Sunday, March 24, 2013

Rocky Mountain Lake Park


The City and County of Denver provide over 200 city parks, over 100 miles of trails, and 11 dog parks. This equals over 5000 acres of urban parkland. As early as the 1870s, city leaders began transforming Denver’s character from a dry and dusty prairie into the green oasis of today by creating parks and parkways. Most of Denver's off-street, multi-use trails follow Denver’s urban waterways and offer safe and scenic routes through the urban neighborhoods.

 Rocky Mountain Lake Park, is located at 3301 W 46th Ave, directly south of Interstate 70, and east of Lowell Boulevard in Denver, Colorado. It is in walking distance to where my son and his family live, and I had visited the park with my oldest grandson.


The park features a baseball field, bicycle/pedestrian pathway, football field, fishing, horseshoe pit, softball field, tennis court, picnic areas, playground, and flower gardens.
The park has a loop trail around the lake that is one mile long.


In addition, the park is a nice place to bird watch. Geese and ducks live in the lake year round.


In some areas, there is an abundance of Cattails along the shore.

This placard about cattails was in another park in Colorado, and not in Rocky Mountain Lake Park, but I found it interesting, as it describes the uses of cattails throughout the seasons.  (Click on this photo, as well as all others, to enlarge them, and then click on them again when they open on a new page to make them even larger.)


The most exciting thing of all that I saw in Rocky Mountain park were the first signs of Spring! After a few days of high temperatures of high 60's and low 70's earlier in the week, everything was finally beginning to bud. 


Unfortunately, this is what happened this weekend -- the temperatures dropped again, and we had eight inches of snow! It seems Winter wants to hold on a little longer in this part of Colorado!  I have a feeling our Easter egg hunt will be happening indoors this year.  I hope Spring is appearing where you are!



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40 comments:

Pondside said...

For many years our Easter Egg Hunts took place indoors, so that when we lived in a place with a mild spring we continued to hide the eggs around the house - the kids wouldn't have it any other way.
It must be wonderful to be settled now, within easy distance of both your children.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

HA Ha Pat, NO SPRING here yet... In fact, we are supposed to get some snow tonight, tomorrow and Tuesday... PLEASE!!!! I'm ready for Spring....

I looked at pictures taken this time last year, and we had green grass and many, many flowers and trees blooming. It was gorgeous. This year --NOTHING so far. Looks like January...

Great pictures of your beautiful area ---with or without snow... GORGEOUS.

Hugs,
Betsy

Annesphamily said...

Everyone seems to be snowed in! You always have a nice share. Good to see you here! Anne

eileeninmd said...

Pat, what a lovely park. I am sure your grandson loves to go the park and playground. The lake is pretty. Still no signs of spring here, the weather is cold, they were calling for snow today. I hope Spring arrives soon. Have a happy week!

Lynn said...

The park is beautiful Pat, love the crocus! They're calling for a couple inches in Philly today too, I'm ready for some spring-time weather! Happy Easter Week:@)

Old Kitty said...

Hooorah for cattails!! They do such good! :-)

The park looks great and it's nice that it's a sort of playground for activities and a sanctuary for wildlife! Yay!

Oh Spring is such a tease! LOL! Take care
x

pam said...

Our Colorado daughter drove home on Friday, starting just a couple of hours before your snow. We got over 10 inches here and it was a beautiful wet snow that clung to everything. I LOVE snow but I am ready for some warmth. We are supposed to be almost 60 by Easter...so who knows what you will have. The weather can keep us guessing can't it.

The French Hutch said...

Hi Pat, I’ve never been to Denver, but our son and daughter-in-law have. They came home with stories about how beautiful it is there. It’s on my list to see someday. All those parks for walks and it must be hard to be inside in such a beautiful city. Gorgeous photos of the water and nature scenes. Don’t you just love finding the first buds of nature? A beautiful snap of winter’s last hurrah!

Happy Spring,
~Emily
The French Hutch

La Petite Gallery said...

All I see is WHITE. I do have Apple blossom's and forthisia branches I have forced in Bloom. Finished the colored eggs and have my Easter things out as I stare at Snow. Happy Easter!
yvonne

Snap said...

Pat, indoor egg hunts -- fun, fun, fun! I think you are going to love your new home. So many places to walk and when Spring springs in the mountains -- WOW! Thanks for sharing your new adventure.

Cindy said...

That's a very beautiful park, sounds like Denver has done the same thing that Winnipeg has done. Lots of parks makes a city feel less like it is on the prairies, it feels and looks lush when there are lots of trees, foliage and grass.
I would enjoy the loop trail.
Have a good week, Cindy

Anonymous said...

a beautiful park...the photo of the cattails "grabbed" my eye...nicely taken!!

Tracy said...

WOW... Colorado is BEAUTIFUL! LOVE these views, Pat! It's so much fun sharing in your new adventures. :o) Happy Days ((HUGS))

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

What wonderful parks and trails to enjoy. Sure looks like a cold week ahead! Sweet hugs!

Anonymous said...

Indeed a different scenario from your previous urban life!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post and beautiful photography ~ love the mosaic ~ Enjoy ^_^

ellen b. said...

I watched the snow falling in Colorado during the U.S.A. v Costa Rica Soccer game! Yikes...

kathy b said...

Aww the crocus just shout CHEER! NO spring here in Chicago yet...

Nellie said...

Beautiful scenes, Pat! Can you believe we are having some snow here this morning? Happy spring!

SmilingSally said...

Brr, an Easter egg hunt in the snow!

My mom had a tall vase filled with cattails when I was growing up. I love those things, but I've learned the only way to get them is to get wet!

Happy Blue Monday, Pat.

Jill Harrison said...

wow what a wonderful selection of parks and trails you have. Wonderful! It looks like you are looking forward to spring and the arrival of the bulbs pushing up through the earth and bursting into flower. Lovely. But I must say I love your image of the snow covered mountain - although perhaps you have had enough of snow this year!
Have a wonderful week. I am joining you through Mosaic Monday.

podso said...

I heard about your big snowstorm. Your reflection photos are beautiful, Pat. Thanks for taking us on another tour. Enjoy this Easter week with your children!

Ciao Chow Linda said...

Unfortunately, it's snowing here too Pat. It looks much prettier on the mountains of Colorado.

My name is Riet said...

That must be a beautiful park with lots to do for everybody. That is a lot of snow you have there now. Must be so different fro New York. Can you get used to it?
Have a nice week Pat

Anonymous said...

We still have about a foot of snow on the ground in New Hampshire. I'm still looking for the signs of spring...at least you are getting a little every once in a while.

joyh82 said...

I want to see flowers too. We just had a freak snow storm here that dumped 12 inches of snow on us.

Deborah Kay at The Paint Splash said...

We had snow too. So odd for this time of year. Blessings, Debbie

Pamela Gordon said...

Beautiful pictures of the park Pat. I love the last photo of the snowy mountain and that blue sky. We always had our Easter egg hunts in the house as there is almost always snow here. I hope your weather returns to nice spring time. Happy Easter blessings to you and your family. Pamela

Michelle said...

Spring is nowhere to be found here in KY. Glad you found some bits of spring.

Vee said...

Not yet. At this rate, I figure we'll skip spring and head directly into summer.

Beautiful park for the family to enjoy. What kinds of things do you do with your grandson while there?

Is there always snow in the mountains?

Thoughts on Life and Millinery. said...

The ski resorts around here use plain white hard cooked eggs for their Easter egg hunts. Oh yeah...the big kids love the challenge!
Have you started checking off all the hikes and trails you have taken? You sure have a lot of them to enjoy!
By the by...have you been to the Molly Brown house yet?

Yvette said...

Oh Pat, all those beautiful little spring flowers with their little roots freezing off. So sad.

Hopefully they'll bounce back. We were supposed to have snow today here in my part of NJ - but nothing happened. Don't you hate when that happens?

I was kind of looking forward to winter's last hurrah.

I love how you're getting so swiftly acclimated to your new digs and new surroundings. Good for you.

Colorado seems like a wonderful place.
Or, at least, you're making it seem so.

Willow said...

I am always surprised when I stop by here and see mountains and empty parks, and then I remember--Pat's in Colorado now!
I hope your snow has melted and you can enjoy the spring flowers again.

Fun60 said...

No sign of Spring yet. The temp have plummeted again. One day soon maybe the blue skies and buds will appear.

Unknown said...

Love the colours of the spring flowers. Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Tanna said...

I think the temperatures must have fell out the bottom everywhere! Old Man Winter has made one last (I hope) intrusion on our Spring! The 30s are no fun after a few days in the 70s! LOL! Sending Easter wishes ~ tanna

Unknown said...

Oh Winter is holding on here too, but Spring will arrive soon. What a gorgeous park.

Karen

Sharon said...

What a lovely blog you have...so glad to have found it. I live in East TN, but my husband and I travel quite a bit and this summer, we will be traveling to New York in May and Rocky Mountain NP in July, so needless to say, I'll be spending some time reading your posts about both places. But even if we weren't, you'd have a new fan!!

Margaret said...

Hi Pat:) Denver seems a beautiful, nature loving active lifestyle city to live in! I found the seasons of the cattail very interesting. I'm looking forward to future "walks" with you Pat! Beautiful photos! Love the blue in your winter photo, hope spring comes to stay very soon for you Pat! We've been having temps in the 20Cs here in the lower mainland :)
Margaret from B.C.

Margaret said...

Denver seems like a beautiful nature loving active lifesyle city to live in! I found seasons of the cattail interesting. Beautiful photos, thanks Pat :)Loved the blue in your winter photo, tho I hope spring comes to stay soon for you! You'll have fun exploring your new home! Have a good week!
Margaret from B.C.