Explore Holly Shores – Bring Kids!

After brunch at Mr. Natural (mmm, tofu migas)Dan and I headed west for a little walk along the Holly Shores portion of Town Lake. You could just walk down Chicon to Fiesta Gardens, but we decided to drive over to the archway at the end of Riverview Street.

This part of the trail has the Holly Power Plant along one side. The wall has an old graffiti-style mural. There’s a steady trickle of bicyclists and runners going by, most days. At the plant entrance, you have to cross the street and take a right to get back on the trail. There are two really nice murals tucked away back here. And for those who enjoy urban industrial landscapes, the power plant is an interesting view.

Soon we emerged into Metz Park. There are some abandoned train tracks here, with a hand operated switching mechanism. A strong person can use the lever to move the tracks right and left – very cool for the train enthusiast!

Continuing along the Holly wall, we headed south. Water on both sides of the trail – very pretty and secluded feeling. It was super hot, but we were driven to see what might be along the next bend.

We kept on going as far as Pleasant Valley, where a bridge leads up into the neighborhood. The trail continues, but we took a left on Canterbury street, and headed back to Metz Park. Given the super hot weather – and the fact that we were both foolishly wearing black shirts – we were excited to see the Metz Park splash pad shooting up fountains of water.

Splash pads are a new trend in park design. They can operate without a lifeguard, so they can be open more days of the year. The water is recirculated, so they aren’t wasteful. And although they are upwards of $100,000 to install, they still cost less than a pool. Here I am getting a refreshing misting from a giant daisy.

From Metz, Dan and I squelched back the way we came to the car. Next time we’ll bring our niece. This is definitely a great kids trip (bringing bikes would be good, too.)