true boy tales: A little change of scenery...

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A little change of scenery...

I don't know about you but I hate taking my boys to the same parks over and over. They get bored and I get bored. Plus, when we're all together as a family, Jon enjoys going places where we can walk around or hike somewhere together, rather than just sitting on a bench watching them play. (Me...I'm fine to just sit and watch!) I suggested this pedestrian bridge and the Chinese Memorial Garden since we were going downtown anyway to visit Jon's grandma who's been in the hospital for several days. The boys had been cooped up all day so I said we needed to give them a chance to run before we attempted a quiet and calm visit in the hospital! It ended up being a great spot to let some energy out (and to get some great pics!).

In case you decide to go, we spent a lot of time looking for a parking spot on the West side of the river (the downtown side) but couldn't find anything (it was a Friday night). We drove across to the East side and there was a whole empty parking lot right next to the bridge and gardens.
So what's your lesser known favorite park or place to walk or hike?? Please share! We never mind driving a little ways for a fun spot!
(PS. Thanks, Emily, I remembered the Chinese Gardens from a post of yours a long time ago!)

3 comments:

Kristy @ Fried KristyJuly 31, 2012 at 1:12 PM
Have you guys ever gone to the natural playscape at Jester State Park? It's one of our fav places - I bet your boys would love it!
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Nana JudieJuly 31, 2012 at 3:26 PM
Just love these experiences for them - what great exploring spots. And the pics are fantastic! Kristy - i have taken the boys to Jester playscape a lot and we love it!!
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Iowa SunshineJuly 31, 2012 at 9:53 PM
Fun times -- we need to go here! Your photos are looking better and better with each post, too!!! We love Jester Park, Browns Woods (WDes Moines) and Yellow Banks (Runnells).
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Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan: An incredibly haunting medical memoir. There's a lot of medical info to read through but I didn't find those parts boring and difficult to wade through. I thought she shared just enough. But if you like a book that's easy to read, this isn't it. I couldn't get this one out of my mind for a very long time. An unforgettable true story.
Me Before You by JoJo Moyes and What Alice Forgot by Lianne Moriarty: I'm just going to lump these two together because they're in the same category. I'm calling them deep chick lit. A perfect summer book to get lost in. Read them. Both. I promise you from the bottom of my heart that you will LOVE them. (I liked them both way better than Where'd You Go, Bernadette.)
These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner: Most of my favorite books have a main character with a whole lotta grit. I wasn't quite sure about this one when I first started it but, oh, did it sweep me in and not let me go til the last page. I also love a book that makes me "emote out loud" as I like to think of it. This one had me smiling all the way through and crying my eyes out at the end. It follows a young girl through her life in the Arizona Territories in the late 1800's. A must read for anyone who likes Historical Fiction.
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill. I LOVED this book. Its a very well researched historical fiction novel about a young girl kidnapped from her village in Africa and sold into slavery. It follows her through her whole life and the unbelievable heartache and trauma she lives through. I've been telling people I liked it as much as Unbroken but the main character is so much more endearing and has so much spunk.
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Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I loved this lighthearted yet emotional story of a strong woman making the best of a hard life in the Southwest, beginning in the 1930's. I love her writing style--just cuts to the point of every story without too much "fluff" and yet tells it in a way that you can picture everything in vivid detail. Her memoir, The Glass Castle, is one of my all-time favorites, and this true-life novel about her grandmother didn't disappoint.
The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. Modern day fiction about a girl raised in Foster homes and her struggles throughout life. She learns about the Victorian Era language of flowers and that becomes a huge part of her life. I finished it in two days. An easy read but very emotional and moving.
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The true story of a man's experience after Hurricane Katrina when he decided not to evacuate in order to look after several properties he owned. Quite an unbelievable story and so hard to believe this happened in the US only a few years ago.