I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Rose Garden Arches, #ElizabethPark #Black & White

Growing up, we used to ride our bikes to Elizabeth Park (there were less hills on the way to this park than to Fernridge Park where we swam in the summer). I can't say we spent much time in the Rose Garden but I do remember an occasional stop there as a child. What I most remember about this park is the skating and sledding expeditions with my father. He'd bundle the four of us into the car (after he and my mother had bundled us into our winter gear) and off we'd go for an evening of skating or an afternoon of sledding. We had very traditional flyer sleds and there was also the family toboggan. Slide. Trudge up the hill. Slide again.

Rose Garden Arches, #ElizabethPark

I spent a bit of time yesterday wandering around the Pond House and the Rose Garden. The garden was pretty deserted for a Saturday afternoon -- perhaps it was the looming chance of rain or perhaps the lack of roses! It's clear that there is a focus on keeping it rustic -- no paved walkways here but rather grassy walkways covered with arches. I suppose this is a side effect of being on the National Register of Historic Places. Although this makes for a lovely garden, it also means the garden is not all that accessible to anyone with mobility limitations or needing an assistive device.