Interesting places or things newly discovered

[Rodney Mills]

City and town parks are a "nice" place to take your kids or grandkids, but other than*a few that have a zoo attached*are basically*boring in their sameness, and even then, I'm not thrilled at the sight of some poor large cat pacing back and forth in a cage, after seeing them in the wild.

I don't*care if it's Hyde Park, London, Central Park, New York, Beverly Hills, Paris, Berlin etc. etc. it's as though the same person designed them, a grassy area, some trees, benches, a few tennis courts etc. and many times overflowing garbage*containers. Other than the language or accent from folks nearby, sameness.

Wednesday is the day my friend Lana and I go out for lunch.* We have been close friends for sixty years; we were next door neighbors when I first came to the US and lived in Los Angeles, and she has been a girl friend to both of my ex-wife and my beloved late wife.* Her late first husband was my fishing buddy as is her second husband today.* She is the reason that made me move from South Carolina to Oklahoma last year.

She picked me up yesterday as usual, as I hate to drive, I'm quite happy being chauffeured and giving a limp hand wave to the hoi polloi, when she told me we were going to the park..."Wow!" I thought, thrill a minute...Not! Was I in for a pleasant surprise and a treat. I visited and*picnicked in the most fantastic, enjoyable park I've ever seen.* I have put a Link to it at the end of my ramble, but in case it doesn't work "google" The Greeting Place. Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Park is almost 70 acres and is on the shores of Arkansas River (which runs through Tulsa) . The Greeting Place was paid for by George Kaiser, an heir*to the enormously* wealthy Kaiser family, who lives in Tulsa and funded, and had the park built as a gift to Tulsa, with an Initial gift from his foundation of 360 million dollars.* It's almost 70 acres of forests of native trees and bushes,* with interlocking*clearings with lovely picnic tables and chairs arranged for four or six picnickers, and set-ups for larger groups.* There's Tennis courts, other games,*and the most amazing rides. slides and climbing things for kids imaginable .
**
In the short movie that shows the park, the weird towers etc. are for kids, and are slides, things to climb, dangle from, whatever. The*building you see is a hands-on science and engineering museum designed to get kids interested in the sciences.* The museum has an admission*fee and is the only fee in the park; everything else is free.* You can even bring your own cooked food if you wish or purchase picnic type food on site. There are miles of paved walking trails and separate trails for bike riders and it's spotlessly clean.

The original site was low income housing that had been built originally back in Oklahoma's discovery of oil and housing for the workers.* Then they became the homes for those who stayed on after the oil boom ended.* The homes were bought up then demolished and the site totally landscaped to provide hills, valleys, clearings, with fully grown trees and bushes replanted, so when it opened it appeared as though it was always there.* Even parking is free with special areas for school buses for schools to bring kids for natural history educational*study and play.

I have traveled a big part of the world in addition to MN. I've been inside the Pyramids, seen the Sphinx. Persepolis, the Acropolis, Everest, hiked in the Himalayas, been up part of the Amazon, and hiked in the Malayan jungles and camped overnight.. I've been many*times up in the Arctic*circle, made a camel safari in the Simpson Desert in OZ, logged over 200 scuba dives and, I suppose, I am* slightly jaded and not impressed too easily, but this playground for both kids and big kids (like me I guess) is really impressive.

Cheers, Rodney.* (sorry can't add the Link, please google The Gathering Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma, perhaps someone can add the Link. Rodney)

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks Rodney
Interesting Story and sounds like a great place to visit!
On all your Travels you do not mention the Kruge National Park, something one too must see its Fantastic!
Cheers


Gathering Place | A Park For All

[happy daze john in oz]

Rodders, I know what you mean about parks such as Hyde Park in London.
Last time there in 2019 not so impressive.

But here in Melbourne, though not with so many bells and whistles we have the 'Botanical Gardens' not far from the Shrine of Remeberance.
One of the best you will ever find and well worth a visit by any tourist.

[Stan Carter]

Rodney, your writings are a pleasure to read, please keep them coming....
Stan..

[J Gowers]

Hi Rodney in the 70s I managed to pay off a ship in New York and rejoin in Charleston ten weeks later and spent that time travelling around Canada and the USA mainly by Greyhound bus but occasionally hitchhiking , the Rocky mountians in Canada and the USA were superb and I also manged to visit Yellowstone , the Grand Canyon and Yosemite, there are some teriffic parks in the USA, they are a bit commercialised but well worth a visit. I have written up a story of my adventures during this trip and must adapt it to post here sometime.

[Rodney Mills]

J. Gowers, please do post them on here. That was my idea of posting this thread, that members would add the scenic views of where they live (d) or what was a wonderful spot they have visited. How about a link to Kruger Park Doc, and the Melbourne scenes Johnno? and there has to be great spots in the UK, Ireland, and what about the fiords in the South Island of N.Z.? Members have visited all over the world or live in some lovely countries, how about a little bragging and showing them to us. We have a magnificent water fall in Niagra, however, Canada has the best view of it, how about a Canadian member posting it? How about Ayers Rock, I know it's called something like "Umgower simba" but it was Ayers Rock when I climbed it as Tarzan will always be Johnny Weissmuller.

Cheers, Rodney