
4/2/22
Yesterday was a beautiful and full day. I visited a beautiful local attraction, the Sunken Gardens. It felt like a (sub)tropical paradise, with lush trees and flowers, and even a koi pond with a bridge.







On the way to and from the gardens, I also paused to enjoy the beautiful residential streets and houses. Many of the streets in this Old Northeast part of town retain their old brick pavers. It makes for a bit of a bumpy ride on the bike, but the visual aesthetic is worth it.


This is such a beautiful city.
After the gardens, I went back to the waterfront parks. At the northern entrance, I was surprised and delighted by the sight of a park-bench swing! It sat empty and still, and I could hear it calling my name. I probably sat and swung on it for at least an hour, savoring every minute, including the view of the water and clouds. I wished every park bench in the world could be a swing instead! While I rested there, many people walked by on the path, and several of them remarked that they loved it, too, and that it was a new addition to the park.


Sure enough, I spotted QR codes on each armrest. I scanned one and learned the story of the swing. I love that people come up with cool ideas, and then implement them, and then other people find themselves inspired by those ideas, and find ways to replicate them elsewhere.
This morning, after some more good conversation, I bade farewell to my Warmshowers host Tracy, and pedaled about two miles northwest to my new Warmshowers host Kath. On the way, I visited Crescent Lake Park, and saw an incredible, huge banyan tree.

When I arrived at Kath’s place in a lovely leafy neighborhood near the local natural foods store, she greeted me with more good conversation, as well as a dip in her brand-new backyard pool.
We had thunderstorms this evening, and they may continue overnight. But it looks like tomorrow should be overcast but no rain, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to explore more of this wonderful city, or some nearby natural spaces.
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