reason #8

8. outdoor spaces

i humbly admit that i'm not an outdoors-woman.  i own no specially engineered clothing designed to wick away moisture while i climb up the sides of enormous rocks; i have no interest in that cult sport of running, which in me inspires burning lungs and a longing for the sweet release of death; i have not the requisite patience to fish, nor the stomach to hunt.  my only qualifications for writing this post are that i very much enjoy camping in mild-to-cold weather, rain showers and the smell of wet earth, walking outdoors, and taking picnics.

luckily, denton is the perfect place for someone like me.  on a warm summer day or a brisk fall evening i can walk to my local post office, library, or the denton square (complete with bookstore, shopping, and good food.)  more than anything else, walking to the places you frequent near your home will help forge a connection to your neighborhood.  you'll pay attention to the trees, the houses with gardens, the cracks in the sidewalks, you'll say hello to the neighbors with strollers and those holding leashes, and your world will slow to a welcome, steady gait for a strolls-worth of time.

for more dedicated walks and bike rides further away from traffic and the like, denton has a lovely assortment of trails available, and for picnics and just generally horsing around outdoors, there are parks in every corner of town.


the three major parks are:

• north lakes park--an ideal choice for highly active individuals who enjoy tennis, hiking, biking, softball, soccer, disc golf, ummmm.....i'm getting tired and irritable just imagining all of these sports, so i'll finish with the fact that this park houses a modestly outfitted recreation/fitness center at which membership for denton residents costs very little.  i was a member for a while, so i speak from experience.  a short-lived experience, through no fault of the community fitness center.
  
  
• quakertown park--located in the downtown nucleus of denton, this centrally located park is the preferred site of many fairs and other special events throughout the year.  the denton arts and jazz festival happens here yearly, as does the denton blues festival (happening this weekend--scroll down to check the calendar for more info!)  this park is also puppy-town central--a great number of owners take their dogs to run and play here. i know this because i drive by quakertown park several times a day, and if my husband's with me, i am treated to a refrain of "puppa dawg!  you're sooo cuuute.... oh!  another puppa dawg!"  for the enviable lot of you who actually own dogs, denton has a dog park.  i have heard that all kinds of tooth-decayingly adorable dogs have been spotted here, but will not reveal my source.
  
  
• south lakes park--possibly my favorite park, partly because it feels a little more tucked away and hidden than the other parks, but mostly because it has "eureka," a wooden playground oasis that denton's parks and recreation site says was built with manpower from community volunteers, and whose design was informed by ideas submitted by neighborhood children.  again i will speak from experience when i say that this playground is first rate fun--a great place to get silly with your friends and get childlike with your youngsters.  way more my speed than a fitness center.  just make sure you practice playground etiquette for adults and cede priority seating on the swings and slides to five-year-olds.