The (not so) humble town park

I used to be a hardcore everything: solo mountain bike rides into the desert or along some ridgeline with paper maps that got soggy from a leaky Camelbak hardcore. But age, wisdom, aging, and ER visits have a way of helping you tone it down. Since moving to Laramie, Wyoming not too long ago, I’ve rediscovered the joy of the town park, of which Laramie has well over a dozen. Paris has some great city parks, and some of my fondest memories are from reading St. Exupery or Gertrude Stein in some pocket park in Le Marais.

Actual reading spot of St. Exupery’s *Wind, Sand, and Stars*

Or entering in to a contemplative biathlon after a physical one of biking and swimming on the west coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. Driftwood for the win.

Notice the highlighter/pen/sticky note combo for the ultimate engaged reading experience

Or strolling along and happening upon…

Mon Dieu! Splash of flower power in Montmartre

Most delightful park moments of mine are unplanned. I load up for the day with coffee, sunscreen, water (and a sometimes book) and head out.

After spending the day for work in Denver on the tail end of last week, I knew I wanted to hit the hot springs and do some leaf peeping in the mountains. Going out of the way usually means a more enjoyable experience, so I beelined for Hot Sulphur Springs (the town and the resort) for a restful weekend.

I brought paper maps and gazetteers with me for wayfinding help. Phones don’t always work in them thar hills.

A sliver of green called Pioneer Park intrigued me Saturday morning, pre dog walk. So I prepped the husky and me for a stroll to some town park. We found the first town park, with a baseball field and some gopher holes, and it looked like the Colorado River would need to be crossed to get to Pioneer Park. I let my feet do the talking, and after a few minutes found the sign for the green sliver.

Pioneer Park is no ordinary town park (few are, I’m finding out). It has acres of towering trees, the rush of the Colorado River, a disc golf course, camping, picnicking, and trails.

Innocuous bridge with coffee-sitting spots!

The autumn colors were a bonus.

The stroll turned into a meander, I began experiencing one of those moments where you realize you’re doing something unexpected and special, made even cooler by the lack of expectations. The town park in Hot Sulphur Springs was an autumn palette of river, golden aspen, crisp air, and the slow buzz of a disc golf tournament being prepared for.