#36 Gardenside Park – Darla Place

 

Gardenside Park is an unknown gem on the east side of bend. Nestled in the center of a tight-knit subidivision, Gardenside park is beautiful park. There is street parking, that seems rather limited. Gardenside Park is definitely meant as an area for the local residents.

We have been to this park twice now, and both times we have gotten a feeling that we are intruders. The residents in this area are not used to visitors to their neighborhood park, even though it is a public park ran by the Bend Parks and Rec district. I also find some of the residences are not very tolerant of children with special needs, especially needs that come with neurodiverse behavior. Although it is not the park’s fault, I do not think I will bring my family back to this park, because we felt so unwelcome.

The front of some houses come right out onto the park area. If you child is very curious, or tends to wander, you may want to make sure they aren’t tempted to play with the toys in someone’s yard.

 

The play structure is large, with plenty of shade in the middle for a warm summer day. Even though there is one play structure, it seems to be split into activities that appeal to different age ranges. There are two regular swings and two infant swings. There are also a couple ride-ables. The dark green paint on the slides and the ride-ables did make them very warm on a summer day. I would not suggest this park in the middle of warm summer days.

There is decent seating around the play area, which is nice for resting while your children play.

Gardenside Park has a large picnic structure, which would seat 20-25 people comfortably. Because of the, tight-knit nature of the neighborhood, I don’t know if I would recommending using this park structure without first reserving the space through the Bend Parks and Rec Office.

The park also has plenty of grassy area, especially for a smaller property.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 3
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 4
Fun: 3

Overall Score: 2

This park’s overall score is not a direction reflection of it’s individual scores. Gardenside Park is a beautiful park in the middle of a serene subdivision. The play structure is unique. The park in general provides the local children plenty of fun. The residents of the subdivision seem to be protective of this park, and not very welcoming to “visitors.” Although this park is a public area maintained by the Bend Park and Rec Department, I would treat it like the private park of a private community. If you have a child with special needs, I would also avoid this park unless you are a resident of the surrounding subdivision.

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#24 Stover Park – Watson Drive

Stover Park was the last of three parks we visited today, the other two being Boyd Park and Hollinshead Park. We actually stumbled upon this park last fall, and ended up taking some amazing pictures of our son. Stover is a smaller, neighborhood park with street parking.

Stover Park has a generic play structure, 2 infant swings, 2 regular swings, and a few ride-ables. Our son generally enjoys the slides at Stover Park. However, we discovered on a hot day that the metal slides are more than uncomfortable. The play structure also sits pretty close to the street. There is limited parenting seating around the perimeter of the play area. I also found the picnic table, one of only a couple, to be a little warped and uncomfortable.

 

What Stover Park has going for it, at least during this time of year, is how green it is. I almost felt like I was in the Willamette Valley with how green the trees were. The trees are also thick, leaving at last half of the play area shaded. It was an extremely hot day, so we definitely appreciated this.

There is a hedge that separates the play area from the baseball diamond. You can get to the baseball diamond via street parking on one side, and more open paths on the others. But, to enter the diamond through the hedge, you have to find this one small opening. It’s hard to get a picture of how whimsical this is. It made me smile to walk through this opening.

There are some grassy areas in Stover Park. We feel like there is not enough seating here. Certainly if your family wants to do a picnic day, I would have a back up plan if Stover Park is full. Also bring a blanket to sit on. Plan for this park to have plenty of traffic during baseball/softball season. The park has a porta-potty and a water fountain. In general, it is a great park for a regular non-busy day. During peak hours I would maybe find another park. Use caution on extremely hot days with the metal slide, which is such a shame because the park is so shaded!

A butterfly I chased around for almost 10 minutes just to try to get a good picture.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 4
Amenities: 4.5
Safety: 3.5
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.5

Stover Park is a great community park for families in the area. The green colors are amazing, as is the butterflies. There is not a lot of seating. The metal slides get very hot during warm summer days. The park sits very close to the road, which would cause helicopter parents to worry. Some of the benches in the park are bowed, making this uncomfortable and seem not in good condition. There is also a dog on the other side of the one of the fences who’s loud bark and growl could scare little ones. Stover park has street only parking.

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#23 Hollinshead Park – Jones Road

Hollinshead Park was on our way to Stover Park from Boyd Park. I had expect to make it a quick stop, since there is no play structure here. I had not been to Hollinshead Park for years, so I was not expecting the amazing selection of activities. I was also thrilled the plentiful parking.

 

Hollinshead Park is home to an amazing community vegetable garden. You see it right as you pull into the park. The Bend Park and Rec site explains more:

“Registration for a vegetable garden plot is done in-person at Hollinshead Park on April 26th. The line forms early and is outdoors so dress for the weather. Assignment of plots begins at 9:00 am on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be taken as well. Gardening classes will be offered throughout the season. For additional information, check the Central Oregon Master Gardener Association website at http://www.goCOMGA.com, OSU Extension Service-Deschutes County website at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/ or call 541-383-3905  or 541 977-7661.”

 

The off-leash dog area is on the north side of the park. I saw many furbabies getting their tennis ball on while we dropped by. You also find a water fountain, with dog bowls, nearby. There is also a porta-potty.

So much of this park is just open fields and orchards. It is absolutely gorgeous. I need to come back some day when I can just wander around.

What Hollinshead Park is probably most well known for is Hollinshead Barn. This is a popular place for weddings and big events. There was an event going on so I did not want to get too close. There was also a couple kids on their iPods near this door, that I didn’t want to image. Getting some better images of the Hollineshead Barn will be on my list of things to do when I come back. You can also schedule a small group visit to the Homestead House museum. You can find more information about all of this on the Bend Park and Rec page for Hollinshead Park.

 

This park’s score are going to suffer, unfortunately. This is when our park tour is like comparing apples to oranges. I do think our son would find this park somewhat boring. Without a play structure, there is just not much to do. I plan to do this park again soon, this time with a couple of friends and just walk around. Please don’t let the below scores deter you from giving Hollinshead Park a visit. The grounds are beautiful!

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 3
Safety: 4
Fun: 3

Overall Score: 4

Hollinshead Park is a mecca for gardners and dog owners. Future Brides would kick themselves if they didn’t at least give Hollinshead Barn a look for a possible location. This park is missing a picnic structure and a playground. I did not see a lot of picnic tables. While the grounds are gorgeous you will need to plan accordingly if you want to use this park for a family outing. Because this park is mostly an off-leash dog park, keep that in mind if your children have issues with dogs as well

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#14 Brooks Park – Drake Road

 

Across the river from Drake Park, on the other end of the Newport Bridge is Brooks Park. We did not pull this park from the jar, we cheated. We were on our way to Harmon Park and I decided to stop in.

Brooks Park is home to the Bend Heroes Memorial, which was dedicated on Veteran’s Day 2009. It is a beautiful memorial to all the local heroes who have given their lives to  protect their country, and their city. I was surprised to see that a few rows of the flowers in the front of the memorial had dried up and were starting to die. I was also struck by the large amount of bees around the flowers, which could cause concerns for families with members who are allergic.

The grassy area takes up the rest of the park. There are two picnic benches and one regular bench. I agree with the Park and Rec website that it would make a perfect place for lunch and a view of the river, as long as it’s not too crowded. There is only street parking on one side. I was unable to get a picture but there is a great little dock for river access here. There is no fence keeping little kiddos out of the water, which may cause some parents headaches. I did see a doggie station. I did not see a water fountain, and there are definitely no bathrooms.

I also get a distinct feeling that the neighbors keep a tight watch on this park. My family was eyeballed pretty heavily, especially when I started taking pictures. I don’t hold this against the park. If you have irrational fears of being followed or watched, I would skip this park though.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 2
Condition: 4
Amenities: 2
Safety: 3
Fun: 2

Overall Score: 2.5

This is another case of having to compare this park apples to apples with others. The Bend Heroes memorial is astonishingly beautiful, and is a must see for anyone. This is not a park for family fun, however. With the exception of the river access, there is not much here to keep a family entertained. I was saddened to see that some of the flowers in the memorial were not being well taken care off, an there was a large amount of bees. This park is right next to a very busy and popular street.

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#7 Summit Park – Promontory Drive

 

We stopped by Summit Park on the way from Awbrey Village Park, since it was on the way back home. It has a small parking lot with three spaces. The Bend Park and Rec website says that it also has street parking, but I can’t say I remember seeing any.

Summit Park sports a 2-court tennis court and a half court basketball court. We also spied a couple of picnic benches. The rest of the grounds were beautiful grassy areas.

There is a doggie station. The Summit Sylvan trail starts next to the parking lot. I had no idea what this trail was at the time, but after looking at the trail list I learned it is a .6 mile trail that connects Summit and Sylvan Parks.  This makes it a great place to start a walk.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 3
Safety: 4
Fun: 2

Overall Score: 3.5

The lack of any sort of play structure really brings down it’s scores for fun and amenities. It is a large park with plenty of grassy area, but Summit Park is not really set up for picnics, small or large. If you enjoy tennis, basketball, or trails, then this park is for you.

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#6 Awbrey Village Park – Merchant Way

We cheated today. We pulled Harmon Park out of the jar. When we went to check it out, it was PACKED! They had baseball/softball games going at both diamonds and absolutely not parking for anyone. So, we promised we would his this park up during the week, and went “parking” without the jar’s guidance.

We went to Awbrey Village Park because it is close to where my husband works. Another neighborhood family came the same time we did, but other than that it was very empty.

There is very limited street parking. Because it is a neighborhood park, I’m sure most of it’s visitors are within walking distance.

The play structure is a normal looking, run-of-the-mill structure. It has two slides. Our son had no interest in it whatsoever, but the neighborhood kids that were there seemed entertained. I didn’t look for an age rating on the structure, but our son didn’t have any problems with any of it’s features. (When we forces him to try it out, anyway.)  In total, the play area is very unimaginative.

There are two regular swings. There also seems to be a swing missing from the structure. I heard the neighborhood kids say something about the blue swing missing. Hopefully the blue swing is some sort of infant swing. If you’ve read enough of my reviews, you probably know by now that I do not like any park that has only two swings. My son LOVES to swing. On a busy day a park with few swings could cause us some issues.

There is no large, covered, picnic area. This shouldn’t surprise anyone with the small size of this park. It did have a couple benches, two picnic tables,  a water fountain and a doggie station.

There was only one part of this small park that really bothered my helicopter parenting style. There is a curb that goes around the play area. My son, like all kids, used this curb as a balance beam. There is a section of this curb that is bordered by a pretty steep decline covered with rocks. *If* my son was to lose balance, he would fall unto this rocks. My husband and I have deemed this area the “death roll” and patrolled it with a passion.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 2.5
Condition: 4
Amenities: 3
Safety: 3
Fun: 3

Overall Score: 3.5

For a neighborhood park, this little Gem does it’s job.  There is an open grass area next to the play structure. As always, the grounds were very well  maintained. I do wonder why there is a swing missing from this park, especially when we visited on such a beautiful Saturday.  Because of it’s size, it is missing a lot of the amenities that bigger parks have. The rocks underneath the curb by the play area really do make me nervous. Even though it has a doggie station, I would not call this park dog friendly because of it’s size. The play structure seems unimaginative and may not entertain kids for long periods of time. You can see the Bend Park and Rec website for this park, here.

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#5 Blakely Park – Brookswood Blvd

My husband and I have driven by Blakely Park countless time. Until we started the park tour, it never really caught out attention. Since we started, we have been dying to try it. From the road the park looks absolutely amazing!

I cannot say we had a great time. Though, we aren’t exactly sure why. Maybe it was the heat, maybe it was because the park was slightly more crowded than we were used to, or maybe or son was just in a “mood.” Either way, we left this park feeling drained.

The first thing we noticed when pulling in is the parking is not street parking. There is actually a little parking lot. I think this is an amazing idea, especially families with multiple children. It is difficult enough to get a family out of a car without adding the extra stress of keeping kids safe and out of traffic. There is also access to this park via a paved trail from Summer Shade drive. I saw quite a few kids and families taking advantage of this great connecting path.

The play area itself is almost completely fenced off, with two openings. The play structure looks very diverse and large. I did not find a sticker with the ages, but most structures in town are rated for ages 5 to 12. Our son, who is 4 and 1/2 and slightly short for his age, had some issues with a few of the features. In general, our son did not seem very interested in the play structure. We did get him to try the climbing wall, which was too difficult for him because of the spacing of the foot holds. He did seem to enjoy one of the more creative ways up the play structure.

There was six swings, four regular and two infant. This seemed like a decent amount compared to the size of the park. The only real downsides to the play area we noticed was that there were not many park benches inside the play area and there was not a lot of shade. These two things really took away from the fun my husband and I could have had while we were there.

There were plenty of other creature comforts though. The park has actual bathrooms, and not porta-poties, and a water fountain. I noticed a doggie bag station. There was a pretty large half-size basketball court. There were a few picnic benches around the outside of the play area, but not enough for a busy day. This park does not have a covered picnic area, putting it pretty far down the list of places to have a large family gathering.

There are very beautiful grassy areas outside of the play area. They are large enough for a game of touch football, which I have been craving since being there. The shade from the trees would be nice for a picnic on a blanket. I wish there were more picnic tables in these areas.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where 1 is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 4
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 5
Fun: 4

Overall Score: 4

We had a hard time rating this park, because we really didn’t have a good time. Sometimes it is hard to separate what is the park’s fault and what isn’t. Some of the play structure was a little too tall for our 4 year old to play on, but he is short. There were no shaded areas in the play area, and the few park benches in the fence were not well placed. On the plus side, our son did get to have fun with some water. I couple of kids put bark chips in the water fountain, making the water spray far. The adult with this was kind enough to try to fix it, but the kids got the bark chips in it well. It made for a great ten minutes for our son, especially on a warm day. I love that the parking is away from the street, though when busy there might not be room for everyone. The fenced play structure really makes this nice for any parent of a child who might have a tendency to wander away. I would watch closely, as there are two exits out of the play structure. I would not consider Blakely Park picnic friendly, especially not for large groups.

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#3 Compass Park – NW Crossing Dr.

When I asked my mom what she wanted to do for Mother’s Day, and she said she wanted to “do one of our parks.” So, last night I called on the jar again and it gave us Compass Park in Northwest Crossing.

Compass Park is very easy to get to, just take NW Crossing drive off of Mount Washington Drive.

It is a big, circular park with the play area in the center. We drove around most of the park and saw beautiful grassy areas and a trailed forest section. We were struck by the size of the park and how many parking spaces there are around the edge of it. It is also very close to restaurants, which is convenient.

 

Usually when we come to a park, everything looks the same. This park was a pleasant surprise, looking very diverse. Though the park is rated for ages 5-12 our 4 year old had no issues with most of the equipment. There was one structure that we didn’t quite understand. If we would have been in on a busier day with older kids maybe one of them would have showed us the point. There were four swings, two regular and two infant.

My son’s favorite structure was a yellow and red thing with a step ladder. His second favorite were the rotating platforms.

There are trails through nature areas. I did not get a chance to see where they lead, but I saw them there. The circumference of the park is large enough for make for a decent walk.  I did not see any dog bag stations, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There was however a really friendly Burmese Mountain dog who seemed to be having a good time. There are sprawling grass areas on the “outside” of the circle as well.

The Bend Parks and Rec site for Compass Park says that the covered pavilion will seat 24. I would say with the size of the benches it’s closer to 18 comfortably. This can be reserved and would make a great place for a birthday party, family event, or whatever. There are also picnic benches scattered around the park, making it a great place for a small family picnic as well. I do wish there were more picnic tables closer to the play area. We had to sit pretty far away from where my son was playing to eat lunch.

The park was very well maintained, as normal. The equipment was in great condition. There were some structures, especially the ones that my son was drawn to, that could be designed to be a little more safe. There were a few times we felt like rushing to him because he was about to fall.

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Ratings: 
(A scale of 1 to 5 where one is the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 5
Condition: 5
Amenities: 4
Safety: 4
Fun: 5

Overall Score: 4.5

Overall, we were happy with Compass Park. The neighborhood looks nice and clean. The people were friendly. The equipment was varied and kept my son interested. My husband and I debated about giving it a four or five in safety, just because there is not a fence around the play area, but I know not all kids actually need that. Also, a couple of the play structures actually made me and my family nervous. They would not make for a relaxing afternoon for any helicopter parent. I was concerned how far away the picnic tables were from the play area, but I remember later seeing some tables closer. This park has almost anything for anyone. The walking trail is not long enough to make for a good work out, but if you combine it with walking the circumference of the park it might make a good options if you don’t have any options and need something to entertain the kids. The large grassy areas would be great for many activities as well.

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#1 Sun Meadow Park – Dayspring Drive

 

This was the first park in our little experimental adventure. When we pulled it out of the jar my husband and I both looked a little disappointed. We didn’t even know this park existed, and all the little piece of paper had to say was its address.

We googled it and felt relieved it was in the part of town my husband grew up in. He knew how to get there, which was nice. Especially since it’s not simple. That’s not to say it’s difficult, but you will most likely not just come across this park unless you are looking for it or you live in the neighborhood.

When we pulled up, we realized it is right behind Jewell Elementary on the south side of town.

“It’s so quiet here, almost too quiet.” My husband said after being there for a few minutes.

It wasn’t long before another mom came with her son. We struck up a conversation. Well, to be honest, my husband struck up a conversation. She had lived in the neighborhood before but now they moved a little farther away on a couple acres. Every once in awhile some one would walk past, or ride past on their bike, and our new friend would great them by name. It wasn’t long before you realized this really was a nice neighborhood full of friendly people.

It’s the kind of place you would want to live.

The playground is fenced in, which is the first of it’s kind I have seen. My husband and I were both pleasantly surprised by this and super excited. It’s not very often we can relax knowing there is only one exit for our son to escape from. I could totally see us taking a lunch to this park on a nice day. Our son can play in the playground, we can have a nice meal, everyone’s happy.

The playground equipment itself is pretty unimaginative, which isn’t bad per say. Playground designers know what kids like, right? The sticker says from ages 5 to 12, but our 4 1/2 year old didn’t have any issues with any of it. There is only two swings, which I could see giving us a problem on busier days.

There is a covered patio area that can seat 12. The basketball court is a half court, but looks decent enough. I did not see the water fountain, but there is one according to the Bend Parks and Rec site. I also did not see the bathroom, but the website says they have seasonal ones. There is only street parking, and not much of it. As with most parks in the area, it was very clean and well maintained. The area is very nice and everyone was friendly enough.

Honestly, it’s a really small neighborhood park. We were there on a Wednesday afternoon, and it was perfect. But, I could imagine during a busier time it probably gets a little crowded.

Our little family of three loved the time we spent there. It was one of the more relaxing park days we’ve had. It made for a great first pick.

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Ratings:

(A scale of 1 to 5 where one in the least desirable and 5 is the most desirable)

Size: 3

Condition: 5

Amenities: 4

Safety: 5

Fun: 4

Overall Score: 4

I really want to give this park 5 stars, because I will forgive a lot for a fenced in play area. This is not the park for a busy day, especially with it’s street only parking.

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