Seward Community Playground

This is the new playground in Seward! It is walking distance from everything you might want to do downtown, like the Sea Life Center. It is just the right place to take a break after a meal or after a 2 hour drive (like the one we just took to get here!)

 Our trip was on a foggy morning. It was really nice and quiet while we were there and I enjoyed watching the fog roll past, trying to find a place to settle in.
The bathrooms are located out front in the huge parking area, there is a city bus stop right out front, and there is an RV park and campground directly adjacent.

 Bear proof/tot proof trash cans are located around the park and it appears that there is a local custom of placing lost and found items on the fence. That is handy.

 My boys were thrilled to drive theAlaska Train car, next to black sand box. It is reminiscent of coal cars that still bring coal to the Seward docks. I heartily approved that the toddler area is only accessible from park interior, so I knew my little ones weren't wandering out to the campground, road or water.

 Fishing boat

Fire truck with slide!

 Small town square and settlers village

 There are swings in both the toddler and older kids areas. This park had so many things for every age of child. I would say this is a whole family playground. Don't be surprised if you find yourself atop the fire truck or climbing the rock wall! This is a fun park!

 The park is also accessible from a paved path that runs along water front. Watch little ones, though the rear entrance is from big kids area. The rv park and campground, skate park and pavilion all use this path.

 Skate park - plus for older kids

 Fun crab cut out.

 Your child can pretend to drive a dog sled  - This was donated by the Seavey family

 Under sea caverns - from the Sealife Center

A tribute to Mount Marathon - a mural climbing wall. Just one of many great murals throughout the city of Seward.

I think the creators of the playground did a great job embodying Seward in a park. Each feature sparks a memory or interest in another wonderful facet of this jewel of the Kenai Peninsula.

Bayview Park

Bayview Park sits at the top of Bayview Avenue in Homer, Alaska, just east of the hospital. It is a tiny neighborhood park, but boasts plenty of fun for a family whether it is wet or sunny outside. The park has one picnic table right next to the playground equipment.

Bayview boasts 3 slides, which were all tested and approved for play by my toddler. He was very thorough.

Bayview also has some large rocks and boulders for a game of "lava" or "crocodiles". Almost as good as a genuine "Log".

Parking for Bayview Park is up behind the park. There you will find a port-a-potty. Parking is limited to 2 or 3 vehicles and additional parking is probably available along the surrounding streets.

There are two swings at this park. It was enough for us for the day. It is a very small park, after all, and I am sure is normally only used by locals. Two swings is fair.

I love the yellow plastic and wood structure, but I felt like there were a lot of very large gaps between components. I didn't let my small toddler climb on this structure alone for fear of her putting a leg in to the gaps.

 My research group, hard at work.

 

Perhaps the funnest feature of this park is the tiny valley running along the upper side. There are two little plank bridges over what I am sure can be a creek during rainy weather. My children were happy pretending it was a moat and running up and down between the hills. It is a fun way to keep the natural landscape of the park. Thanks, Homer, for not being generic and homogenized.

Two "bridges"

I found this picket fence park charming. It was easy and fun, open, but small enough for me to sit back to relax and comfortably keep an eye on children spread out over the park. Be mindful that there are houses and streets surrounding every side of the park, so children should not be allowed to wander nor should they be allowed to be excessively noisy if you happen to go to the park late in the evening.

Old Town Kenai Public Park

The day that we visited this park, it was gorgeous outside. It was sunny, a little breezy , but a really wonderful day. We came to the park for a picnic with friends and stayed well in to the evening. I think we left the park after 9 that night and the sun was still high in the sky. I was sad that I didn't have my camera with me and that I would have to come back for pictures. As you can see, I did and it wasn't nearly as nice that day.

Old Town Park is located at 816 Cook Avenue in the historical district of Kenai. The buildings that housed the first library and jail for Kenai are located on the block that the park joins. There is a walking tour of Old Town that includes the surrounding buildings, if you are interested in seeing more of Old Town Kenai. I don't know when the park was established, but it has been here as long as I can remember and I played here as a kid once or twice. A large wooden structure that was older than me was finally replaced a couple of summers ago. It's an improvement. I think they could stand to replace the turquoise tunnel structure as well, but at least the City of Kenai did something to improve the playground. My children were not in the least disappointed with the turquoise thing.

The park is frequented by area residents and children from the nearby apartments and houses. It is a popular place for basketball.  There are lines painted on the basketball court for hopscotch and four square. If you bring a ball, you can have a little old school fun in Old Town!


 Old Town park also has the best swings around! There are 5 or 6 swings, which is a lot for one little park. There are a total of 3 slides that are built for varying ages and stages.

There is a covered area with a picnic table. That is a downside - there is only one table in the park. If you want to have a picnic here, I recommend bringing camp chairs for extra seating. The grill is pretty handy though.

The new red and blue equipment is just right for little kids. My 1 and 3 year olds both enjoyed this structure and found it easy to climb and older children were able to help them get up without much stress on my part.  I'm not fond of the pea gravel that surrounds the playground equipment, but again, my kids weren't fazed by it. It was a relatively gravel-in-the-shoe free day.

Don't let the chain link fencing intimidate you - there is access to the park on each side as well as parallel parking around it.

Old Town Park is a simple park. Locals use it. It is easy to walk here from other activities in Old Town Kenai or meet with friends for a quick play date. Its not the newest park, but it is a classic .

Karen Hornaday Park

 Karen Hornaday Park, Homer, Alaska

 

At the beginning of June we went to Homer for the day. It was gorgeous outside and we followed friends to the park at the top of the hill for a picnic lunch. I had not been to any playground in Homer, so I wasn't sure what we would find. I expected a semi-run down, wooden structure play ground equipment, since that is what we frequently find in small communities, including ours. I was so surprised to see a brand new park, customized with community flair and touches of area history!

Karen Hornaday park is located near South Peninsula Hospital, high on the hill above Homer. It is a brand new play ground, built by community volunteers, that opened just days before we visited. You can read about the project here.

The park has a Homer theme - features such as a fishing boat, a small village and driftwood sculptures all bring the flavor of this fishing town to the playground. There is ample parking both below and next to the park, as well as a wonderful campground, with a parking area and bathrooms above the park. The park is situated by two baseball fields, so you might consider parking above the playground if the lower parking area is full.

                                                                             Driftwood sculptures

 
From where we parked, the first thing we saw was the extra long slide. After watching my kids fly down the slide, I decided that I needed to try it myself. I handed the baby off to my oldest child and climbed in. The slide isn't big enough for an adult to sit up in, so I had to lay down. It is a looong slide, so I picked up a lot of speed on the way down and flew out the end of it, landing on my bum in the gravel. A little painful, but worth the trip! 

There is a designated toddler area in the play ground, with slides, a sand box, swings, a play house village, miniature ampitheater and a fun train that tots can climb in, over and around. There are even little picnic tables!

Top to bottom: Train, toddler tree house with slide exit, pioneer village, picnic tables, Mini ampitheater with xylophone. All pictures containing adults or children other than my own are used without permission. 

 The older children have the remainder of the park to explore. There is a climbing wall, 3 or 4 slides, a giant tree house, swings, monkey bars, and a fishing boat where you and your crew can pretend to bring in the biggest catch ever.

 Another one of my favorite features of the park is the driftwood slough. There is a drinking fountain at the top and all extra water runs down the slough, giving other children a chance to splash their hands in the water or pretend to pan for gold. 

 A few other tips: There is a pavilion with picnic tables opposite the park in the lower parking lot and at the time we visited, another picnic table near the bottom of the long slide and slough. If you need a bathroom, head directly to the camp ground parking lot above the park by continuing up the hill,  past the play ground entrances. You will find a very nice path down to the park from the parking area.

My children love this park. We were so pleased to find something new and original and the view cannot be beat!  I can't wait to come back for another day trip or camping trip.

Update: We did camp at the park and were lucky enough to get a spot very close to the playground.  The park is within walking distance of the Pratt Museum, where you can catch the Homer Trolley during the summer months and see Homer without moving your tent or motorhome! We had a great time.