Tualatin Community Park and Share the Love

We recently explored Tualatin Community Park. This was inspired by two motives.

For all of February, 175 blown glass hearts will be placed around city parks as part of their Share the Love campaign, encouraging people to spend time outdoors, enjoying the parks.

https://pamplinmedia.com/ttt/89-news/535507-428671-tualatin-once-again-shares-the-love

We chose Tualatin Community Park because it had seemed like one possibility when my sisters asked me if I knew which park they had played at back when our mother was going to aerobics classes. I don't know.

However, with the big railroad bridge running through the park, I am sure it was the one we came to shortly after moving to Aloha, when we were waiting out a bug bomb set in our new house. 

I was impressed with how that has been creatively adapted into parking.

Even knowing that the park has been there for years, and that there have been picnic tables and the bridge since at least 1978, I know a lot has changed. I am positive that the skate park and the dog park are new,  am not sure about the baseball field and tennis courts.

 I am sure the murals are new...

... but the basketball court could have been there.

I love this river otter statue in the sand box.

The river has played a big part in forming Tigard and Tualatin.|

Tualatin City Park is one of the parks connected by the Tualatin River Greenway Trail, along with Brown's Ferry Park, Jurgen's Park, Durham Park, and Cook Park.

Along with the scenic views, there is information about efforts to preserve the water, and you can view a sample of a rain garden.

https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/building/clean-water-services

Our biggest surprise might have been a marker commemorating the finding of the sacrum of a giant sloth. We knew about the mastodon at the library.

https://sporktogo.blogspot.com/2017/10/tualatin-river-greenway-trail.html

We did not find any hearts, but we did find some signs of spring.

And of course we still got fresh air and exercise, so we really can't complain.

Accessibility: Paths are pretty level and flat, so it seems pretty good for mobility. The playground itself does not seem very accessible, especially compared to nearby Cook Park.

COVID: It was very much outdoors and maintaining distance was easy. Masks may still be appropriate in more concentrated areas.

Also, this is a cooler than average grill set-up. It's worth checking out.

https://www.tualatinoregon.gov/recreation