Thursday, July 21, 2016

Aparkolypse: Spruce Park


It's the park we've been to the most and probably have the fewest pictures of. In the northernmost part of Lynnwood's "If You Don't Like This Park, Drive 3 Minutes and Go To The Next One" District, Spruce Park is a quality place to recreate and meet a wide variety of people.



Amenities/Facilities

Our congregation hosted a children's activity here, and for good reason: there's tons of space, plenty of seating and picnic tables scattered throughout the park, and adequate bathrooms. The parking lot is poorly designed and often inadequate for the crowds. You couldn't really play league sports here, but there is plenty of room to run and play.



A 0.4 mile paved walking path loops around the perimeter of the park. The map suggests a big "nature trails" area, but it's just a nice little wooded area without much to it. It's a good place to distract your kids with a walk back to the car, try to sneak a joint, or walk your dog without bothering to pick up its waste. (We only recommend doing one of those things - you determine which!)



Spruce Park offers a full-length basketball court, complete with standard obnoxious park backboards/rims, with one drawback and a weird feature. Errant shots/passes can easily end up in the parking lot on one and rolling down the hill into the large field on the other side. The court also features bronze bas-relief sculptures by artist Wendy Reed entitled "Strategies," featuring disembodied limbs of basket players on a bench and plaques of old-school basketball techniques.



  

 

Play


There are two play areas, divided into a 5-12 year old area (which is fine for kids a bit smaller) and a "tot lot." The big play area has lots to do and is in good condition. There are only two swings, and oddly (in our experience) neither is toddler friendly.







The Tot Lot is great for your little ones. If nothing else, it tends to keep bigger kids away who think it looks boring. Our kids didn't think so.



Review

There isn't anything special about Spruce Park, but there are few drawbacks, and none of those are serious. Visitors have tons of options in a convenient location in a solid neighborhood. We recommend it for quick or extended visits, groups big or small, as long as you can account for parking.

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