Besides having more humidity than I remember, this summer sure has been windy. Mom and dad just get the pool clean, and the winds kick up, blowing stuff back in the pool. Wind makes me go crazy. I get all wild and must run because of the sensory overload coming into my nose. Woof!
Another thing I go nuts over is grass, and we scored big time this past weekend. Mom has driven by but didn’t know what it was until we decided to find out. We went to Paloma Community Park off Lake Pleasant Parkway in Peoria. Entrance and parking are free, and dogs are definitely welcome.
You don’t even know it is really there until you drive up the road and then BAM! It’s a huge park coming in at 85 acres. How did we miss this all these years? Well, come to find out Phase One was just completed in October of 2020. Apparently, they have plans to expand it in the future. We must have overlooked it with the world being upside down and all.
Anyway, we know about it now, and we loved it! There’s lots and lots of parking, and we chose to head to the
lower lot closer to the lake. Yes, it has a lake, and several folks were fishing. They stock it up on a regular basis. Human restrooms are in both lots, too.
We immediately decided to walk around the lake. It’s a paved, flat path that is about ¼ of mile long. The entire time, you have mountain views. This park is situated between several preserves and is just gorgeous! We saw signs for a hiking trail, but it was too hot. We’ll try that another time and let you know about it.
Other folks were out with their dogs, and we were told a dog park was further down. We walked over to check it out. They have a small dog section and a larger dog area. Both are lighted to allow evening visits during the heat of the summer. Back in my youth, I loved playing with the big dogs. I would run under and around them. We would play “catch me if you can,” but I always won. Now that I am almost 14, I was happy in the small to medium dog pen where I could meet and greet fellow canines.
We visited with nice humans and then walked back. Besides an enormous grassy area, Paloma Community Park has a kid’s area that includes a splash pad. It has pickleball courts and baseball fields as well a concession stand. Several picnic areas provide shade, but that is it. The one thing the park is lacking is trees. We never really found a place to sit and cool off. Hopefully they plan to plant some trees in the future.
We enjoyed our visit, and it was only 20 minutes from the house. This will go on mom’s list of places to take me for our Friday park day. If you have a chance, check it out! I hope we at least get rain out of the next round of windy storms. Be safe and stay hydrated.
My mom, Lorraine Bossé-Smith, is kind enough to help me share my Great Adventures, big and small. My mom is a motivational speaker, corporate trainer, executive recruiter, business consultant, coach, fitness expert, and author of nine published books. More importantly, she’s the best doggy mom ever!
Enjoy my blog at https://www.lorrainebosse-smith.com/category/kuma/kumas-great-adventures/
and be sure to follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kumathedog/ and Instagram: kumaitothedog
Get outside! You never know what you’ll discover, and our paths just might cross. Happy tails!
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