Tammy Nara

This is the largest, most historic park in St. Paul, Minnesota. It is also the location of a lot of my personal history. I remember going to the zoo as a child. I remember my brother getting sick on a carnival ride. In my 20’s and 30’s I lived near this park and often jogged the 5k from my house around the lake and back again. Countless times over the years I have visited this park to entertain children, meet friends, or relax on my own.

On Sunday I had the goal of walking 10 miles in one day. I just wanted to see if my body could take it. A single loop route or an out and back route would be risky. What if I needed to stop when I was far from the endpoint? I started out at Central Park in Roseville and got 2 miles in before it was time to go to church. After church I had an entire unscheduled afternoon and good weather (not terribly cold and not raining or snowing). It was exactly what I needed to be able to focus on putting one foot in front of the other and nothing else. I had 8.9 total miles that day and that was enough.

There are so many aspects of this park I could write about. At this point of the post it is time for the visiting details. Most visitors park in the lots near the zoo. I recommend parking near the pavillion. In future posts I will write about the zoo, conservatory, merry-go-round, statues, monuments, frog pond, Japanese garden, Bonsai trees, rainforest building, education spaces both inside and outside, the lake, the pavillion, and the neighborhood.