Great Parks

At long last mild mornings and 80 plus degree afternoons arrived in Atlanta. Heat and humidity trouble others, but they invigorate me. I found a different story this morning as I went out for a run in Woodhaven, Michigan. I found a biting chill in the air. I hustled back to the hotel room for gloves. Once properly attired, I took up a slow gait as I decided on which direction to go. We had arrived long after dark the night before and I wasn’t able to see much of anything too terribly compelling.

Our hotel sat on the edge of the Interstate. To the left stood the same old shopping plaza that marks nearly every corner in America. I went the other way. Very close by I saw a city park. I crossed five lanes, in the crosswalk, but against the light. Civic Center Park turned out to be a gem. Asphalt and pea gravel paths circled a massive sports complex and snaked along a slow moving creek.

Lots of standing water marked the park. I pondered how the local landscape architects had gauged so poorly with their water runoff plan. I later learned the whole city and Lake Erie region is basically a marsh. I gathered the information when we visited Sterling State Park. It’s a runner’s utopia, with miles and miles of trails in the park and along the Great Lake of Erie. I’d run here all the time if I lived in the area. As is the case with other state parks, there is a parking fee (more for nonresidents). It’s well worth the money.

One great lake. Two great parks.


Tom