There is a park close to my house that is a perfect walk- a loop around is about 2 miles. it’s a lovely little spot. I’ve especially been admiring the design lately. Admittedly, sometimes it seems like they just keep cramming in sculptures, but they are mostly quite nice. My favorite is the origami horses above. There are also 2 bridges, each great in its own way- one is a rough wooden walkway by a mini-waterfall, and the other is a gentle arch over the swamp- I mean, wetland.
The land it was on was originally wetland, and it is part of the chain of irrigate-y waterways that snake through town. It links a ditch with a lake, linked to another ditch. Someone has designed this, though, to keep it natural-looking.
It's funny how the mowed edge of the grass sets off the wildness of the wetland- although they probably mow it mostly for tick control
I lived for a while in Sidney, Nebraska, and there was an old creek bed there that had caused flooding problems, so the Army Corps of Engineers came in and moved it, straightened it, and terraced it. They built a park around it, and built a recreation trail…and it was horrible. I mean, I’m sure it was horrible to have your house flooded every 5 or 10 years, but as a park and rec trail…it was obviously engineered rather than designed. The corps didn’t care if it was exposed and windy and hot. There may have not been enough budget, or anyone to speak up.
Over the years, the people who have been involved in the Loveland Sculpture park did speak up. I’m lucky enough to live nearby.
Strawberry Fields for Breakfast 