Park Days are here

We took the kids to one of the local parks a few days ago.  The weather was warm, not hot, a cool breeze blowing, the sun bright.  Kites were flying in the air.  Kids laughing, screaming, playing on the jungle gyms.  Park days are back on the calendar.

One of the things I do appreciate about Vegas is that there are parks a plenty.  And not just wide open areas of grass and trees with a few bbq grills dotting the landscape.  I mean parks that are chock full of swings, slides, jungle gyms, sand pits, water play areas, rock climbing walls, and the list goes on.  The park we went to covers 120 acres and has sand volleyball courts, soccer fields, an outdoor amphitheatre, wide open grassy areas, jogging paths, and more.  It's huge.  

Most new homes in Vegas are track homes with backyards barely big enough for a patio and a few desert plants.  So parks are where people go to let their kids run around and release energy.

When I was growing up my parents never took us kids to a park to play.  In fact, I don't remember them ever taking us to a park unless we had to walk through one to get where we wanted to go. We had yards big enough to run around in, play ball, splash through the sprinklers.  We also played in the front yard or in the street.  We didn't need a different area developed with taxpayer dollars specifically for the purpose of having space to play.

I've been in Vegas close to 20 years (yikes!).  If I could have a wish come true I would close my eyes, click my heels and repeat "there's no place like home" and be transported to a wide open country space with a quaint farmhouse surrounded by tall oaks and a running creek out back.  

But my name isn't Dorothy, and as freaky as Vegas can be, it's not Oz.  So I'll just keep my eyes open and be thankful that there are influential people in this city that value community and make it a priority to provide fun spaces for families.