Saturday, February 11, 2017

Climbing Blocks

Since the old Continental Bridge was re-purposed from a 80 year old traffic-carrying bridge to a park for pedestrians, bikes,skateboards and roller blades etc.,etc., the newly renamed Ron Kirk Bridge has been a pretty popular place for families to take visitors from out of town. Out of towners find it on their own and come for a look see.The chess pieces have disappeared after the first season. The climbing blocks and other toys on a very spongy and safety-oriented area for children to play were at first, for the kids. But after a few seasons the one thing that I have noticed at the bridge in the past two months is that there are a whole bunch of grown-up kids that like to play on the climbing blocks. Although some kids still play on the blocks under helicopter parents eyes (and I don't say that as a negative thing) but there is a shift in who plays on these blocks now and the adjacent pogo-like spring loaded "king of the mountain" type things. And, actually, I think that it makes for a much better use of the area.  Why? because it is drawing more people to the deck park which has competition with Clyde Warren Deck Park over the Woodall Rodgers Expressway just a couple of miles down the road, literally, from where the Ron Kirk is located.

The Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge is the end of the Woodall Rodgers Expressway, just a few feet from the Plaza of the Ron Kirk. There is a full days of activities planned for this coming  March 4th weekend beginning with an opening run at 7:30 AM. The posters went up today on the poster houses located around the Plaza area and at the levee ramp that goes down under the bridges onto the Trinity Skyline Trail.
These Climbing Blocks Are a Favorite

They seem to be seeing more and more big adult kids having fun on the block.

The back-drop has also become a favorite for photo ops.

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