our parks can beat up your parks.

Okay, our parks may not be able to beat yours up, but we sure as heck may have yours out numbered.  Quick Windom fact: Windom is home to nearly 14 so-called parks.  14!  We have Tegels Park on Cottonwood Lake, Mayflower Park (one of my favorites), Island Park, Abby Park, Kastle Kingdom, Legion Park, a freakin' Skate Park funded by the Tony Hawk Foundation and numerous other generous donors, Jen's Park, two school owned parks, Dynamite Park (a county park in town), Ken Witt Park, Obie Knutson Park located on Fish Lake and nothing says Minnesota like hanging out next to a lake on a hot summer day and we have lots of those too--lakes and hot days.  I know I'm missing a few too.  Each park features its own personality and offers lots of opportunity for playing hard. 

On Sunday I tried to hit up each park and get a feel for all the great splendors they offered.  Tegels Park on Cottonwood Lake was my first stop and it was beautiful.  The hot sun and prairie wind made for a heavenly combination.  The one thing I would like to do for this park: add more garbage cans.  Unfortunately while I was there I spent most of my time picking up trash near the banks of the lake's waves.  I only found a few garbage cans (all in the same place near the shelter) in the whole park.  The south side of the park, where I picked up the trash, had not one in sight.  Unfortuneately, no one was ambitious enough to walk across the park to throw away their trash, which I don't think is unusual these days.  All in all, Tegels Park was perfect.  I'd be happy to waste a day there any day (weather permiting). 

Mayflower Park is one of my favorites.  It is set back from the main streets of Windom with a perfect location just along the Des Moines River, and it is home to a great frisbee golf course.  It's quiet, cozy and inviting.  Just across the river you are pleasantly surprised by a big corn field swaying in the wind so proudly under the smiling blue sky. 

Numerous parks offer great equipment for children--a haven of jungle gyms, swings and monkey bars to keep the kiddos entertained the good 'ol fashioned way.  You don't need to look far to find these kinds of parks in town. It was good to see people out using them on such a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

Frisbee Golf at Mayflower Park

Not only are there parks in town, but Windom is surrounded by parks as well.  Forgive me if I've missed one, but there is Pat's Grove, Red Rock Ridge, and the resevoir (I can't think of the official name of this park, but it is near Red Rock Ridge), and the Jeffer's Petroglyphs are close too. There are great places to camp like Talcot Lake, Graham Lake and Mukaweegee.  Now I'm getting farther out, but still rather close to this great town.

I could go on and on about how wonderful our parks are in town and the great parks close to our town, but I think you get the point.  Just another reason Windom could be a rural hotspot and tourist   destination. You should check them all out sometime!