Kickoff

Here in Dublin, Ohio, it always seemed like we have a lot of parks around town, but I never realized it was quite so many. But nowadays with the "internet" I can easily check just how many:

56.

That's a lot of parks. That got the ball rolling for me:

- I have kids
- Kids like playgrounds
- I like bikes (and my kids)
- My wife might enjoy a quiet house now and then

So naturally, what else to do but bike to every playground this summer?

Dublin's map above is nice if you're online, but isn't so user friendly if you want a paper copy. So I made a printable copy here:

I printed this out and it's been our "treasure map" to get us started. At six, Henry has the responsibility to check off the playgrounds as we visit them.

On our first trip out, we hit # 23 (Hawk's Nest Park)--no pictures, we'll have to come back later this summer. Likewise for #21 (Earlington Park),  and #17 (Donegal Cliffs Park). I did snag a picture or two at #8 (Brandon Park):

Henry and Sam were both on this trip, and they found this park particularly boring: no playground. But there's a pond and a nature trail! Even the prospect of throwing rocks in the pond--usually a sure thing--didn't interest them. It's odd that I found this park nice and relaxing.

Four parks on the first day, five if you count the fact that we hit Hawk's Nest again on the way home.

I was beat when we get home. I thought it was just from being out of shape and towing around 150 pounds of kids and bike trailers, but it turns out my rear brake pad was dragging. D'oh.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Day two was also busy, as we knock off all the parks close to home.

I thought we had hit #20 (Dublinshire greenway), but it turns out we missed this one. I don't usually carry a phone with me while riding, kind of purposefully, so I'm not able to check the detailed street map to find the parks. As a guy, I'm not allowed to ask directions--and besides, roaming around lost is part of our fun. Some days.

#43 (Scottish Corners) still has no pictures, as I was just thinking about this blog.

 #47 (Stonefield Park) had an excellent playground, featuring a bouncy thing with side car:

and the usual assortment of tubes, slides and ladders:

Then it was back home, to ice cream and my visiting mother in law. Maybe we should have hit another park or two.

Six parks down, 50 to go.