Aparkolypse 2015: Golden Gardens Park

Though you must suffer with the drive through the hellscape that is Seattle west of I-5, Golden Gardens Park is totally worth it. Golden Gardens is the single best thing about Seattle, the likely reason God hasn't wiped out that town with an earthquake or tsunami (although He did allow the plague of hipsters). While the park was outside our project of visiting parks in Snohomish County - Aimee's department at work was hosting a party - it is probably the very best park we visited all summer.

Random Note

Most parks in the area close at sunset, but Golden Gardens closes at 11:30 p.m., so it is evening gathering-friendly.

Amenities/Facilities

We're going to rave quite a bit about this place, so we'll start by complaining. Getting there is a pain. The park is tucked away down winding roads, and to get there, you must first traverse the traffic-rich, traffic engineering intelligence-light roads, assuming your vehicle doesn't pull down a utility pole as it catches on one of the countless low-hanging utility cables. 

When you eventually get there, parking is the next chore. Spot-stalking abounds. In peak weather, barring some fantastic luck, your parking spot is likely to involve a bit of a hike, which gets complicated when you're shepherding small children, carrying their gear, bringing food and equipment for a picnic, or a permutation of that set. There are tons of spots spread out over a few lots, there just happens to be many, many people waiting to fill them.

But even as claustrophobic and misanthropic as we are, being in the crowd is totally worth it there. Golden Gardens is one of the most diverse-use and aesthetically pleasing parks we encountered. Restrooms (with showers/foot showers on the exterior) are located right between the playground and the beach. The building is rentable for weddings, parties, etc., as are the picnic shelters. They're actually pretty affordable, surprising for a city that loves to nickel (Nickels?) and dime its residents and visitors.

Joggers and walkers can enjoy the ADA compliant trails, though they could probably do without this low-res map. Take your dog to the off-leash area and bask in the company of Seattleites who almost literally worship animals. The basketball half court feels like an afterthought, but it's there if you need it.

Play

Our kids had a great time on the unique playground. The ship design of one of the major pieces is cool, but we really like the rope net climbing dome, one of our handful of favorite pieces of play equipment we saw on our park tour. A large field neighbors the playground, excellent for improvised ball or Frisbee play. Decent seating for parents/chaperones and a clean environment round out a very nice play area.

The Beach

An actually sandy beach! It's like a reverse-oasis for Western Washington. Aimee's department gathered for a cookout on the beach, so we got to enjoy a great spot for hours. Fires are permitted in the designated fire pits, but they are first-come, first-serve, so make sure somebody is dispatched early to reserve your pit. The views of the Puget Sound are beautiful and the beach was well-maintained and friendly to bare feet.

Review

Our only complaints about Golden Gardens park are the usual day-to-day nuisances of life in Seattle: traffic and parking. This place is too beautiful, too useful, and too much fun to deserve a fate like being located in Seattle.

Watching for potential tsunamis

Aparkolypse 2015: McCollum Park

Another of Snohomish County's diverse-use properties, McCollum Park (aka McCollum Pioneer Park) has a broad selection of activities and possibilities for local residents.  McCollum's excellent location and variety of choices make up for some glaring and annoying flaws.

Features You Probably Won't Care About

For the purposes of this blog, we're not all that interested in stuff like public transit, but McCollum does offer a substantial park-and-ride. Programs at the Washington State extension emphasize agricultural and gardening learning (beekeeping!) and education about healthy families (food safety, nutrition, etc.). Adopt-a-Stream's Northwest Stream Center Facility "offers room rentals, an interpretive boardwalk, and a variety of educational programs," so that might be worth a look. We were too busy picking blackberries. 

Amenities/Facilities/Monument

A bit of our family history: the pool is where Aimee learned to swim and natatory endeavors became one of her beloved pastimes. The pool is reservable for your re-creation of Michael Phelps's non-cannibus-related feats. The recently remodeled pool facility is also where the bathrooms are located, so if it is locked up, like it frequently is, you will have to do your business in the inconveniently located portable restrooms. Snohomish County tends to close its restrooms in the cooler months (i.e. seemingly most of them), so this handy chart of bathroom schedules will help you prepare for those particular needs.

There are picnic tables and benches by the playground and scattered throughout the park, though on the west side of the park proper there are reservable picnic facilities, which need to be done by phone at this location.

A somber addition to the park is the DUI Victim Memorial Wall, part of Snohomish County's ongoing efforts to eliminate drunk driving. It stands right next to the picnic facilities.

While we personally didn't investigate it too closely, McCollum also has a BMX bike track which looks pretty cool. The group maintains an active Facebook page, so bike racing enthusiasts have a track to enjoy and an online spot to buy and sell equipment.

Image via McCollum Park BMX Track

Play

We'll start with the complaints: the fields are pretty terrible year-round. In summer the open field is a dusty mass laden with stabby grasses and in the wetter months is a soggy mudfest; it is remarkably useless.

All this picture needs is tumbleweeds

The "ball fields" boast a backstop and that's about it. We did find a stray softball to add to our collection of balls.

Among the good news is that the playground is pretty cool. A soft but not overly-squishy deck cushions any potential trips and falls. The setup is fairly unique and accessible to a range of ages.

Nature

As the crow flies, North Creek flows about 11 miles (according to Google Maps) from a random spot in Everett to the Sammamish River in Bothell, generating scenic views and ecologically interesting spots along the way (like the area known as North Creek Park). McCollum Park's gentle walking trail largely follows North Creek before looping around. There are a few educational signs at the trail head and some monuments along the path, along with bird feeders posted high in the trees. The paths are well-maintained and easy to use for strollers and people who aren't training to summit K2. Hikers and other parkgoers can follow this semi-accurate map to make their way around the expanse of the park.

In the right season, hikers will find loaded blackberry bushes on the way back to the playground from the trail. The WSU Extension maintains a demonstration garden for your botanical edification.

                                                                                                            We'll let the reader decide if this says "pool" or "poo!"

Review

We pointed out some vexing flaws in this post, but McCollum Park is pretty cool. Access to some of the best features requires some planning yet is a solid place to drop in and play or go on a lovely little walk. These people pictured below seemed to enjoy it.