Friday 4 May 2012

McKechnie Park

Several Access Points: Mathers Ave at Bayridge Ave (where we started), Westholme Rd, Mckechnie Ave, and at a few other places along Mathers Ave.

McKechnie Park is a big one. It's heavily wooded, and it's on a steep slope. It's the type of place where you walk in and it immediately feels like an adventure.



In the north end of the park, we found an old set of cobblestone steps. We followed them up the side of a rock and above the tree canopy until we found this:


This would be a perfect place to come in a group of three. Each person could have a bench to sit on and put their stuff. If you all face the middle, you can talk to each other with a snack, a board game, or anything else you want in a place where everyone can reach it. It's just a nice place to be. Although the trees are too tall for a view of the ocean, the cloud watching is fantastic.

McKechnie Park, despite its slope, has a set of tennis courts in the middle of it. It's quite dramatic: up on a concrete platform that is at least four meters tall at the highest point. Talented graffiti artists have taken advantage of such a large and secluded canvas:


This park is a great one for trails. I found myself wishing I had a dog so that I could walk it through McKechnie Park. There are plenty of wider trails for a relaxing stroll, but if you choose to head off down one of the narrower paths, you will find this amazing view:


It's down at the southern tip of the park, right above the train tracks. The only thing missing at this viewpoint is a bench. Somebody get on that!

Unfortunately, Nina and I didn't get to see the whole park this time. It really deserves a whole afternoon instead of just an hour. We're excited to go back, though. If anyone goes to McKechnie and discovers anything else cool, make sure to let us know!

PPR
Good: awesome lookout points, beautiful graffiti, tons of space to explore
Bad: needs more benches, a little too sketchy for solo exploring (bring a friend)
7.5/10

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