Tag Archives: parks

Centennial Olympic Park: Year Round Fun for Everyone

This glorious 21-acre park, in downtown Atlanta, originally used as gathering place during the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, is a must visit on your trip to Atlanta.  With various events taking place year round, one of the favorite hot weather past times is playing in the Fountain of Rings. Cool off and enjoy the water show, where you’ll see synchronized water frolic to your favorite music, with the added bonus of unique lighting and sound effects. The FountainSide Café offers delicious food and beverages, while the Visitor Center can help you purchase a Centennial Olympic Park souvenir. One of the coolest features here is the many thousands of special bricks, each with inscriptions, purchased for $35 a piece, to help construct the park. In the colder months, take advantage of the ice-skating rink, and then warm up with a hot chocolate.

Lincoln Park Zoo and its Mighty Fine Views

Some people think Millennium Park is the Windy City’s version of Central Park, but they’re mistaken. Lincoln Park is Chi-town’s Central Park with its grassy knolls. sporting fields and spectacular skyscraper views. In addition to the views and paths, Lincoln Park also offers a top notch zoo – for free! That’s right the Lincoln Park Zoo is one of the nation’s last offerings of a free zoo experience. Day in and day out, the zoo and the park serve as a meeting place for friends, a place to bring kids for families (and nannies, let’s be honest) and the perfect place to work out. Don’t forget to visit the Lincoln Park Conservatory as well to take in exotic plant life.

Just because it’s a free zoo doesn’t mean they skimp on the diversity of animals! Over 1200 animals call LPZ their home. Lions and tigers and bears,oh my- and more! They live at LPZ amongst rhinos, hippos, pumas, gorillas, African monkeys, meerkats, Mongolian camels, giraffes and much more. There are plenty of reptiles and birds (penguins to pretty flamingos) to view as well. And about those views, up the hill in the park adjacent to the zoo, take in awe-inspiring views of the skyline with the John Hancock leading the way along the sparkling and enormous Lake Michigan.

Insider’s Tip: Stroll past the park and wander into the residential streets of Lincoln Park to ooh and aah over the beautiful mansions: from the park go west on W. Wrightwood Avenue until you hit Orchard, from there zig-zag about on other streets and enjoy!

Crissy Field: Weekend Windsurfing & Everything Else

Looking for an all-purpose, exquisitely maintained outdoor venue without the private club membership? Head to Crissy Field in the Marina District, where boredom and inactivity are not an option. This is where San Francisco spends its weekends: on windsurfing boards, kayaks, nature trails, dog-friendly beaches, bike paths, and open lawns.

Crissy Field is also the perfect place to photograph the Golden Gate Bridge, with no need to drive to the north viewing terrace in Sausalito, let alone homepage_san_fransicopay for the toll or the fancy postcards. Not to mention you can kill two birds with one stone, since Alcatraz, “The Rock,” is just off the coast in the center of the bay. Stick around with your blankets and folding chairs for sunset over the bridge- it’s a soft, romantic light show you won’t want to miss.

Originally a US Mail Airfield, Crissy Field has been transformed by the community through years of native plant restoration, historic preservation, and refurbished park amenities. All the years have paid off as this is now an amazing venue for the beach, sightseeing, and everything in between.