Spring arrives this month but the weather is still unpredictable making walking in real Nature potentially muddy and messy. Luckily, every city has parks where walkways are paved and Nature is corralled in flower beds and tended as well manicured lawns. It is easy to pack everyone up and spend a couple of hours just walking around.
Here in Nashville, the jewel of our formal park system is Centennial Park. It began as the site of the 1897 Centennial Exposition where the theme was Athens of the South (a moniker given to Nashville due to the large number of colleges located in the city). One of the biggest attractions at the exposition was a full scale reproduction of the Parthenon of Athens, Greece. The city has maintained this remarkable structure and the surrounding land as a park since that time. The Parthenon even houses a 42 foot tall statue of Athena (unlike its namesake in Greece where the statue of Athena was destroyed centuries ago).
Like all city parks, there are paved paths that make it easy to stroll casually with the family. Many parks even have historical markers of significant events in city history.
There are often a variety of interesting or fun things to do. Whether it is vine covered walkways,
formal play areas for younger kids,
or interesting (and seemingly arbitrary) displays
There are also likely to be natural elements to stop and examine.
Increasingly, urban parks have entertaining means of transportation. Some have cool things like paddle boats or even motorized Segway vehicles. Many cities, like Nashville, have bicycle sharing systems that allow you to rent bicycles for temporary use.
There is often water (and where there is water there are ducks and geese that can be fed)
And, there are almost always open fields that provide the space for kite flying, throwing Frisbees or baseballs or just walking on the grass.
When you are trying to think of opportunities to get outdoors with your family, don’t forget about the parks and greenways in your city as a place to go spend a little time walking around in Nature (but close to civilization and restaurant food). This kind of family time will pay big dividends in stress reduction and quality time together (but without being crammed into a confined space).
