugar Land. It has a very picturesque fountain, waterfall and pond area. There are many walking trails along the creek. We even saw a big ole alligator in the creek.

Francklow Park

Park is located near Briar Forest and Toll road. There is a half mile walking trail surounded a heavily forested park. Tucked away inside the park are benches and a gazebo. If you didn't hear the sounds of traffic you might imagine you were out in a forest somewhere.

Jesse H. Jones

Jones Park is a large park with many different attractions. They have canoeing and fishing. A pioneer and Indian village are also in the park. I really liked the boardwalk area thru the Cypress swamp. Today the cardinals were all over. We must have seen about 20. The nature center had a neat stamps to identify animal tracks.

Waldemar Park

A small park located between Wilcrest and Kirkwood and Westheimer and Briar Forest. I t only has one toy on the playground but it is a uniquely shaped climbing structure. It almost looks like modern art sculpture. A multicolored sidewalk adds to the artistic feel of the park. A gazebo and walking path around the edge of the park are other features. We thought that the city may be in the process of working on park. We will have to check back on the park. It is on the way to Half Price Books.

Agnes Moffitt

Stopped off at Agnes Moffitt park. We used to call it elephant park because there was a small elephant sculpture on the playground. But it is no longer there so the name doesn't work anymore. Today the park was full of disc golf guys. Plus plenty of pooches. Didn't see any dogs catching frisbees but who knows?

Arthur Storey Park

This park is on the west side off the Sam Houston Tollroad. It has a large playground area with toys for children. You can also walk a very long way on the paths and even further if you go down and walk along the Brays bayou. I really love the benches and tables. They are made from cement but look like old wooden benches. A cool detail that is fun. There is also a Tai chi workout area.

Sylvan Park

This is the second park we went to of the day. We drove through the Washburn tunnel and eventually wound up in La Porte. The park is right on Galveston Bay. We saw some large ships in the distance. Over at the boat ramp area there were a number of pelicans just sitting on some posts. The playground area was one of the largest ones I've seen at a park. All the playground equipment were blue and white. I liked the way it blended with the beach colors. The park also has a skate area. There were many kids out with skateboards. Didn't see any of them wipe out. The other main attraction to the park is the fishing pier. You have to pay four dollars to use the pier that includes just walking out. Tickets are purchased at the bait stand. We didn't want to spend eight bucks just to walk out the end of a pier. Right before we left we watched a guy launch a kayak. He had it loaded with fishing equipment etc. All the canoes/kayaks we've seen in the past few weeks makes us want to try this ourselves.

Northshore Park

We stopped off at this park first. We walked around the walking/jogging path at the front of the park. There is a very nice excercise area. They even show exercises that can be used by people in wheelchair. This was the first time I had noticed this. At the back of the park are a couple of baseball diamonds. In the middle is a very nice playground area with the usual types of toys. There is a wide slide allows for three children to slide at a time.

Lamar Park

This was another park we found while looking for the post office. We must have driven around this little park five times. It is just a nicely planted median with some benches. There is a decorative fountain across the street in the middle of an intersection that is also interesting. I'm not sure it is part of the park or not.

09/28/06 According to HPB websiteLamar park was named for Mirabeau B Lamar, 2nd president of the Republic of Texas. This was his former homestead. The fountain is the oldest in in the city

Peggy Park

We were out roaming the city. We were trying to find a post office. As luck would have it Peggy Park was right across the street from the post office. Didn't really look around the park. Just noticed the sidewalks had neat mosaics set in the concrete every so often.

Spotts Park

We went walking around this park. It is located next to a YWCA. Quite a few people were sliding down the hills around the park. There is a very nice walking/jogging path around edge of park with exercise toys scattered along the paths.

Bendwood Park

Bendwood has a very nice walking path. We walked around it twice. I even found a benchmark. The park has a playground area with wooden climbing toys. There are basketball hoops, baseball diamond, benches, and picnic tables scattered throughout the park.

Clear Lake Park

This park is on two sides of Nasa Road 1. We went to both sides. The south side I found more interesting. The pavilion looked to be inspired by the Alamo or at least the Spanish Missions. There is a nice pier and several large playground areas. We walked over to the boat launch and saw several boats using the launches. We watched and hoped to see someone drive their car into the water too far or some other catastrophe. Unfortunately neither happened. At the far end there was an area with wave runners. Apparently you can rent boats. It wasn't open today. Could be closed in the winter or maybe because it is Christmas eve? I think it would be fun to come back in the summer and check this out.

Bay Area Park

This is a little park located next to Armand Bayou. It has a nice playground area. There is a nice boardwalk. The boards appear to be recycled tires. We ate a blueberry breakfast danish while sitting out on the platform. I liked the little gazebos they had all over the park. There was one canoe being launched while we were there.

Christia V. Adair Park

We didn't spend much time in this park. All we did was walk over to the sign from the restroom parking area. We haven't spent much time at this park. We usually go to Tom Bass Park. It is located across the street.

Beeler Memorial Pocket park

A little park on the west side of Houston near Eldridge and Briar Forest. It has a small family cemetery with about 10 graves. There is also a very short trail. Looks like maybe a business will be built on the adjoining lot. We also noticed that the private security folks hangout smoking stinky cigars in the parking lot.

Paul D. Rushing Park

This is the first park we stopped at today. It is a large park with a nice playground and gazebo. There are several Baseball fields. There were many cars and tents set up at the far end of the parking area. We wondered what was happening and the a rocket was launched. We stayed and watched two more rockets. One was quite tall. It was probably 5 ft tall.
We walked around in some of the open field areas looking at the fairy rings. It appears there are plans to "build" other things at this park. Should be interesting to check back and see what develops out here.

Saums Park

This is a hard park to find. It is just some swings, a slide, and the sign. After we found it we were able to spot it from Franz as we were driving by. Not a lot here. The neighborhood park has mor toys for the kids to play on and is about a block south of this little park.

Four Seasons

Stopped off at three different parks today. This park only has baseball fields. Lots of cars in the parking lot. We didn't get out and walk around. Wanted to get home in time to watch game 4 of the Astros vs Cardinals.

Challenger 7 Memorial Park

We arrived at park early on Sunday. Looked like several groups meet there for church. We walked around on the paved pathways. There were some spots with mud and water so we stayed away from the trails. Communed with the mother earth sculpture, found one geocache site, and saw several deer.

Flag Tree Park

This was another park that was difficult to get the photo. We drove around a while before we spotted it. We parked on a side street. I had to jump a mud puddle and walk across the street just to get to the park. There are a couple of benches and just like the name implies a flag.

Carol Tree Park

We had to park on a side street and I walked back to the corner to get this photo. It is a small little space with a couple of benches. It also has a "decomposing" granite path.

Sports Park

The last park we visited today was the Sports Park. It is west of Hershey park. There are five beach volleyball court, basketball hoops, and a skate park. I watch some of the skate boarders jumping (and falling). There are several picnic tables, benches, and a gazebo. We sat around for awhile. Just as we were leaving some people arrived to play volleyball.

Katy Park

We decided to check out Katy Park after we left Mary Jo Peckham. There are many picnic tables. Today there were some youth baseball teams playing. We passed many soccer fields. No one was playing today. But I can imagine that this park can really be busy when there are games.

Mary Jo Peckham

A swimming pool, exercise room, miniature golf, and fishing pond are some of the many attractions found in this park. We sat in the shade watching several people fish. The largest fish caught was about 4 inches. We also entertained ourselves with bird watching. There were about seven buzzards fighting over a dead fish. I tried to get a photo of one guy riding his bicycle. He had on a pair of yellow shoes, black demin jeans, and patriotic western shirt. I thought it was Lance back from from France but John thought it was a cowboy in search of his horse.
We brought a ice chest with some drinks and laid on a blanket in the shade. I used my new flag picnic blanket. We decided it was a little too small. It was all the fabric that I had. Next time we will bring the others also and a pillow so we can be more comfortable.

Bishop Fiorenza Park

Went to Bishop Fiorenza park. It had just finished raining and it was really muggy. The park was filled with people. There must have been four different birthday parties. Pinatas were hanging from every tree. I guess a question I have is will they change the name of the park to Arch Bishop park?

Bane Park

The last park visited on the weekend was Bane Park. It also has a small lake. It is really more like a pond. The birds (pigeons and grackels) are very friendly. I am guessing someone must feed them often. They came right over to us without even a bit of coaxing. This park also has some nice playground toys. I noticed a nature trail marked on the far side of the pond. I did not go over and check it out. But this is a rather small park so the trail can not be too long.

Burroughs park

July 3, 2005

Went to Burroughs Park. This is a large park. At the front are several baseball and soccer fields. When you go to the back there is a small lake. There are signs that indicate there are fish in the water. (catch and release for bass and size/number limits for other fish) This park also has some nice playground equipment. It also has a maze. The hedges are short and people have made short cut thru the dead ends so the maze isn't very challenging. But I like the idea of the maze and maybe in a few years it might be more fun.
The park also has a couple of miles of trails. I enjoyed my walk until a big ole horsefly decided to bite me. It would not leave me alone. I'd shoo it away only for it to return right back to my leg and continue to bite me.

Nob Hill

July 2, 2005
Went to Nob Hill park. It is a small park in Harris county. It has a little walking/jogging path. The playground equipment are very nice. I especially like the digger. A small child can sit on the toy and raise and lower a shovel. A family were setting up for a birthday party. A Dash pinata was hanging from a tree. Children began arriving just as I was leaving.

Bear Creek Park

This is a favorite park. It has many animals. Emus, ostrich, pigs, deer, buffalo, donkeys, goats, peacocks, and several kinds of parrots are just some of the animals. The park also has a small pond with ducks and turtles. There is a two mile walking trail. This place can get really crowded especially during soccer season. I really like the pyramid shaped climbing toy. This is a big park. Over on the other side are many picnic areas and nature trails. The park can flood so sometimes the areas are closed because of high water.

Moritz Pech Family Park

This is an unusually shaped park. This park has a couple of parking spaces. There are some toys and a small walking path. We didn't stay here very long. Had to leave and find a RR.

Eisenhower Park

This park is next to Deussen Park. It is smaller. It has some very nice and shady areas to sit and fish. There are also nature trails. We didn't walk on any of them. Just sat on a bench under a shady tree and watch a bird fish (not to be confused with a catfish).

Deussen Park

Went to Deussen park. It is located in North east Harris county. It is a large park on Lake Houston. We went during the week. I bet on the weekend this can really get busy. Several boat ramps. Only one guy there trying to start his jet ski. It has a large gazebo that is over the water. There were lots of birds nesting under the roof. They had made their nest from mud. Also has some buffalo. I couldn't see them. The animals were around the back part of their enclosure. The unauthorized public are only allowed along a very weedy section at the front. You can't even park too close. We hiked over from a baseball/restroom parking area.

Spring Branch pocket park

Another little park. This one only has a bench and gazebo. I also noticed several empty little plastic bags on the ground.

Housman Park

Nice park with toys located next to a school. When we were there a group of gothic teens were playing on the toys. We didn't stay long just really took the photo and left.

Terry Hershey Park

This is another favorite. Plus it is close to home. It has miles of jogging/bike trails. You can ride all the way over to George Bush on without getting on a city street. There is a small playground, RR and sundial on the north part of the park. On the south side are some hangy bars and a dog water fountain. It is busy on the weekend. I once saw a younger woman on roller blades knock over an old woman who was just walking along. Poor old woman had her back to the girl as they both came down a hill. Gotta be careful on weekends.

Molly Pryor Memorial Orchard

This park is across from Hershey park. You may not even realize it is over there. There are many different types of trees planted. I've walked thru it a couple of times.

George Bush park

George Bush park is a very large park. There are so many interesting places and activities. There are the usual soccer, baseball fields. Some unusual places are an equestrian trail, model airplane area, shooting range to name a few. The Millie Bush (named for 41's dog) Bark Park is the best. We went in just to check it out. We don't even have a dog. There are three ponds for the dogs to play in. There is an area just for small dogs to play. Fake fire hydrants are positioned thru out the park. They even come in different sizes. There are miles of nature trails all over the large area of the park. Not sure if the area at the dam is known as George Bush park, but we like to bring a big piece of cardboard and use it to slide down the hill.

Nottingham Park

This park has had alot of new things added since it became a county park. A walking trail, playground toys, and a splash park are some of the new features. The park also has a frisbee golf course. But the new Splash park is probably the most popular attraction. Buckets of water spill onto children. A water gun, spitting chicken, and fountains of water are other parts of the wet fun.

Ray Miller Park

I have called this Bongo park because one time a guy was sitting under the gazebo playing a bongo drum. It has a walking path. There is a small area designated as a butterfly garden. There is also a raised boardwalk area. I suppose there might be a wet or standing water in this area. Any time I've ever been there it has been very dry. They have picnic tables placed randomly around the park. Too bad they didn't think about some in the shade. I guess one problem is that most of the trees are small. Bird houses, small fountain at the front, nice RR, and trees at the back are some other features of the little park.

Tom Bass Park

This is a favorite park for me when I'm in Pearland. It has a walking trail around a little lake. A floating fishing pier, frisbee golf course, and several very nice play areas are also in this large park. On the other side of the park (behind the golf course) is a nature trail. Haven't really explored the other side of the park. I did walk across the golf course on a Saturday morning, but that is another story.

Randolph park

Went to Frankie Carter Randolph park. Watched some boys playing baseball. It was the Tarhills vs the Sooners. Not really certain who was winning. Only watched one inning. Tyler was pitching and a Taylor was at bat. Really nice nature trail. I heard a very unusual noise. It was probably aircraft noises from Hobby. I don't know could have been Bigfoot for all I know.

Hermann Park

Rode the bus to downtown and then got on the light rail. Rode over to parks and museums for a day of wandering around. Went to the Japanese Gardens. We did not go to the zoo but stopped off at the Museum of Natural History.

Quebedeaux park

This is a little park right next to Harris county family court building. Didn't realize it was a county park. It is a shady area to sit. Several guys (Mormons) were sitting around. I think they were Mormons because of their clothing. They did not approach us with a book so I can only guess at their religion.

Gessner Pocket Park

Across the street from Value Village (thrift store) and almost next door to the 99 cents store. We usually stop off here when we are out shopping for bargains. Nice little park located near several apartment complexes. It is very small with a underground pipeline markers, couple of benches and some playground toys. No parking available. That is why we go to the 99 cent store also. I like the idea of pocket parks. It is much nicer than a vacant lot.

Bracher Pocket Park

A very small park with a playground. It is a neat concept. No parking. It is mainly a neighborhood play area. It is next to a bayou.

Beltway Park

Found this old picture taken at Beltway Park. The park was underneath the West Sam Houston tollroad and I-10 interchange. We had to park at the hotel and walk over to use the park. This park no longer exists. Currently the area is in the process of a major road project. I try to avoid this intersection completely.